by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 14 colleges for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Use the shortcuts below.
Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Grinnell College this year for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA. The program generates about $8,923 in revenue per athlete, against $8,923 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Cornell College landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball. Based in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,645, against $18,372 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drake University landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball. Drake University is a private not-for-profit school based in Des Moines, IA. Drake University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $75,346, with expenses of about $75,346 per participant. Athletic aid averages $10,413 per athlete.
Iowa State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Ames, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. The program generates about $80,082 in revenue per athlete, against $352,188 in expenses. The school awards about $16,185 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Iowa earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Iowa City, IA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $164,807, against $292,505 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,176.
Luther College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Decorah, IA, Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,298 in revenue per athlete, against $8,060 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wartburg College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waverly, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,979, compared with $8,979 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northern Iowa landed the #8 spot this year. University of Northern Iowa is a public school based in Cedar Falls, IA. University of Northern Iowa records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Team revenue averages $64,185 per participant, against $64,185 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,720 per athlete.
Loras College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Loras College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,200, with expenses of about $7,200 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Simpson College placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Indianola, IA, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,303 per participant, against $8,499 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Buena Vista University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,848 in revenue per athlete, against $8,537 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Upper Iowa University landed the #12 spot this year. Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fayette, IA. Team revenue averages $31,710 per participant, with expenses of about $31,082 per participant. The school awards about $6,035 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coe College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,833, compared with $6,833 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dubuque landed the #14 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Team revenue averages $8,618 per participant, against $7,752 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
See our data sources and methodologies.