by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 21 colleges for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Carleton College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,227 per participant, with expenses of about $9,917 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Macalester College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Macalester College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Team revenue averages $16,775 per participant, against $16,171 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball. Based in Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 45%. The program generates about $78,039 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $313,682 per participant. The school awards about $27,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Olaf College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN. Team revenue averages $13,962 per participant, with expenses of about $13,962 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #5. Located in Saint Peter, MN, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,860 per participant, compared with $13,860 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Duluth did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Duluth, MN, University of Minnesota-Duluth is a public institution. Team revenue averages $44,413 per participant, with expenses of about $44,413 per participant. The school awards about $5,671 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Winona, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,571, against $9,571 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Martin Luther College landed the #8 spot this year. Located in New Ulm, MN, Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,347 in revenue per athlete, against $6,347 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winona State University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Winona, MN. The program generates about $31,919 in revenue per athlete, against $31,919 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,907.
Minnesota State University Moorhead did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution. The program generates about $48,880 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,253 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,722 per athlete.
St Catherine University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Paul, MN, St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,298 per participant, against $8,298 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northwestern-St Paul came in at #12 in this year's ranking. University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,648, with expenses of about $5,648 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bemidji State University landed the #13 spot this year. This public school is set in Bemidji, MN. Team revenue averages $31,070 per participant, against $31,070 in expenses. The school awards about $6,153 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Crookston, MN, University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public institution. Team revenue averages $43,279 per participant, with expenses of about $43,279 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,101 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris did well this year, earning the #15 position. This public school is set in Morris, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,500, against $8,585 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Cloud State University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Saint Cloud, MN, Saint Cloud State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $43,638 per participant, with expenses of about $43,638 per participant. The school awards about $5,426 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,011 in revenue per athlete, against $8,011 in expenses. The school awards about $49 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hamline University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Hamline University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $8,080 in revenue per athlete, against $8,080 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Marshall, MN, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $34,022 per participant, against $34,022 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,980 per athlete.
Augsburg University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,779 per participant, compared with $8,779 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Mankato, MN, Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,129, compared with $5,975 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.