by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 5 schools for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is University of Sioux Falls, our #1 college for Women's Basketball. Located in Sioux Falls, SD, University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $35,650 in revenue per athlete, against $35,650 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,811 per athlete.
South Dakota State University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Located in Brookings, SD, South Dakota State University is a public institution. South Dakota State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 79%. Team revenue averages $143,775 per participant, compared with $143,775 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,424.
University of South Dakota came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. University of South Dakota is a public school based in Vermillion, SD. University of South Dakota records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 79%. Team revenue averages $110,889 per participant, against $110,889 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Northern State University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball. Northern State University is a public school based in Aberdeen, SD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,232, against $46,420 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,884 per athlete.
Black Hills State University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #5. Located in Spearfish, SD, Black Hills State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,694, compared with $37,713 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,363.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.