2023 Top Great Lakes Region Women's D1 Basketball Schools
44Colleges
$35,751Avg Tuition & Fees*
55%Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
Student athletes have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Colleges for Division I Women's Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
We analyzed 44 colleges and universities across the Great Lakes Region to determine which were the best for D1 Women's Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region. Our ranking methodology focuses a number of different objective factors - such as the overall quality of the school, the school's athletic competitiveness, and the amount of athletic aid per student - to make this determination. Having a great sports team is not enough - the school must also focus on academic excellence.
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to online students or returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
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Top Colleges in the Great Lakes Region for D1 Women's Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region
University of Notre Dame tops this year’s ranking as the best school for D1 Women’s Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,829 students in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at Notre Dame brought home $5,330,018 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 995, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. In addition to its Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Notre Dame is ranked #2 for overall quality in the Great Lakes Region .
Full University of Notre Dame Sports Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D1 Women’s Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,688 students in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at Northwestern made $250,122 in revenue. Sports aren’t the only thing that the team excels at - they had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Northwestern also made our overall quality list, coming in at #1.
Full Northwestern University Sports Report
The excellent sports programs at Marquette University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D1 Women’s Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 2,470 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at Marquette took home $4,329,846 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 990.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Marquette also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend DePaul University. The school came in at #4 in this year’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,047 students in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at DePaul made $3,850,261 in revenue. With a perfect academic progress rate of 1000, the team is showing that they know how to hit the books, too.
DePaul also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full DePaul University Sports Report
The excellent sports programs at Ohio State University - Main Campus helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D1 Women’s Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the large public school handed out 11,957 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at Ohio State brought home $693,032 in revenue in a single year.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Ohio State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Sports Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 8,969 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at U-M made $613,770 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. U-M not only placed well in this ranking, but it is also #4 on our overall quality list.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Sports Report
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8,676 bachelor’s degrees in .
Purdue brought in $7,008,122 while tallying up $4,577,307 in expenses for its D1 Women’s Basketball team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $2,430,815 in profit.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Purdue also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Sports Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. This large public school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 7,504 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at IU Bloomington brought home $5,237,191 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 980.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, IU Bloomington also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Sports Report
Michigan State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, the large public school handed out 9,247 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at Michigan State made $863,585 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 953.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Michigan State also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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University of Dayton landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UDayton is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 2,118 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at UDayton made $1,618,489 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 990.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UDayton also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on University of Dayton
With a ranking of #11, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, the large public school handed out 5,850 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at OHIO Athens made $1,777,198 in revenue.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Sports Report
University of Evansville came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 453 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at UE took home $1,668,936 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 957.
UE excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full University of Evansville Sports Report
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,164 students in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at Central Michigan brought home $1,688,871 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 996 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Full Central Michigan University Sports Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the large public school handed out 6,665 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at UC took home $2,948,270 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 991 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
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Bradley University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,190 students in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at Bradley made $1,781,915 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 995, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Bradley also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Bradley University Sports Report
University of Toledo landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Toledo is located in Toledo, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 2,940 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at University of Toledo brought home $2,470,297 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 996.
Read full sports report on University of Toledo
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,741 students in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at UW - Madison brought home $752,441 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 987, signifying that team members care about their grades.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Madison also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
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Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,359 students in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at IUPUI took home $1,392,087 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 995, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Sports Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 9,150 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at UIUC took home $832,527 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 995 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. UIUC also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Read full sports report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ball State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,343 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at Ball State brought home $1,697,807 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 986.
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Miami University - Oxford landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 4,655 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at Miami University - Oxford took home $1,650,195 in revenue. Sports aren’t the only thing that the team excels at - they had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Miami University - Oxford excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Miami University - Oxford Sports Report
Western Michigan University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,833 students in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at WMU brought home $1,422,848 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 985.
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With a ranking of #23, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,844 students in .
The D1 Women’s Basketball team at NIU brought home $1,238,310 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 991, signifying that team members care about their grades.
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With a ranking of #24, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 736 bachelor’s degrees in .
Valpo brought in $1,417,979 while tallying up $1,408,042 in expenses for its D1 Women’s Basketball team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $9,937 in profit. The team has a great academic progress rate of 995, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Full Valparaiso University Sports Report
Western Illinois University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 1,237 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Basketball team at WIU made $971,815 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 995.
Read full sports report on Western Illinois University
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
References
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
