2021 Top Women's D1 Soccer Schools
With all of the options student athletes have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for Division I Women's Soccer ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
We analyzed 306 colleges and universities across the United States to determine which were the best for D1 Women's Soccer athletes. Our ranking is based on several objective factors, including the school's overall quality and the athletic competitiveness of the school. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. So, even if a school has a great team, it won't place well if it is also considered a low quality college or university.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
Custom Rankings
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.
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.
Top Colleges in the U.S. for D1 Women's Soccer athletes
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Stanford University tops this year’s ranking as the best school for D1 Women’s Soccer athletes. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,892 students in 2018-2019.
The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Stanford brought home $301,460 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 990.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. On top of its placing in this ranking, Stanford also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 1% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #2 in this year’s ranking. Located in Durham, North Carolina, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,303 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Duke brought in $2,042,379 while tallying up $2,016,391 in expenses for its D1 Women’s Soccer team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $25,988 in profit. Sports aren’t the only thing that the team excels at - they had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Duke not only placed well in this ranking, but it is also #2 on our overall quality list.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Colleges for D1 Women’s Soccer athletes 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 2,770 students in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Northwestern took home $45,338 in revenue. With a perfect academic progress rate of 1000, the team is showing that they know how to hit the books, too.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Northwestern also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 1% of all schools in this category.
Full Northwestern University Report
Request Information
A rank of #4 on our list means University of Southern California is a great place for D1 Women’s Soccer athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,337 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at USC took home $2,214,668 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 991, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. USC also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Full University of Southern California Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #5 in this year’s ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1,228 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Rice brought home $1,454,604 in revenue in a single year. Sports aren’t the only thing that the team excels at - they had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Rice also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 1% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Rice University
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 5,167 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at University of Virginia took home $1,930,818 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 994 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, University of Virginia also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 1,942 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at SMU made $2,209,515 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 990.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, SMU also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Southern Methodist University
Request Information
With a ranking of #8, Furman University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Located in Greenville, South Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 732 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Furman took home $1,197,755 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Furman also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
Request Information
Georgetown University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,169 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Georgetown brought home $1,508,197 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 994.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Georgetown also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Full Georgetown University Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #10, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,280 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Vanderbilt made $2,900,189 in revenue. With a perfect academic progress rate of 1000, the team is showing that they know how to hit the books, too.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Vanderbilt also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Vanderbilt University Report
Request Information
Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking, coming in at #11. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,431 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Wake Forest University made $1,778,260 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 993.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. In addition to its great ranking here, Wake Forest University is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Wake Forest University Report
Request Information
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13,198 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Texas A&M College Station made $2,674,372 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 989.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. In addition to its great ranking here, Texas A&M College Station is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full report on Texas A&M University - College Station
Request Information
With a ranking of #13, Pepperdine University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Pepperdine is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 943 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Pepperdine made $1,547,278 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 995, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, Pepperdine also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Pepperdine University
Request Information
University of Notre Dame ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,642 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Notre Dame took home $101,240 in revenue. With a perfect academic progress rate of 1000, the team is showing that they know how to hit the books, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. Notre Dame also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 1% of all schools in this category.
Full University of Notre Dame Report
Request Information
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 7,007 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at BYU made $2,359,849 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 976, 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 90%. BYU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Request Information
Loyola Marymount University landed the #16 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1,674 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Loyola Marymount brought home $1,458,945 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 995, signifying that team members care about their grades.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Loyola Marymount also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request Information
With a ranking of #17, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,447 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at TCU made $1,427,062 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. TCU also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Texas Christian University
Request Information
Florida State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking, coming in at #18. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,688 students in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Florida State made $3,192,377 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 997 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Florida State University Report
Request Information
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large public school handed out 9,069 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The D1 Women’s Soccer team at UCLA brought home $572,683 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 997, 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 97%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCLA also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Report
Request Information
University of Connecticut came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. UCONN is located in Storrs, Connecticut and, has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 6,052 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at UCONN took home $1,529,208 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 994, 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 94%. On top of its placing in this ranking, UCONN also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on University of Connecticut
Request Information
University of Florida ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,663 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at UF made $87,851 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 997.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Request Information
With a ranking of #22, University of Denver did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,626 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at DU took home $1,664,262 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 994 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. DU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Request Information
Northeastern University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Northeastern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 4,127 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Northeastern made $1,336,416 in revenue. With a perfect academic progress rate of 1000, the team is showing that they know how to hit the books, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. On top of its placing in this ranking, Northeastern also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request Information
Saint Joseph’s University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,311 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at St. Joe’s took home $1,171,768 in revenue. The team had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, St. Joe’s also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full report on Saint Joseph’s University
Request Information
With a ranking of #25, Boston College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 3,062 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Boston College made $1,786,830 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 993.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, Boston College also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request InformationRest of the Top 15% Best Colleges for D1 Women's Soccer athletes
Not only did these schools make the top 46 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Colleges by Region
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Soccer ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ |
| 48 | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO |
| 49 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
| 50 | Lehigh University | Bethlehem, PA |
| 51 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 52 | University of San Diego | San Diego, CA |
| 53 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA |
| 54 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 55 | Providence College | Providence, RI |
| 56 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 57 | Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 58 | Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT |
| 59 | St John’s University - New York | Queens, NY |
| 60 | Drake University | Des Moines, IA |
| 61 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
More Nationwide Rankings
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.
- Revenue and expense information comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics Data Analysis (EADA) website.
- 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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
