by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 12 programs for Women’s Soccer (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 college for Women's Soccer (Division I). Based in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,250, compared with $78,543 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $53,919 per athlete.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public school based in Champaign, IL. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign records an NCAA APR of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. Team revenue averages $8,946 per participant, with expenses of about $103,645 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,398.
Northern Illinois University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Dekalb, IL, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 95% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $31,211 in revenue per athlete, against $30,853 in expenses. The school awards about $16,138 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #4 spot for Women's Soccer (Division I). Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. Team revenue averages $45,183 per participant, compared with $45,183 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,325 per athlete.
DePaul University landed the #5 spot for Women's Soccer (Division I). DePaul University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. DePaul University records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $45,263 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,263 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,928 per athlete.
University of Illinois Chicago landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Chicago, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. The program generates about $35,057 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $35,057 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,167 per athlete.
Illinois State University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Illinois State University is a public school based in Normal, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, alongside a GSR of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $28,436 per participant, compared with $28,436 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,477 per athlete.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Carbondale, IL, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,231, with expenses of about $21,231 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,525.
Eastern Illinois University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Eastern Illinois University is a public school based in Charleston, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. The program generates about $22,252 in revenue per athlete, against $22,252 in expenses. The school awards about $7,653 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division I). Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public school based in Edwardsville, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 84% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,651, compared with $19,651 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,334.
Western Illinois University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Macomb, IL, Western Illinois University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 976, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Team revenue averages $18,913 per participant, against $18,913 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,303 per athlete.
Chicago State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Chicago, IL, Chicago State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 957, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 26%. The program generates about $18,779 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,779 per participant. The school awards about $9,877 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.