by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 7 colleges for Women’s Soccer (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Michigan State University, our #1 college for Women's Soccer (Division I). Based in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $78,341 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $78,341 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,500 per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is one of the top schools for Women's Soccer (Division I), at #2. Based in Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 89%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,067, compared with $76,946 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $28,650 per athlete.
Western Michigan University is one of the top schools for Women's Soccer (Division I), at #3. Western Michigan University is a public school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Western Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 998, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. The program generates about $29,926 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,926 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,248.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 96%. The program generates about $30,200 in revenue per athlete, compared with $30,200 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,547 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Detroit Mercy came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Detroit, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,239, with expenses of about $22,239 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,135.
Oakland University landed the #6 spot this year. Oakland University is a public school based in Rochester Hills, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, alongside a GSR of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Team revenue averages $29,058 per participant, against $29,058 in expenses. The school awards about $12,959 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Michigan University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 970, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $27,100 per participant, against $27,100 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,123 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.