by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 13 colleges for Women’s Soccer (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
University of Virginia-Main Campus tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, alongside a GSR of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. Team revenue averages $72,809 per participant, against $72,809 in expenses. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Richmond is one of the top schools for Women's Soccer (Division I), at #2. Located in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,504, against $40,504 in expenses. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public school based in Blacksburg, VA. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University records an NCAA APR of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. Team revenue averages $12,288 per participant, compared with $63,014 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
James Madison University is one of the top schools for Women's Soccer (Division I), at #4. James Madison University is a public school based in Harrisonburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $54,047 per participant, against $54,047 in expenses. The school awards about $19,945 in athletic aid per athlete.
Old Dominion University landed the #5 spot for Women's Soccer (Division I). Old Dominion University is a public school based in Norfolk, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,000, with expenses of about $49,000 per participant. Athletic aid averages $24,728 per athlete.
William & Mary placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Based in Williamsburg, VA, William & Mary is a public institution. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. Team revenue averages $31,628 per participant, compared with $35,278 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Longwood University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Longwood University is a public school based in Farmville, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,686, with expenses of about $34,183 per participant. The school awards about $17,569 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division I). Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school based in Richmond, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 76%. The program generates about $34,420 in revenue per athlete, against $34,420 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,187.
Liberty University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Based in Lynchburg, VA, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,914, compared with $53,914 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,589 per athlete.
George Mason University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Fairfax, VA, George Mason University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $38,269 per participant, with expenses of about $38,269 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,956.
Radford University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Radford University is a public school based in Radford, VA. Radford University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,999, with expenses of about $16,999 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,467 per athlete.
Virginia Military Institute placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Virginia Military Institute is a public school based in Lexington, VA. Virginia Military Institute records an NCAA APR of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $17,664 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,664 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,028 per athlete.
Hampton University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 936, alongside a GSR of 71%. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,902, with expenses of about $22,863 per participant. The school awards about $18,394 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
See our data sources and methodologies.