by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 11 schools for Women’s Soccer (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
Catawba College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division II). Catawba College is a private not-for-profit school based in Salisbury, NC. Team revenue averages $11,894 per participant, with expenses of about $12,261 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,164.
Barton College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division II). Located in Wilson, NC, Barton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,862, against $15,862 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,654.
Wingate University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division II). Located in Wingate, NC, Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,047 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,308 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,748.
Lenoir-Rhyne University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division II). Located in Hickory, NC, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,220 per participant, with expenses of about $13,220 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,094.
University of Mount Olive came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division II). Based in Mount Olive, NC, University of Mount Olive is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,942 per participant, against $13,797 in expenses. The school awards about $7,775 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Pembroke, NC, University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a public institution. The program generates about $15,154 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,794 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,165 per athlete.
Lees-McRae College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division II). Based in Banner Elk, NC, Lees-McRae College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,608 per participant, against $12,608 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,547.
Belmont Abbey College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division II). Located in Belmont, NC, Belmont Abbey College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,901, compared with $7,901 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,908.
Shaw University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division II). Shaw University is a private not-for-profit school based in Raleigh, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,618, with expenses of about $9,618 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,825.
Mars Hill University landed the #10 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mars Hill, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,015, compared with $8,015 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,311.
Chowan University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Murfreesboro, NC, Chowan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,485 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,485 per participant. The school awards about $5,571 in athletic aid 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.