by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 16 schools for Women’s Soccer (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is California Institute of Technology, our #1 college for Women's Soccer (Division III). Based in Pasadena, CA, California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,276 per participant, compared with $9,276 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of California-Santa Cruz ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). This public school is set in Santa Cruz, CA. Team revenue averages $10,109 per participant, against $10,109 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Whitman College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). Located in Walla Walla, WA, Whitman College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,708 per participant, with expenses of about $7,339 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Occidental College landed the #4 spot for Women's Soccer (Division III). Occidental College is a private not-for-profit school based in Los Angeles, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,638, with expenses of about $6,157 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Lutheran University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Thousand Oaks, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,616, with expenses of about $8,616 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Orange, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,193, against $5,193 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $6,981 in revenue per athlete, against $6,166 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Fox University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). Based in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,577 per participant, compared with $7,618 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Willamette University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). Based in Salem, OR, Willamette University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,827, with expenses of about $5,827 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lewis & Clark College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,849 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,849 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whitworth University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division III). Based in Spokane, WA, Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,627, against $6,627 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Redlands came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,432 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,050 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of La Verne ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in La Verne, CA. Team revenue averages $6,454 per participant, with expenses of about $6,538 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Linfield University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). Linfield University is a private not-for-profit school based in McMinnville, OR. Team revenue averages $8,668 per participant, with expenses of about $6,076 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Puget Sound ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division III). Located in Tacoma, WA, University of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,598 per participant, compared with $5,598 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whittier College landed the #16 spot this year. Whittier College is a private not-for-profit school based in Whittier, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,922, with expenses of about $3,922 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.