by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 13 schools for Women’s Soccer (Division III) 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:
Our analysis found Macalester College to be the best college for Women's Soccer (Division III) in Minnesota. Macalester College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,352, with expenses of about $8,515 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Carleton College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,423 per participant, compared with $4,444 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). Based in Saint Peter, MN, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,476, against $6,476 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Olaf College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division III). Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,421, compared with $4,374 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Catherine University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Saint Paul, MN, St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,241 per participant, with expenses of about $5,241 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Winona, MN, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,142 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,142 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Martin Luther College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division III). Located in New Ulm, MN, Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,482 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,482 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division III). Located in Morris, MN, University of Minnesota-Morris is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,093, with expenses of about $5,275 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $2,919 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,919 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Central University did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. Team revenue averages $3,863 per participant, with expenses of about $3,863 per participant. The school awards about $49 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division III). Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,964, against $4,964 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hamline University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Saint Paul, MN, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,132, compared with $4,132 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,088, compared with $4,136 spent per athlete. 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. Rankings consider 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.