by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 16 programs for Women’s Soccer 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:
Leading the list is Samford University, our #1 college for Women's Soccer. Located in Birmingham, AL, Samford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 72% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,072, compared with $36,734 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,864.
The University of Alabama earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Tuscaloosa, AL, The University of Alabama is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. The program generates about $79,717 in revenue per athlete, compared with $79,717 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,760 per athlete.
Auburn University is one of the top schools for Women's Soccer, at #3. Located in Auburn, AL, Auburn University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $13,053 per participant, with expenses of about $88,813 per participant. The school awards about $28,233 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Alabama at Birmingham is one of the top schools for Women's Soccer, at #4. Located in Birmingham, AL, University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,051, with expenses of about $36,400 per participant. The school awards about $17,655 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Alabama in Huntsville earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Huntsville, AL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,210, against $14,210 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,175.
University of North Alabama came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Florence, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. The program generates about $19,805 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,805 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,402.
Spring Hill College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Spring Hill College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mobile, AL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,778, compared with $18,886 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,824 per athlete.
University of South Alabama ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer. Located in Mobile, AL, University of South Alabama is a public institution. University of South Alabama records an NCAA APR of 979, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 30%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,285, against $46,285 in expenses. The school awards about $15,705 in athletic aid per athlete.
Troy University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Troy, AL, Troy University is a public institution. Troy University records an NCAA APR of 971, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 48% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $27,023 per participant, with expenses of about $27,015 per participant. The school awards about $13,487 in athletic aid per athlete.
Jacksonville State University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Jacksonville, AL, Jacksonville State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 961, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,369, against $29,369 in expenses. The school awards about $14,761 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Montevallo did well this year, earning the #11 position. University of Montevallo is a public school based in Montevallo, AL. Team revenue averages $14,678 per participant, with expenses of about $14,678 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,698.
University of West Alabama landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Livingston, AL. Team revenue averages $23,812 per participant, with expenses of about $23,751 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,323 per athlete.
Auburn University at Montgomery placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. Located in Montgomery, AL, Auburn University at Montgomery is a public institution. Team revenue averages $24,422 per participant, compared with $24,422 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,718 in athletic aid per athlete.
Huntingdon College landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Montgomery, AL, Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,631 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,400 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $1,932.
Alabama State University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Montgomery, AL, Alabama State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. The program generates about $17,535 in revenue per athlete, against $17,535 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,418.
Alabama A & M University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer. Based in Normal, AL, Alabama A & M University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 947, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 44%. The program generates about $10,892 in revenue per athlete, against $9,218 in expenses. The school awards about $8,274 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.