by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 20 programs for Women’s Soccer by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Vanderbilt University this year for Women's Soccer. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $91,503, compared with $91,503 spent per athlete. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont University landed the #2 spot for Women's Soccer. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Belmont University records an NCAA APR of 997, alongside a GSR of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 74%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,902, against $46,902 in expenses. The school awards about $21,742 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rhodes College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,501, compared with $5,501 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Union University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,053 per participant, with expenses of about $19,827 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
Lipscomb University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. The program generates about $81,431 in revenue per athlete, against $81,431 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,176.
University of Memphis landed the #6 spot this year. University of Memphis is a public school based in Memphis, TN. University of Memphis records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. The program generates about $34,142 in revenue per athlete, against $54,113 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,106.
East Tennessee State University landed the #7 spot this year. East Tennessee State University is a public school based in Johnson City, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. Team revenue averages $23,256 per participant, with expenses of about $23,256 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,444 per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Murfreesboro, TN, Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution. Middle Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 972, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,656, compared with $40,656 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,110 per athlete.
Lee University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Cleveland, TN, Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,428 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,428 per participant. The school awards about $8,272 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Knoxville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,096, against $86,255 in expenses. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
Austin Peay State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. This public school is set in Clarksville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, alongside a GSR of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $14,909 per participant, with expenses of about $14,909 per participant. The school awards about $13,483 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tennessee Technological University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. Based in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $28,786 per participant, with expenses of about $28,786 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,453.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public school based in Chattanooga, TN. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga records an NCAA APR of 991, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 66%. The program generates about $36,698 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $36,698 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,025 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Martin ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer. The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public school based in Martin, TN. The University of Tennessee-Martin records an NCAA APR of 979, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. The program generates about $29,881 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,806 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,021.
Christian Brothers University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Memphis, TN, Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,783 in revenue per athlete, against $13,895 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,833 per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer. Located in Harrogate, TN, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,942 in revenue per athlete, against $15,848 in expenses. The school awards about $8,449 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer. Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jefferson City, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,515, with expenses of about $25,701 per participant. The school awards about $10,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer. Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. The program generates about $10,354 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,931 per participant. The school awards about $5,766 in athletic aid per athlete.
King University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in Bristol, TN, King University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,798 in revenue per athlete, against $10,534 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,932 per athlete.
Tusculum University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greeneville, TN. The program generates about $10,771 in revenue per athlete, against $10,608 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,457.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.