by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 21 programs for Women’s Soccer 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Macalester College to be the best college for Women's Soccer in Minnesota. Macalester College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $8,352 in revenue per athlete, against $8,515 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Carleton College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. Based in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,423 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,444 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Peter, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,476, with expenses of about $6,476 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. This public school is set in Minneapolis, MN. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,343, compared with $76,225 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,174.
University of Minnesota-Duluth ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. Based in Duluth, MN, University of Minnesota-Duluth is a public institution. Team revenue averages $13,289 per participant, with expenses of about $13,289 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,671 per athlete.
St Olaf College landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,421 per participant, compared with $4,374 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Winona State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution. The program generates about $11,424 in revenue per athlete, against $11,424 in expenses. The school awards about $3,907 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota did well this year, earning the #8 position. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit school based in Winona, MN. Team revenue averages $4,142 per participant, with expenses of about $4,142 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Catherine University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. Team revenue averages $5,241 per participant, against $5,241 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bemidji State University landed the #10 spot this year. Bemidji State University is a public school based in Bemidji, MN. The program generates about $16,681 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,681 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,153 per athlete.
Martin Luther College landed the #11 spot this year. 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, compared with $2,482 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northwestern-St Paul came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,919 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,919 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Minnesota-Morris did well this year, earning the #13 position. This public school is set in Morris, MN. The program generates about $5,093 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,275 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer. Based in Crookston, MN, University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,160, with expenses of about $16,160 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,101 per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. Based in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,180, compared with $8,899 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,722 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Cloud State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Saint Cloud, MN, Saint Cloud State University is a public institution. The program generates about $14,153 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,153 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,426.
North Central University placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. The program generates about $3,863 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,863 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $49.
Hamline University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer. Hamline University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,132, against $4,132 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. The program generates about $4,964 in revenue per athlete, against $4,964 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN. Team revenue averages $4,088 per participant, with expenses of about $4,136 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Marshall, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,534, with expenses of about $8,534 per participant. The school awards about $2,980 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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.