by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 10 colleges for Women’s Softball (Division I) 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Miami University-Oxford to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division I) in Ohio. Based in Oxford, OH, Miami University-Oxford is a public institution. Miami University-Oxford records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,300, against $69,300 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,790.
Ohio State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #2. This public school is set in Columbus, OH. Ohio State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 84% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $113,577 per participant, with expenses of about $113,577 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,151.
Kent State University at Kent ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Kent, OH, Kent State University at Kent is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 93%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,658, compared with $55,658 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,976.
Ohio University-Main Campus earned the #4 place for student athletes. Ohio University-Main Campus is a public school based in Athens, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,171, with expenses of about $48,171 per participant. The school awards about $17,284 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Toledo ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Toledo, OH, University of Toledo is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. Team revenue averages $45,427 per participant, compared with $45,427 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,660 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dayton did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Dayton, OH, University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,064, with expenses of about $58,073 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,913.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Bowling Green, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. Team revenue averages $28,668 per participant, with expenses of about $30,204 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,840.
Youngstown State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Youngstown, OH. Youngstown State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $28,415 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,415 per participant. The school awards about $8,634 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cleveland State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Cleveland State University is a public school based in Cleveland, OH. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $21,910 per participant, against $24,535 in expenses. The school awards about $8,645 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Akron Main Campus did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Akron, OH, University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. The program generates about $31,604 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,604 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,189 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
See our data sources and methodologies.