by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 7 programs for Women’s Softball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Rutgers University-New Brunswick tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). This public school is set in New Brunswick, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $128,752 per participant, with expenses of about $128,752 per participant. The school awards about $26,379 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seton Hall University landed the #2 spot for Women's Softball (Division I). Seton Hall University is a private not-for-profit school based in South Orange, NJ. Seton Hall University records an NCAA APR of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. Team revenue averages $67,860 per participant, with expenses of about $67,860 per participant. Athletic aid averages $32,496 per athlete.
Monmouth University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Monmouth University is a private not-for-profit school based in West Long Branch, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 72%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,366, against $57,366 in expenses. The school awards about $20,376 in athletic aid per athlete.
Princeton University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #4. Located in Princeton, NJ, Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,837, with expenses of about $42,837 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is a private not-for-profit school based in Teaneck, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,585, compared with $26,585 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,185 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rider University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Lawrenceville, NJ, Rider University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 964, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $26,994 in revenue per athlete, compared with $26,994 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,540.
Saint Peter's University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Jersey City, NJ, Saint Peter's University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $16,355 per participant, against $16,355 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,025.
*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.
