by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 11 schools for Women’s Softball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Villanova University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Villanova University is a private not-for-profit school based in Villanova, PA. Villanova University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $87,288, compared with $87,288 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $25,480 per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #2. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution. University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus records an NCAA APR of 981, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Team revenue averages $93,693 per participant, with expenses of about $93,693 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $30,613.
Lehigh University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 94% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $80,732, against $80,732 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,391.
Lafayette College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Easton, PA, Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution. Lafayette College records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. The program generates about $65,195 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $65,195 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,987.
Bucknell University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Lewisburg, PA, Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $67,145, with expenses of about $67,145 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,655 per athlete.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in University Park, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, alongside a GSR of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. Team revenue averages $29,418 per participant, with expenses of about $108,807 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,170.
Drexel University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution. Drexel University records an NCAA APR of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,761, against $55,761 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,843.
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Philadelphia, PA, Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $39,588 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $39,588 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,694 per athlete.
University of Pennsylvania came in at #9 in this year's ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $29,024 per participant, with expenses of about $29,024 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Robert Morris University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Robert Morris University is a private not-for-profit school based in Moon Township, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $38,438 per participant, compared with $38,438 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,083 per athlete.
Saint Francis University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Loretto, PA, Saint Francis University is a private not-for-profit institution. The Graduation Success Rate here is 93%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $44,035 per participant, against $44,035 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,253.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.