by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 20 programs 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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Leading the list is Boston University, our #1 college for Women's Softball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $96,496 per participant, with expenses of about $96,496 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.
University of Connecticut came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Storrs, CT, University of Connecticut is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $85,811 per participant, against $85,811 in expenses. The school awards about $20,776 in athletic aid per athlete.
Providence College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Providence, RI, Providence College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 93%. The program generates about $65,249 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $65,249 per participant. Athletic aid averages $25,955 per athlete.
Boston College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #4. Located in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $92,789 per participant, against $92,789 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,391.
Fairfield University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $42,153 in revenue per athlete, against $42,153 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,587.
College of the Holy Cross placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,453, with expenses of about $44,453 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,801.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $67,766, compared with $67,766 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,175 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bryant University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Smithfield, RI, Bryant University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,587, compared with $43,587 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,982 per athlete.
University of Rhode Island came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Kingston, RI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $50,519 per participant, against $50,519 in expenses. The school awards about $19,857 in athletic aid per athlete.
Quinnipiac University landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Hamden, CT, Quinnipiac University is a private not-for-profit institution. Quinnipiac University records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,589, with expenses of about $40,589 per participant. The school awards about $27,084 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Maine did well this year, earning the #11 position. This public school is set in Orono, ME. University of Maine records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 95%. Team revenue averages $58,861 per participant, against $58,861 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,613 per athlete.
Stonehill College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $23,518 per participant, against $23,518 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,278.
Dartmouth College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, NH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The program generates about $29,419 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,419 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Lowell, MA, University of Massachusetts-Lowell is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Team revenue averages $64,152 per participant, compared with $64,152 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,361 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sacred Heart University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fairfield, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $41,357 per participant, against $41,357 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,128.
Merrimack College landed the #16 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Andover, MA. Merrimack College records an NCAA APR of 977, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. The program generates about $34,547 in revenue per athlete, against $34,547 in expenses. The school awards about $20,394 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harvard University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $31,706 per participant, with expenses of about $31,706 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Brown University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Brown University records an NCAA APR of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Team revenue averages $24,042 per participant, compared with $24,042 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Yale University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Yale University is a private not-for-profit school based in New Haven, CT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,271, compared with $37,271 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Central Connecticut State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in New Britain, CT, Central Connecticut State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. The program generates about $25,506 in revenue per athlete, against $25,506 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,791 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.