by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 8 programs for Women’s Softball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Boston University this year for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $96,496, with expenses of about $96,496 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.
Boston College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chestnut Hill, MA. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $92,789, compared with $92,789 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,391.
College of the Holy Cross earned the #3 place for student athletes. College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit school based in Worcester, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,453, against $44,453 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,801.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution. University of Massachusetts-Amherst records an NCAA APR of 997, alongside a GSR of 94%. About 63% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $67,766 per participant, against $67,766 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,175.
Stonehill College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Easton, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $23,518 per participant, with expenses of about $23,518 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,278 per athlete.
Merrimack College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Merrimack College records an NCAA APR of 977, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,547, with expenses of about $34,547 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell landed the #7 spot this year. This public school is set in Lowell, MA. University of Massachusetts-Lowell records an NCAA APR of 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. The program generates about $64,152 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $64,152 per participant. The school awards about $11,361 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harvard University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Harvard University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,706, compared with $31,706 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.