by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 12 colleges 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.
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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found Boise State University to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division I) in the Rocky Mountains Region. Based in Boise, ID, Boise State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $68,284, against $68,284 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,790 per athlete.
Utah State University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Logan, UT, Utah State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. The program generates about $54,074 in revenue per athlete, compared with $54,074 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,542.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Team revenue averages $53,884 per participant, against $53,884 in expenses. The school awards about $21,001 in athletic aid per athlete.
Brigham Young University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Provo, UT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $49,150 in revenue per athlete, compared with $87,129 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,191 per athlete.
Weber State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). This public school is set in Ogden, UT. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $37,889 per participant, compared with $37,889 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,446.
University of Utah placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). This public school is set in Salt Lake City, UT. University of Utah records an NCAA APR of 982, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. The program generates about $20,653 in revenue per athlete, against $103,720 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,047 per athlete.
The University of Montana placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). The University of Montana is a public school based in Missoula, MT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,835, compared with $56,615 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,798.
Utah Valley University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, alongside a GSR of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,011, compared with $47,011 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,013 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utah Tech University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Saint George, UT, Utah Tech University is a public institution. Utah Tech University records an NCAA APR of 980, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 95%. Team revenue averages $38,006 per participant, with expenses of about $38,006 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,796 per athlete.
Idaho State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Pocatello, ID, Idaho State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $37,496 per participant, with expenses of about $37,496 per participant. The school awards about $12,538 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northern Colorado ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). This public school is set in Greeley, CO. University of Northern Colorado records an NCAA APR of 985, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. The program generates about $33,590 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $33,590 per participant. The school awards about $12,220 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Utah University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Southern Utah University is a public school based in Cedar City, UT. Southern Utah University records an NCAA APR of 972, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. The program generates about $35,024 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $35,458 per participant. Athletic aid averages $10,065 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.