by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 12 colleges for Women’s Softball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found University of Central Florida to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division I) in Florida. Located in Orlando, FL, University of Central Florida is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $132,545 per participant, compared with $132,545 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,195.
University of Florida is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #2. Located in Gainesville, FL, University of Florida is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,947, with expenses of about $177,584 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,180.
Florida State University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Tallahassee, FL, Florida State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Team revenue averages $176,994 per participant, compared with $176,994 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,364.
University of South Florida ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Tampa, FL, University of South Florida is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 72% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,396, with expenses of about $63,396 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,287 per athlete.
Florida Atlantic University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #5. Florida Atlantic University is a public school based in Boca Raton, FL. Florida Atlantic University records an NCAA APR of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $69,464 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $69,464 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,971.
Florida Gulf Coast University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Fort Myers, FL, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $36,926 per participant, with expenses of about $36,926 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,812 per athlete.
Stetson University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in DeLand, FL, Stetson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. Team revenue averages $50,006 per participant, compared with $50,006 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,035.
Florida International University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Miami, FL, Florida International University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,934, with expenses of about $45,934 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,058.
University of North Florida came in at #9 in this year's ranking. University of North Florida is a public school based in Jacksonville, FL. University of North Florida records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $34,185 per participant, with expenses of about $34,185 per participant. The school awards about $8,675 in athletic aid per athlete.
Jacksonville University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,840, compared with $47,840 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,287.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Tallahassee, FL, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, alongside a GSR of 77%. Its federal graduation rate is 61%. The program generates about $15,954 in revenue per athlete, against $15,964 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,235 per athlete.
Bethune-Cookman University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Daytona Beach, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,847, compared with $43,847 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,940.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.