by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 6 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, our #1 college for Women's Softball (Division I). This public school is set in Atlanta, GA. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,301, against $76,809 in expenses. The school awards about $22,289 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Georgia ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). University of Georgia is a public school based in Athens, GA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 76%. The program generates about $26,873 in revenue per athlete, against $156,129 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,925 per athlete.
Mercer University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Mercer University is a private not-for-profit school based in Macon, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $56,359 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $56,359 per participant. Athletic aid averages $23,898 per athlete.
Kennesaw State University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Kennesaw State University is a public school based in Kennesaw, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 52% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $52,714 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $52,714 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,283.
Georgia State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Georgia State University is a public school based in Atlanta, GA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $46,094 per participant, compared with $46,094 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,875 in athletic aid per athlete.
Georgia Southern University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Georgia Southern University is a public school based in Statesboro, GA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. The program generates about $45,239 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,239 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,953 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.