by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 8 schools 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.
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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found University of Kentucky to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division I) in Kentucky. Located in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $154,134 in revenue per athlete, against $154,134 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,921.
Western Kentucky University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Bowling Green, KY, Western Kentucky University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,105, with expenses of about $60,105 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,243.
University of Louisville landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball (Division I). University of Louisville is a public school based in Louisville, KY. University of Louisville records an NCAA APR of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $19,766 per participant, against $75,695 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,083 per athlete.
Northern Kentucky University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Highland Heights, KY, Northern Kentucky University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,665, compared with $30,665 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,809 per athlete.
Eastern Kentucky University landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Richmond, KY, Eastern Kentucky University is a public institution. Eastern Kentucky University records an NCAA APR of 980, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,834, against $44,834 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,644.
Murray State University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Murray, KY, Murray State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 976, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,252, compared with $30,277 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,774 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bellarmine University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Louisville, KY, Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,693, compared with $24,693 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,105 in athletic aid per athlete.
Morehead State University landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in Morehead, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 32%. Team revenue averages $38,744 per participant, with expenses of about $38,770 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,170 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.