by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 15 schools for Women’s Softball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual scores each program on 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? Jump to the options below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Duke University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. Duke University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $146,126 per participant, compared with $165,190 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #2. Based in Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public institution. North Carolina State University at Raleigh records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $47,900 per participant, compared with $94,461 spent per athlete. The school awards about $18,384 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elon University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Elon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elon, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,952, against $60,952 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $25,795 per athlete.
East Carolina University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Greenville, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,604, compared with $51,532 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,584.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. Team revenue averages $43,028 per participant, with expenses of about $88,610 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,771 per athlete.
Campbell University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Buies Creek, NC, Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 48% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,009, against $47,009 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,433 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Boiling Springs, NC. Gardner-Webb University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $29,282 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $29,282 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,936 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Charlotte, NC, University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,203, against $72,875 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,522.
Appalachian State University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Appalachian State University is a public school based in Boone, NC. Appalachian State University records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 52%. The program generates about $44,124 in revenue per athlete, compared with $44,124 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,299 per athlete.
Western Carolina University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Cullowhee, NC, Western Carolina University is a public institution. Western Carolina University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $27,824 per participant, against $27,824 in expenses. The school awards about $6,960 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina Wilmington did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Wilmington, NC, University of North Carolina Wilmington is a public institution. University of North Carolina Wilmington records an NCAA APR of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. The program generates about $25,955 in revenue per athlete, against $25,955 in expenses. The school awards about $7,667 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public school based in Greensboro, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,274, against $40,274 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,162 per athlete.
Queens University of Charlotte landed the #13 spot this year. Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school based in Charlotte, NC. Queens University of Charlotte records an NCAA APR of 953, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Team revenue averages $39,424 per participant, compared with $39,424 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,282 per athlete.
North Carolina Central University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Durham, NC, North Carolina Central University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,856, compared with $25,856 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,804 per athlete.
North Carolina A & T State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Greensboro, NC, North Carolina A & T State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $33,520 per participant, compared with $33,520 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,465.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.