by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 11 colleges for Women’s Softball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Belmont University to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division I) in Tennessee. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,248, with expenses of about $60,248 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,958, against $162,686 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,054 per athlete.
Lipscomb University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. The program generates about $56,059 in revenue per athlete, compared with $56,059 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,176.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Middle Tennessee State University is a public school based in Murfreesboro, TN. Middle Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $51,709 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $51,709 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,110 per athlete.
University of Memphis came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). This public school is set in Memphis, TN. University of Memphis records an NCAA APR of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,459, with expenses of about $48,459 per participant. The school awards about $16,106 in athletic aid per athlete.
Austin Peay State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in Clarksville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. Team revenue averages $37,104 per participant, against $37,104 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,483.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Chattanooga, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. The program generates about $37,278 in revenue per athlete, against $37,278 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,025.
Tennessee Technological University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,920, with expenses of about $25,920 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,453.
The University of Tennessee-Martin landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Martin, TN, The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,375, against $27,504 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,021 per athlete.
East Tennessee State University landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. East Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 954, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,130, compared with $17,130 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
Tennessee State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Nashville, TN, Tennessee State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 965, alongside a GSR of 84%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,586, with expenses of about $25,586 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,651.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.