by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 9 programs for Women’s Softball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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 Virginia-Main Campus to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division I) in Virginia. This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $100,177 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $100,177 per participant. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
James Madison University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $76,950, with expenses of about $76,949 per participant. The school awards about $19,945 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Blacksburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. Team revenue averages $30,627 per participant, against $124,440 in expenses. The school awards about $29,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
Liberty University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. Team revenue averages $81,139 per participant, compared with $81,139 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Mason University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division I), at #5. Located in Fairfax, VA, George Mason University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $36,144 in revenue per athlete, against $36,144 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,956.
Longwood University landed the #6 spot this year. Longwood University is a public school based in Farmville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 83%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. The program generates about $57,464 in revenue per athlete, against $56,995 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,569.
Hampton University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Hampton University records an NCAA APR of 967, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,396, against $38,307 in expenses. The school awards about $18,394 in athletic aid per athlete.
Radford University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $28,138 in revenue per athlete, compared with $28,138 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,467 in athletic aid per athlete.
Norfolk State University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Norfolk, VA, Norfolk State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 960, alongside a GSR of 81%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $25,808 in revenue per athlete, against $25,808 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,545 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.