by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 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:
University of Missouri-Columbia earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division I). Based in Columbia, MO, University of Missouri-Columbia is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Team revenue averages $146,339 per participant, compared with $146,339 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,637.
Saint Louis University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division I). Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 94%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,366, compared with $48,366 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,446.
Missouri State University-Springfield earned the #3 place for student athletes. Missouri State University-Springfield is a public school based in Springfield, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $47,078 per participant, with expenses of about $47,078 per participant. The school awards about $12,364 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lindenwood University landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Charles, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,034, compared with $30,034 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,722 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball (Division I). Located in Kansas City, MO, University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 969, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. About 44% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $31,615 per participant, with expenses of about $31,615 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,225 per athlete.
Southeast Missouri State University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Cape Girardeau, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Team revenue averages $30,697 per participant, compared with $30,697 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,582 in athletic aid 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.