by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 21 programs for Women’s Softball (Division II) 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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Leading the list is Biola University, our #1 college for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in La Mirada, CA. Team revenue averages $32,831 per participant, compared with $32,007 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Azusa Pacific University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division II), at #2. Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit school based in Azusa, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,954, against $35,418 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,069.
Concordia University-Irvine landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Irvine, CA, Concordia University-Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $37,580 in revenue per athlete, against $37,580 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,027.
Dominican University of California ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit school based in San Rafael, CA. The program generates about $19,014 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,014 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,270.
Western Washington University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division II), at #5. Located in Bellingham, WA, Western Washington University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $31,188 per participant, compared with $31,188 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,961 per athlete.
California State University-San Bernardino landed the #6 spot this year. Located in San Bernardino, CA, California State University-San Bernardino is a public institution. Team revenue averages $48,162 per participant, with expenses of about $48,025 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,698.
Sonoma State University landed the #7 spot this year. Sonoma State University is a public school based in Rohnert Park, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,386, against $32,386 in expenses. The school awards about $3,732 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Stanislaus placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in Turlock, CA. Team revenue averages $25,548 per participant, against $25,548 in expenses. The school awards about $3,043 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Martin's University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lacey, WA. The program generates about $16,386 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,386 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,343 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Chico ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Chico, CA, California State University-Chico is a public institution. The program generates about $17,299 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,150 per participant. The school awards about $2,367 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Monterey Bay did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Seaside, CA, California State University-Monterey Bay is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,144, with expenses of about $17,133 per participant. The school awards about $2,951 in athletic aid per athlete.
Menlo College did well this year, earning the #12 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Atherton, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,929, compared with $18,929 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,086.
California State University-East Bay did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Hayward, CA, California State University-East Bay is a public institution. Team revenue averages $24,382 per participant, compared with $24,382 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,078 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Arcata, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public institution. The program generates about $25,245 in revenue per athlete, compared with $27,731 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,418.
California State University-San Marcos ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in San Marcos, CA. The program generates about $20,342 in revenue per athlete, against $20,342 in expenses. The school awards about $2,157 in athletic aid per athlete.
San Francisco State University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in San Francisco, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,301, compared with $19,301 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,480 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Washington University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Ellensburg, WA, Central Washington University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $16,132 per participant, compared with $16,132 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,377 per athlete.
California State University-Dominguez Hills ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). California State University-Dominguez Hills is a public school based in Carson, CA. The program generates about $18,834 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,834 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,780.
Hawaii Pacific University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Honolulu, HI, Hawaii Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,844 per participant, compared with $20,844 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,034 per athlete.
Western Oregon University landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Monmouth, OR, Western Oregon University is a public institution. The program generates about $24,014 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,014 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,713 per athlete.
University of Hawaii at Hilo did well this year, earning the #21 position. University of Hawaii at Hilo is a public school based in Hilo, HI. The program generates about $14,629 in revenue per athlete, against $14,629 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,498.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.
