by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 15 programs for Women’s Softball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Biola University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Biola University is a private not-for-profit school based in La Mirada, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,831, against $32,007 in expenses. The school awards about $12,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Azusa Pacific University landed the #2 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Azusa, CA, Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,954, against $35,418 in expenses. The school awards about $11,069 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dominican University of California ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in San Rafael, CA, Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,014, against $19,014 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,270.
Concordia University-Irvine earned the #4 place for student athletes. Concordia University-Irvine is a private not-for-profit school based in Irvine, CA. The program generates about $37,580 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $37,580 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,027.
California State University-San Bernardino came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in San Bernardino, CA, California State University-San Bernardino is a public institution. The program generates about $48,162 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $48,025 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,698.
Sonoma State University landed the #6 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 landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Turlock, CA, California State University-Stanislaus is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,548, against $25,548 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,043.
California State University-Chico placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Chico, CA, California State University-Chico is a public institution. The program generates about $17,299 in revenue per athlete, against $19,150 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,367 per athlete.
California State University-Monterey Bay placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Seaside, CA, California State University-Monterey Bay is a public institution. The program generates about $17,144 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,133 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,951.
Menlo College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Atherton, CA, Menlo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,929, with expenses of about $18,929 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,086 per athlete.
California State University-East Bay landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Hayward, CA, California State University-East Bay is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,382, against $24,382 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,078.
California State University-San Marcos came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in San Marcos, CA, California State University-San Marcos is a public institution. Team revenue averages $20,342 per participant, compared with $20,342 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,157 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Arcata, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,245, compared with $27,731 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,418 per athlete.
San Francisco State University placed #14 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, with expenses of about $19,301 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,480.
California State University-Dominguez Hills ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in Carson, CA. Team revenue averages $18,834 per participant, with expenses of about $18,834 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,780.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.
