by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 28 colleges for Women’s Softball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Thomas Jefferson University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,190 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,190 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,341 in athletic aid per athlete.
Adelphi University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit school based in Garden City, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,367, with expenses of about $19,367 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,963 per athlete.
Molloy University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division II), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rockville Centre, NY. The program generates about $20,543 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,894 per participant. The school awards about $5,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gannon University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Gannon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Erie, PA. Team revenue averages $14,320 per participant, compared with $14,320 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,313 per athlete.
Pace University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in New York, NY, Pace University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,081 in revenue per athlete, against $20,272 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,466 per athlete.
Seton Hill University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Greensburg, PA, Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,554, with expenses of about $16,554 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,657 per athlete.
St. Thomas Aquinas College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Sparkill, NY, St. Thomas Aquinas College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,263 per participant, with expenses of about $16,263 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,813.
D'Youville University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Buffalo, NY. Team revenue averages $19,604 per participant, with expenses of about $19,602 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,393.
Mercyhurst University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Erie, PA. Mercyhurst University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $25,651 in revenue per athlete, against $25,651 in expenses. The school awards about $14,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in West Chester, PA. Team revenue averages $11,121 per participant, against $12,442 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,168.
Le Moyne College placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Syracuse, NY, Le Moyne College is a private not-for-profit institution. Le Moyne College records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,506, compared with $26,513 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,944.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Slippery Rock, PA, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. The program generates about $17,291 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,442 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,028.
Georgian Court University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Georgian Court University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lakewood, NJ. Team revenue averages $26,111 per participant, against $25,862 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,874 per athlete.
Caldwell University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Caldwell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Caldwell, NJ. Team revenue averages $15,242 per participant, compared with $13,673 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,698 per athlete.
Point Park University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Point Park University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,182, with expenses of about $12,182 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,401 per athlete.
Holy Family University did well this year, earning the #16 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,122, against $11,732 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,523 per athlete.
Goldey-Beacom College ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Wilmington, DE, Goldey-Beacom College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,090 per participant, with expenses of about $11,090 per participant. The school awards about $5,149 in athletic aid per athlete.
Felician University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Felician University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lodi, NJ. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,762, against $16,762 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,189 per athlete.
Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Millersville, PA, Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. The program generates about $14,353 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,353 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,830.
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in Johnstown, PA. Team revenue averages $16,511 per participant, against $16,511 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,196.
Dominican University New York came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Orangeburg, NY. Team revenue averages $7,790 per participant, against $7,790 in expenses. The school awards about $4,678 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #22 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Kutztown, PA. The program generates about $17,496 in revenue per athlete, against $15,820 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $1,904 per athlete.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Based in Shippensburg, PA, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. The program generates about $17,276 in revenue per athlete, against $17,147 in expenses. The school awards about $2,132 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chestnut Hill College landed the #24 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,931, with expenses of about $8,714 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,192.
Frostburg State University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Frostburg State University is a public school based in Frostburg, MD. Team revenue averages $12,968 per participant, with expenses of about $12,968 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,617 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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.