by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 89 schools 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Nova Southeastern University, our #1 college for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The program generates about $34,083 in revenue per athlete, compared with $34,083 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,636.
Harding University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division II), at #2. Harding University is a private not-for-profit school based in Searcy, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,965, with expenses of about $27,073 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,216 per athlete.
Union University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division II), at #3. Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,776, against $24,752 in expenses. The school awards about $17,895 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eckerd College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Eckerd College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Petersburg, FL. The program generates about $26,564 in revenue per athlete, against $26,564 in expenses. The school awards about $16,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Melbourne, FL. The program generates about $26,922 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,922 per participant. The school awards about $13,103 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rollins College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Rollins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Winter Park, FL. Team revenue averages $23,796 per participant, compared with $23,796 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,632.
Florida Southern College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Lakeland, FL, Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $24,746 per participant, with expenses of about $24,746 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,785 per athlete.
Lynn University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Boca Raton, FL, Lynn University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $26,795 per participant, against $26,795 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,987 per athlete.
Flagler College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Augustine, FL, Flagler College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $33,076 in revenue per athlete, compared with $33,076 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,076 per athlete.
Palm Beach Atlantic University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in West Palm Beach, FL. The program generates about $25,632 in revenue per athlete, against $25,439 in expenses. The school awards about $10,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Greenville University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tigerville, SC. Team revenue averages $30,097 per participant, with expenses of about $30,962 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,158 per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit school based in Harrogate, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,888, with expenses of about $26,784 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,449.
University of West Florida placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Pensacola, FL, University of West Florida is a public institution. The program generates about $21,657 in revenue per athlete, against $23,686 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,536.
University of Alabama in Huntsville ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in Huntsville, AL. Team revenue averages $32,396 per participant, against $32,396 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,175.
Ouachita Baptist University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,526, against $17,319 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
Lee University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Lee University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, TN. Team revenue averages $20,038 per participant, against $20,038 in expenses. The school awards about $8,272 in athletic aid per athlete.
Spring Hill College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Spring Hill College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mobile, AL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,427, with expenses of about $15,593 per participant. The school awards about $7,824 in athletic aid per athlete.
Catawba College did well this year, earning the #18 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salisbury, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,574, against $21,356 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,164.
Trevecca Nazarene University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $23,281 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,166 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
Lenoir-Rhyne University landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Hickory, NC, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,831, against $20,831 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,094 per athlete.
Kentucky Wesleyan College did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Owensboro, KY, Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,337 per participant, against $15,278 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,522 per athlete.
Carson-Newman University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,979 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,900 per participant. Athletic aid averages $10,904 per athlete.
Wingate University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in Wingate, NC, Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $25,297 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,233 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,748 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christian Brothers University placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Memphis, TN. The program generates about $16,210 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,206 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,833.
Lander University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in Greenwood, SC. Team revenue averages $27,226 per participant, against $21,621 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,383.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.