by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 16 schools 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Catawba College this year for Women's Softball (Division II). Catawba College is a private not-for-profit school based in Salisbury, NC. The program generates about $21,574 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,356 per participant. The school awards about $9,164 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Hickory, NC, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,831 in revenue per athlete, against $20,831 in expenses. The school awards about $7,094 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wingate University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Wingate, NC, Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $25,297 per participant, compared with $23,233 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,748.
Barton College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division II), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilson, NC. The program generates about $11,243 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,243 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,654 per athlete.
Winston-Salem State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Winston-Salem, NC, Winston-Salem State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $16,901 per participant, with expenses of about $16,901 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,441.
University of Mount Olive ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). University of Mount Olive is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Olive, NC. The program generates about $15,031 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,812 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,775 per athlete.
Lees-McRae College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). Lees-McRae College is a private not-for-profit school based in Banner Elk, NC. Team revenue averages $10,213 per participant, against $10,213 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,547 per athlete.
Mars Hill University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Mars Hill, NC, Mars Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,118, compared with $14,118 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,311 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elizabeth City State University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Elizabeth City, NC, Elizabeth City State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $6,062 per participant, compared with $6,062 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,147 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Pembroke, NC, University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,865 per participant, with expenses of about $9,238 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,165 per athlete.
Fayetteville State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Fayetteville, NC, Fayetteville State University is a public institution. The program generates about $11,118 in revenue per athlete, against $11,118 in expenses. The school awards about $5,674 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont Abbey College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Belmont Abbey College is a private not-for-profit school based in Belmont, NC. Team revenue averages $9,266 per participant, with expenses of about $9,266 per participant. The school awards about $2,908 in athletic aid per athlete.
Johnson C Smith University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Charlotte, NC, Johnson C Smith University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,157, compared with $8,157 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,550 per athlete.
Chowan University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Murfreesboro, NC, Chowan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,113 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,113 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,571.
Shaw University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). Shaw University is a private not-for-profit school based in Raleigh, NC. The program generates about $6,472 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,472 per participant. The school awards about $7,825 in athletic aid per athlete.
Livingstone College landed the #16 spot this year. Livingstone College is a private not-for-profit school based in Salisbury, NC. The program generates about $5,914 in revenue per athlete, against $5,868 in expenses. The school awards about $6,211 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.