by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 13 schools for Women’s Softball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found North Greenville University to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division II) in South Carolina. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tigerville, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,097, with expenses of about $30,962 per participant. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lander University landed the #2 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Greenwood, SC, Lander University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $27,226 per participant, compared with $21,621 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
Converse University landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,012, compared with $14,515 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,241.
Southern Wesleyan University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Central, SC. Team revenue averages $10,993 per participant, against $10,993 in expenses. The school awards about $5,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Aiken ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). University of South Carolina Aiken is a public school based in Aiken, SC. Team revenue averages $20,167 per participant, compared with $20,168 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,318.
Claflin University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Orangeburg, SC, Claflin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,569 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,569 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,337.
Francis Marion University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Florence, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,345, with expenses of about $15,345 per participant. The school awards about $5,654 in athletic aid per athlete.
Erskine College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Erskine College is a private not-for-profit school based in Due West, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,235, against $12,235 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,924.
Coker University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Hartsville, SC, Coker University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,359 in revenue per athlete, against $14,692 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,938 per athlete.
Newberry College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Newberry, SC, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,984, against $9,993 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,596.
University of South Carolina Beaufort landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Bluffton, SC. The program generates about $11,903 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,233 per participant. The school awards about $5,478 in athletic aid per athlete.
Benedict College placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbia, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,924, with expenses of about $12,104 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,098 per athlete.
Allen University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Columbia, SC, Allen University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,244 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,244 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,826.
*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.