by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 9 programs for Women’s Softball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Union University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Jackson, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,776, compared with $24,752 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,895 per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Harrogate, TN, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $26,888 per participant, with expenses of about $26,784 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,449 per athlete.
Lee University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Lee University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,038, compared with $20,038 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,272 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,281, with expenses of about $21,166 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
Carson-Newman University landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). Located in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,979, compared with $20,900 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christian Brothers University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Memphis, TN, Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,210 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,206 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,833.
King University landed the #7 spot this year. King University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, TN. Team revenue averages $13,393 per participant, with expenses of about $11,958 per participant. The school awards about $7,932 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tusculum University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greeneville, TN. The program generates about $17,923 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,977 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,457.
Lane College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Jackson, TN, Lane College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,633 per participant, against $12,633 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,306.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.