by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 33 colleges for Women’s Softball (Division II) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Rockhurst University, our #1 college for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Kansas City, MO. The program generates about $22,022 in revenue per athlete, against $22,022 in expenses. The school awards about $8,130 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maryville University of Saint Louis earned the #2 place for student athletes. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. Team revenue averages $25,186 per participant, with expenses of about $23,779 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,338.
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Rolla, MO, Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution. The program generates about $25,790 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $25,674 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,772.
University of Mary came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bismarck, ND. Team revenue averages $17,288 per participant, against $17,288 in expenses. The school awards about $6,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drury University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Springfield, MO, Drury University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $19,286 per participant, compared with $19,286 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,859 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Duluth did well this year, earning the #6 position. University of Minnesota-Duluth is a public school based in Duluth, MN. The program generates about $19,588 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,588 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,671.
University of Missouri-St Louis landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Saint Louis, MO, University of Missouri-St Louis is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,220, with expenses of about $21,762 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,395.
Pittsburg State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This public school is set in Pittsburg, KS. The program generates about $27,722 in revenue per athlete, against $27,722 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,160.
William Jewell College landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Liberty, MO. Team revenue averages $17,586 per participant, with expenses of about $15,843 per participant. The school awards about $7,219 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwest Missouri State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Maryville, MO, Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution. The program generates about $19,575 in revenue per athlete, against $19,575 in expenses. The school awards about $6,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winona State University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $19,984 per participant, against $19,984 in expenses. The school awards about $3,907 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Nebraska at Kearney did well this year, earning the #12 position. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public school based in Kearney, NE. Team revenue averages $21,010 per participant, against $20,833 in expenses. The school awards about $4,590 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Sioux Falls came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Sioux Falls, SD, University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,165, compared with $17,751 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,811 per athlete.
Washburn University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Topeka, KS, Washburn University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $27,655 per participant, compared with $27,655 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,727.
Emporia State University landed the #15 spot this year. This public school is set in Emporia, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,113, with expenses of about $26,413 per participant. The school awards about $4,709 in athletic aid per athlete.
Truman State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. This public school is set in Kirksville, MO. The program generates about $16,176 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,176 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,206 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston did well this year, earning the #17 position. University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public school based in Crookston, MN. The program generates about $19,563 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,563 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,101 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Missouri came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Warrensburg, MO, University of Central Missouri is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,420, with expenses of about $26,420 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,385.
Newman University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wichita, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,052, against $14,052 in expenses. The school awards about $10,192 in athletic aid per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead did well this year, earning the #20 position. Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public school based in Moorhead, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,659, compared with $18,604 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,722 per athlete.
Bemidji State University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Bemidji, MN. The program generates about $15,721 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,721 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,153.
Southwest Baptist University placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bolivar, MO. Team revenue averages $15,993 per participant, compared with $15,993 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,015 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri Western State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. Missouri Western State University is a public school based in Saint Joseph, MO. The program generates about $19,494 in revenue per athlete, against $19,511 in expenses. The school awards about $7,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern State University did well this year, earning the #24 position. This public school is set in Aberdeen, SD. The program generates about $16,838 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,255 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,884 per athlete.
Saint Cloud State University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Saint Cloud, MN, Saint Cloud State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,627, compared with $16,627 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,426 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.
