by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 12 colleges 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Rockhurst University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,022, with expenses of about $22,022 per participant. The school awards about $8,130 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Based in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,186, against $23,779 in expenses. The school awards about $6,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public school based in Rolla, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,790, with expenses of about $25,674 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,772.
Drury University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,286, compared with $19,286 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,859 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball (Division II). Based 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.
William Jewell College did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Liberty, MO. The program generates about $17,586 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,843 per participant. The school awards about $7,219 in athletic aid per athlete.
Truman State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). Truman State University is a public school based in Kirksville, MO. The program generates about $16,176 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,176 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,206 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division II). This public school is set in Maryville, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,575, with expenses of about $19,575 per participant. The school awards about $6,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Missouri came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Warrensburg, MO, University of Central Missouri is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,420, compared with $26,420 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,385 per athlete.
Missouri Western State University did well this year, earning the #10 position. This public school is set in Saint Joseph, MO. The program generates about $19,494 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,511 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,151 per athlete.
Southwest Baptist University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Bolivar, MO, Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,993, with expenses of about $15,993 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,015.
Missouri Southern State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Missouri Southern State University is a public school based in Joplin, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,390, compared with $21,400 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,261 per athlete.
*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.
