2026 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball (Division III) in Maryland

Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 5 programs for Women’s Softball (Division III) 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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Top 5 Colleges for Women’s Softball (Division III)

Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:

1

Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD

85% Academic Quality Percentile

22 Team Participants

Our analysis found Salisbury University to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division III) in Maryland. This public school is set in Salisbury, MD. Team revenue averages $10,055 per participant, compared with $10,055 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.

2

Stevenson University
Owings Mills, MD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

29 Team Participants

Stevenson University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Owings Mills, MD, Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,063 per participant, with expenses of about $4,923 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.

3

McDaniel College
Westminster, MD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

24 Team Participants

McDaniel College landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Westminster, MD. The program generates about $9,241 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,360 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.

4

Hood College
Frederick, MD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

19 Team Participants

Hood College landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Frederick, MD, Hood College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,725 in revenue per athlete, against $9,725 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.

5

Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD

84% Academic Quality Percentile

13 Team Participants

Notre Dame of Maryland University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #5. Notre Dame of Maryland University is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,544, compared with $3,997 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.

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Notes and References

*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

• NCAA Academic Progress Rate & Graduation Success Rate — National Collegiate Athletic Association (athlete academic outcomes).
• Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (team participation, revenue, expenses, and aid).
• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics (institutional data).

See our data sources and methodologies.