by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 55 colleges for Women’s Softball (Division III) 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found Massachusetts Institute of Technology to be the best college for Women's Softball (Division III) in the New England Region. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,440, compared with $12,440 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Tufts University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #2. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit school based in Medford, MA. The program generates about $17,307 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,174 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Amherst College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Amherst, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,269, compared with $19,269 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Williams College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #4. Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,047 in revenue per athlete, against $14,047 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bowdoin College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #5. Based in Brunswick, ME, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,804 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,541 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Middlebury College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Middlebury, VT, Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,986 per participant, with expenses of about $15,986 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Waterville, ME. The program generates about $17,367 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,367 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bates College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Bates College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lewiston, ME. The program generates about $16,767 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,130 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wellesley College did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,632, with expenses of about $11,632 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,448, against $11,448 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Brandeis University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA. The program generates about $14,899 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,899 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Babson College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Babson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA. The program generates about $10,028 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,028 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emerson College landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. The program generates about $11,575 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,960 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) did well this year, earning the #14 position. Wheaton College (Massachusetts) is a private not-for-profit school based in Norton, MA. Team revenue averages $10,068 per participant, compared with $10,068 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wentworth Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #15 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,203, with expenses of about $8,810 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gordon College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Located in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,242 per participant, against $8,245 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Salve Regina University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Newport, RI. The program generates about $8,178 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,012 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western New England University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. Team revenue averages $8,589 per participant, compared with $8,589 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Suffolk University landed the #19 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Team revenue averages $11,396 per participant, compared with $11,396 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Roger Williams University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, RI. The program generates about $8,589 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,246 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Endicott College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Endicott College is a private not-for-profit school based in Beverly, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,901, with expenses of about $4,901 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nichols College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Located in Dudley, MA, Nichols College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,778 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,547 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Eastern Connecticut State University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Based in Willimantic, CT, Eastern Connecticut State University is a public institution. The program generates about $13,594 in revenue per athlete, against $13,594 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Buzzards Bay, MA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,820, with expenses of about $4,054 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Springfield College placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. The program generates about $6,663 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,663 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.