by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 32 colleges for Women’s Softball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. The program generates about $12,440 in revenue per athlete, against $12,440 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Williams College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamstown, MA. Team revenue averages $14,047 per participant, compared with $14,047 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. Team revenue averages $19,269 per participant, against $19,269 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tufts University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Medford, MA. Team revenue averages $17,307 per participant, against $16,174 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wellesley College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #5. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA. The program generates about $11,632 in revenue per athlete, against $11,632 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,448 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,448 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Brandeis University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Located in Waltham, MA, Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,899, against $14,899 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Babson College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Wellesley, MA, Babson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,028, with expenses of about $10,028 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emerson College landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Boston, MA, Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,575 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,960 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) did well this year, earning the #10 position. Wheaton College (Massachusetts) is a private not-for-profit school based in Norton, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,068, compared with $10,068 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wentworth Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Team revenue averages $8,203 per participant, with expenses of about $8,810 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gordon College landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,242 per participant, with expenses of about $8,245 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Suffolk University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,396, compared with $11,396 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Western New England University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Western New England University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MA. The program generates about $8,589 in revenue per athlete, against $8,589 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Endicott College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,901, against $4,901 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). 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. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Nichols College did well this year, earning the #17 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dudley, MA. Team revenue averages $8,778 per participant, with expenses of about $8,547 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Springfield College placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. Team revenue averages $6,663 per participant, with expenses of about $6,663 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Worcester State University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Worcester State University is a public school based in Worcester, MA. The program generates about $7,414 in revenue per athlete, against $6,365 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Westfield State University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Westfield State University is a public school based in Westfield, MA. Team revenue averages $5,122 per participant, with expenses of about $4,290 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Boston did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Boston, MA, University of Massachusetts-Boston is a public institution. The program generates about $8,633 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,577 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in North Dartmouth, MA, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,498, against $10,204 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lesley University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in Cambridge, MA, Lesley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,321 per participant, with expenses of about $2,321 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lasell University landed the #24 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Newton, MA. Team revenue averages $8,116 per participant, with expenses of about $8,116 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bridgewater State University did well this year, earning the #25 position. This public school is set in Bridgewater, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,171, compared with $3,955 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.