by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 38 schools 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Emory University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Atlanta, GA, Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,032, against $20,206 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rhodes College landed the #2 spot for Women's Softball (Division III). Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit school based in Memphis, TN. Team revenue averages $9,464 per participant, compared with $9,464 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Christopher Newport University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #3. This public school is set in Newport News, VA. Team revenue averages $9,166 per participant, with expenses of about $9,166 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Berry College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Berry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Berry, GA. Team revenue averages $11,070 per participant, compared with $10,661 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Centre College landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Danville, KY, Centre College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,304, compared with $7,304 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Ashland, VA, Randolph-Macon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,430 per participant, compared with $9,428 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Transylvania University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Lexington, KY, Transylvania University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,069 in revenue per athlete, against $10,069 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Covenant College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lookout Mountain, GA. Team revenue averages $7,693 per participant, with expenses of about $7,362 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mary Washington landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Fredericksburg, VA, University of Mary Washington is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,957, compared with $6,763 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Berea College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Berea College is a private not-for-profit school based in Berea, KY. The program generates about $8,771 in revenue per athlete, against $11,314 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hendrix College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit school based in Conway, AR. The program generates about $7,160 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,160 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Lynchburg placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,458, against $8,458 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Asbury University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). Asbury University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wilmore, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,529, compared with $6,529 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Charlotte, NC. Team revenue averages $11,656 per participant, compared with $10,352 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Roanoke College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,474 per participant, against $6,474 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Shenandoah University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit school based in Winchester, VA. The program generates about $4,751 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,751 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Wesleyan University landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Virginia Beach, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,905, compared with $13,905 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Belhaven University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Jackson, MS, Belhaven University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,870 per participant, compared with $12,870 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Millsaps College did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Jackson, MS, Millsaps College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,001 per participant, compared with $9,001 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Huntingdon College did well this year, earning the #20 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Montgomery, AL. The program generates about $12,205 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,778 per participant. Athletic aid averages $1,932 per athlete.
Spalding University landed the #21 spot this year. Spalding University is a private not-for-profit school based in Louisville, KY. Team revenue averages $6,064 per participant, with expenses of about $6,064 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Mennonite University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Eastern Mennonite University is a private not-for-profit school based in Harrisonburg, VA. The program generates about $6,726 in revenue per athlete, against $6,726 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Piedmont University did well this year, earning the #23 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Demorest, GA. Team revenue averages $10,575 per participant, against $10,575 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Mary Baldwin University landed the #24 spot this year. Located in Staunton, VA, Mary Baldwin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,825 per participant, with expenses of about $5,825 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pfeiffer University did well this year, earning the #25 position. Based in Misenheimer, NC, Pfeiffer University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,803 per participant, against $6,964 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.