by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 13 programs for Women’s Softball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Macalester College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball (Division III). Located in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,898, against $13,887 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Carleton College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,862 per participant, compared with $7,880 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Olaf College landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,743, with expenses of about $10,628 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Peter, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,348, against $6,348 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is one of the top schools for Women's Softball (Division III), at #5. Based in Winona, MN, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,245, with expenses of about $7,245 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Catherine University did well this year, earning the #6 position. St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Team revenue averages $9,375 per participant, compared with $9,375 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Martin Luther College landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Ulm, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,513, against $4,513 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northwestern-St Paul placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,560 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,560 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bethany Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Mankato, MN, Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,219 in revenue per athlete, against $12,980 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris landed the #10 spot this year. University of Minnesota-Morris is a public school based in Morris, MN. Team revenue averages $7,414 per participant, compared with $7,450 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Softball (Division III). Based in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,929 per participant, compared with $6,929 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $49.
Augsburg University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,971 per participant, with expenses of about $8,971 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hamline University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball (Division III). Hamline University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Team revenue averages $6,873 per participant, with expenses of about $6,873 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.