by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 8 schools for Women’s Softball 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Portland State University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Located in Portland, OR, Portland State University is a public institution. Portland State University records an NCAA APR of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. The program generates about $43,299 in revenue per athlete, compared with $43,299 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,026.
Willamette University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, OR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,467, against $8,467 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oregon State University landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball. Oregon State University is a public school based in Corvallis, OR. Oregon State University records an NCAA APR of 985, alongside a GSR of 94%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $86,132, against $86,132 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,022.
University of Oregon ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. University of Oregon is a public school based in Eugene, OR. University of Oregon records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $38,171 in revenue per athlete, against $174,241 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,739 per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #5. Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit school based in Portland, OR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,982, with expenses of about $7,982 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Fox University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,857 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,792 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Linfield University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in McMinnville, OR, Linfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,897, against $10,866 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Western Oregon University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Monmouth, OR, Western Oregon University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $24,014 per participant, against $24,014 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,713.
*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.