2023 Top Great Lakes Region Women's Softball Schools
137Colleges
$38,426Avg Tuition & Fees*
60%Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
When it comes to choosing a college, student athletes have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for Women's Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking is part of that endeavor.
We analyzed 137 colleges and universities across the Great Lakes Region to determine which were the best for Women's Softball athletes in the Great Lakes Region. Our ranking methodology focuses a number of different objective factors - such as the overall quality of the school, the school's athletic competitiveness, and the amount of athletic aid per student - to make this determination. Having a great sports team is not enough - the school must also focus on academic excellence.
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
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Top Colleges in the Great Lakes Region for Women's Softball athletes in the Great Lakes Region
Our 2023 rankings named University of Michigan - Ann Arbor the best school for Women’s Softball athletes in the Great Lakes Region working on their bachelor’s degree. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 8,969 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Women’s Softball team at U-M brought home $486,371 in revenue in a single year.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. U-M did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 in this year’s ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 2,688 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Women’s Softball team at Northwestern made $213,129 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 992 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Northwestern did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our overall quality list.
Full Northwestern University Sports Report
A rank of #3 on our list means University of Notre Dame is a great place for Women’s Softball athletes in the Great Lakes Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,829 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The Women’s Softball team at Notre Dame brought home $2,345,981 in revenue in a single year. Sports aren’t the only thing that the team excels at - they had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. Notre Dame also made our overall quality list, coming in at #2.
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Out of the 137 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,150 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Women’s Softball team at UIUC made $280,920 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 994 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, UIUC is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
A rank of #5 on our list means DePaul University is a great place for Women’s Softball athletes in the Great Lakes Region working on their bachelor’s degree. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 3,047 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Women’s Softball team at DePaul brought home $1,493,338 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 997.
On top of its placing in this ranking, DePaul also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full DePaul University Sports Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large public school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 11,957 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Women’s Softball team at Ohio State made $186,377 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Ohio State also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 9,741 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the Women’s Softball team at UW - Madison made $304,082 in revenue. With a perfect academic progress rate of 1000, the team is showing that they know how to hit the books, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Loyola University Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,286 students in .
Speaking financially, the Women’s Softball team at Loyola Chicago took home $991,167 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 986.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. In addition to its great ranking here, Loyola Chicago is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Loyola University Chicago
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 3,164 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The Women’s Softball team at Central Michigan brought home $849,271 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 997 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
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Michigan State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,247 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the Women’s Softball team at Michigan State took home $135,117 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 988.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. On top of its placing in this ranking, Michigan State also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on Michigan State University
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 5,850 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Women’s Softball team at OHIO Athens brought home $860,068 in revenue in a single year.
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Miami University - Oxford ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region list. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4,655 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the Women’s Softball team at Miami University - Oxford took home $1,061,450 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 989, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. Miami University - Oxford also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Miami University - Oxford Sports Report
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the large public school handed out 5,250 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Women’s Softball team at UIC made $952,656 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 996 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
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Illinois State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, the large public school handed out 4,495 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Women’s Softball team at Illinois State brought home $1,025,657 in revenue in a single year. The team had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
Read full sports report on Illinois State University
Valparaiso University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 736 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at Valpo took home $833,316 in revenue and paid out $800,056 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $33,260, which isn’t bad at all. The great academic progress rate of 993 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Read full sports report on Valparaiso University
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 7,504 students in .
The Women’s Softball team at IU Bloomington brought home $1,649,452 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 997.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, IU Bloomington is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Indiana University - Bloomington
With a ranking of #17, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,118 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The Women’s Softball team at UDayton brought home $408,977 in revenue in a single year. The academic progress rate of the team is 963.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, UDayton also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #18, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 1,190 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Women’s Softball team at Bradley brought home $867,390 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 997, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, Bradley is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 8,676 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Women’s Softball team at Purdue made $122,360 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Purdue excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Sports Report
University of Evansville did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 453 students in .
The Women’s Softball team at UE brought home $849,771 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 988 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
In addition to its great ranking here, UE is in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on University of Evansville
Butler University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Butler University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 1,278 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Women’s Softball team at Butler made $941,763 in revenue, while incurring $921,689 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $20,074. The great academic progress rate of 991 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Butler also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,343 students in .
The Women’s Softball team at Ball State brought home $1,013,717 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 994, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Read full sports report on Ball State University
With a ranking of #23, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, the fairly large public school handed out 2,844 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the Women’s Softball team at NIU took home $697,064 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 992 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Full Northern Illinois University Sports Report
University of Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2,425 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Women’s Softball team at UChicago brought home $284,584 in revenue in a single year.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. UChicago did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on University of Chicago
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Women’s Softball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 2,016 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the Women’s Softball team at SIUC made $764,202 in revenue. Sports aren’t the only thing that the team excels at - they had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
References
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
