by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 18 colleges for Women’s Softball 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:
Our analysis found University of Michigan-Ann Arbor to be the best college for Women's Softball in Michigan. Based in Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public institution. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Team revenue averages $23,734 per participant, compared with $128,308 spent per athlete. The school awards about $28,650 in athletic aid per athlete.
Michigan State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. The program generates about $88,810 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $88,810 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,500 per athlete.
Hope College landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Holland, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,646, compared with $6,646 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Grand Valley State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Located in Allendale, MI, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,382, with expenses of about $27,747 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
Calvin University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,768, against $8,768 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Central Michigan University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Mount Pleasant, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 95%. Team revenue averages $39,297 per participant, with expenses of about $39,297 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,123 per athlete.
Kalamazoo College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,608, compared with $6,608 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western Michigan University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Kalamazoo, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 87% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,606, compared with $41,606 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,248 per athlete.
Northwood University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Midland, MI, Northwood University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,098, compared with $10,098 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,948 per athlete.
Alma College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Alma, MI, Alma College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,461 per participant, compared with $8,461 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oakland University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Located in Rochester Hills, MI, Oakland University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 79%. Team revenue averages $31,758 per participant, compared with $31,758 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,959.
University of Detroit Mercy placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Detroit, MI, University of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Detroit Mercy records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. About 74% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $17,622 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,622 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,135 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in University Center, MI, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,211, with expenses of about $24,211 per participant. The school awards about $5,118 in athletic aid per athlete.
Albion College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Albion, MI, Albion College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,051 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,248 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ferris State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Big Rapids, MI. The program generates about $23,522 in revenue per athlete, against $23,522 in expenses. The school awards about $5,572 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davenport University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Davenport University is a private not-for-profit school based in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $21,293 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,293 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,850 per athlete.
Adrian College landed the #17 spot this year. Adrian College is a private not-for-profit school based in Adrian, MI. The program generates about $7,982 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,982 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
The University of Olivet landed the #18 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Olivet, MI. The program generates about $3,312 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,312 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.