by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 9 programs for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Bowdoin College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Located in Brunswick, ME, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,804, compared with $14,541 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bates College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #2. Bates College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lewiston, ME. The program generates about $16,767 in revenue per athlete, against $16,130 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Located in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,367 in revenue per athlete, against $17,367 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Maine is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #4. Based in Orono, ME, University of Maine is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 95% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $58,861 per participant, against $58,861 in expenses. The school awards about $13,613 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of New England landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball. Located in Biddeford, ME, University of New England is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,949, compared with $5,993 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Husson University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Bangor, ME, Husson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,055, compared with $9,121 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Southern Maine ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. University of Southern Maine is a public school based in Portland, ME. The program generates about $11,831 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,544 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Thomas College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Waterville, ME, Thomas College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,463 per participant, compared with $6,406 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $244.
University of Maine at Presque Isle landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Presque Isle, ME, University of Maine at Presque Isle is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,987, against $3,987 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.