by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 10 colleges for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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:
Colorado State University-Fort Collins earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public school based in Fort Collins, CO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $53,884 in revenue per athlete, against $53,884 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,001.
Colorado School of Mines earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,358, against $22,358 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,984 per athlete.
Colorado Christian University landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball. Located in Lakewood, CO, Colorado Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $27,138 per participant, compared with $27,138 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,910.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, University of Colorado Colorado Springs is a public institution. Team revenue averages $13,729 per participant, with expenses of about $13,331 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,988 per athlete.
University of Northern Colorado landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball. Based in Greeley, CO, University of Northern Colorado is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Team revenue averages $33,590 per participant, compared with $33,590 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,220 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Lewis College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Fort Lewis College is a public school based in Durango, CO. Team revenue averages $16,024 per participant, compared with $16,024 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,356.
Colorado Mesa University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Grand Junction, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,274, with expenses of about $18,981 per participant. The school awards about $4,175 in athletic aid per athlete.
Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Denver, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,867, compared with $25,903 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,924.
Colorado State University Pueblo landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Pueblo, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,479, with expenses of about $14,479 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,320.
Adams State University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Alamosa, CO, Adams State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,821, compared with $10,821 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,419.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.