by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 229 colleges for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
No school ranked higher than Duke University this year for Women's Softball. Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $146,126 in revenue per athlete, compared with $165,190 spent per athlete. The school awards about $34,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #2 spot for Women's Softball. Based in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 79%. Team revenue averages $100,177 per participant, compared with $100,177 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,976.
Emory University landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Atlanta, GA. The program generates about $28,032 in revenue per athlete, compared with $20,206 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clemson University landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball. Located in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Team revenue averages $187,542 per participant, compared with $187,542 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,730.
University of Florida ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in Gainesville, FL, University of Florida is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $49,947 in revenue per athlete, against $177,584 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $23,180 per athlete.
University of Georgia landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Athens, GA, University of Georgia is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 76%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,873, with expenses of about $156,129 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,925 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 72%. Team revenue averages $147,058 per participant, compared with $147,058 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,645.
Elon University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elon, NC. Elon University records an NCAA APR of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,952, compared with $60,952 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $25,795 per athlete.
The University of Alabama ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Tuscaloosa, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 74%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $185,133, compared with $185,133 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,760.
University of Kentucky landed the #10 spot this year. University of Kentucky is a public school based in Lexington, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. The program generates about $154,134 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $154,134 per participant. The school awards about $23,921 in athletic aid per athlete.
Samford University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Samford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Birmingham, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 74%. The program generates about $47,377 in revenue per athlete, compared with $44,996 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,864 per athlete.
Florida State University landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Tallahassee, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $176,994 in revenue per athlete, against $176,994 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,364.
University of Central Florida landed the #13 spot this year. This public school is set in Orlando, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. Team revenue averages $132,545 per participant, against $132,545 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,195.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #14 spot this year. This public school is set in Chapel Hill, NC. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. Team revenue averages $43,028 per participant, compared with $88,610 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,771.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh did well this year, earning the #15 position. North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public school based in Raleigh, NC. North Carolina State University at Raleigh records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,900, against $94,461 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,384.
Union University landed the #16 spot this year. Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,776, against $24,752 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
Belmont University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Based in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Team revenue averages $60,248 per participant, compared with $60,248 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
East Carolina University landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Greenville, NC, East Carolina University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $53,604 in revenue per athlete, compared with $51,532 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,584.
Nova Southeastern University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The program generates about $34,083 in revenue per athlete, against $34,083 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,636 per athlete.
James Madison University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $76,950 per participant, against $76,949 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,945.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did well this year, earning the #21 position. This public school is set in Baton Rouge, LA. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 72%. Team revenue averages $28,603 per participant, with expenses of about $145,653 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,802.
Harding University did well this year, earning the #22 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Searcy, AR. Team revenue averages $24,965 per participant, compared with $27,073 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,216.
Mississippi State University did well this year, earning the #23 position. This public school is set in Mississippi State, MS. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $149,527 in revenue per athlete, compared with $149,527 spent per athlete. The school awards about $24,143 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eckerd College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Petersburg, FL, Eckerd College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,564, compared with $26,564 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,706.
Rhodes College did well this year, earning the #25 position. Based in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,464 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,464 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.