by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 18 schools 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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Samford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Birmingham, AL. Samford University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 74%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,377, with expenses of about $44,996 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,864.
The University of Alabama is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #2. The University of Alabama is a public school based in Tuscaloosa, AL. The University of Alabama records an NCAA 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. Athletic aid averages $20,760 per athlete.
University of Alabama in Huntsville ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in Huntsville, AL, University of Alabama in Huntsville is a public institution. Team revenue averages $32,396 per participant, with expenses of about $32,396 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,175.
Jacksonville State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Jacksonville State University is a public school based in Jacksonville, AL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $55,269 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $55,269 per participant. The school awards about $14,761 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Alabama landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball. Located in Mobile, AL, University of South Alabama is a public institution. University of South Alabama records an NCAA APR of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $59,653 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $57,926 per participant. The school awards about $15,705 in athletic aid per athlete.
Auburn University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Auburn, AL, Auburn University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $35,416 in revenue per athlete, compared with $146,243 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,233.
University of Alabama at Birmingham did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Birmingham, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 59%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,724, with expenses of about $42,418 per participant. The school awards about $17,655 in athletic aid per athlete.
Troy University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Troy University is a public school based in Troy, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. Team revenue averages $39,680 per participant, compared with $37,923 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,487 per athlete.
Spring Hill College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mobile, AL. The program generates about $16,427 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,593 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,824.
Tuskegee University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tuskegee, AL. Team revenue averages $11,598 per participant, with expenses of about $11,598 per participant. The school awards about $3,470 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Alabama placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. University of West Alabama is a public school based in Livingston, AL. The program generates about $30,091 in revenue per athlete, against $28,888 in expenses. The school awards about $11,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Montevallo did well this year, earning the #12 position. University of Montevallo is a public school based in Montevallo, AL. The program generates about $16,566 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,566 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,698 per athlete.
Auburn University at Montgomery landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Montgomery, AL, Auburn University at Montgomery is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,791, against $27,931 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,718 per athlete.
University of North Alabama did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Florence, AL, University of North Alabama is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 82%. About 49% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $25,730 in revenue per athlete, compared with $25,730 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,402 per athlete.
Huntingdon College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Montgomery, AL, Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,205 per participant, with expenses of about $10,778 per participant. Athletic aid averages $1,932 per athlete.
Alabama State University landed the #16 spot this year. Alabama State University is a public school based in Montgomery, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 970, alongside a GSR of 86%. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,880, against $19,880 in expenses. The school awards about $8,418 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alabama A & M University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Normal, AL, Alabama A & M University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 939, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 52%. The program generates about $10,006 in revenue per athlete, against $15,725 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,274 per athlete.
Miles College did well this year, earning the #18 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, AL. Team revenue averages $12,786 per participant, compared with $12,786 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,563.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.