by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 9 programs for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
No school ranked higher than Harding University this year for Women's Softball. Harding University is a private not-for-profit school based in Searcy, AR. The program generates about $24,965 in revenue per athlete, compared with $27,073 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,216 per athlete.
University of Arkansas came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Located in Fayetteville, AR, University of Arkansas is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,891, against $164,044 in expenses. The school awards about $21,062 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Based in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,526 per participant, against $17,319 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
University of Central Arkansas landed the #4 spot for Women's Softball. Located in Conway, AR, University of Central Arkansas is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. The program generates about $27,236 in revenue per athlete, against $27,236 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,449.
Hendrix College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,160 per participant, against $7,160 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lyon College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Lyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Batesville, AR. Team revenue averages $4,738 per participant, against $4,738 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Arkansas Tech University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Russellville, AR, Arkansas Tech University is a public institution. The program generates about $11,293 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,293 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,208.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff did well this year, earning the #8 position. This public school is set in Pine Bluff, AR. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 84%. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,102, compared with $15,102 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,028.
Henderson State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Henderson State University is a public school based in Arkadelphia, AR. Team revenue averages $12,479 per participant, with expenses of about $12,479 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,143 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.