by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 22 colleges for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Emory University this year for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Atlanta, GA. Team revenue averages $28,032 per participant, compared with $20,206 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Georgia earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Athens, GA, University of Georgia is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 76%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,873, with expenses of about $156,129 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,925 per athlete.
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #3. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is a public school based in Atlanta, GA. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 77%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,301, with expenses of about $76,809 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,289 per athlete.
Berry College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #4. Berry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Berry, GA. Team revenue averages $11,070 per participant, against $10,661 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kennesaw State University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #5. Located in Kennesaw, GA, Kennesaw State University is a public institution. Kennesaw State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 52%. Team revenue averages $52,714 per participant, with expenses of about $52,714 per participant. The school awards about $12,283 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mercer University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Macon, GA, Mercer University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $56,359 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $56,359 per participant. The school awards about $23,898 in athletic aid per athlete.
Covenant College placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in Lookout Mountain, GA, Covenant College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,693 in revenue per athlete, against $7,362 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Georgia Southern University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Statesboro, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. The program generates about $45,239 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,239 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,953 per athlete.
Georgia State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Georgia State University is a public school based in Atlanta, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $46,094 per participant, with expenses of about $46,094 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,875.
Clark Atlanta University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,580, with expenses of about $9,308 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,630.
Young Harris College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Young Harris, GA, Young Harris College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,932, against $12,932 in expenses. The school awards about $5,301 in athletic aid per athlete.
Valdosta State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Valdosta State University is a public school based in Valdosta, GA. The program generates about $22,512 in revenue per athlete, against $22,512 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,542 per athlete.
University of North Georgia placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Dahlonega, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,139, against $37,918 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,411 per athlete.
Columbus State University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Columbus, GA, Columbus State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $16,273 per participant, against $16,273 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,670 per athlete.
LaGrange College placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Lagrange, GA, LaGrange College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,946 in revenue per athlete, against $4,946 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Piedmont University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Demorest, GA, Piedmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,575 per participant, compared with $10,575 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of West Georgia came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Carrollton, GA, University of West Georgia is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $21,077 per participant, with expenses of about $21,077 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,051 per athlete.
Fort Valley State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Fort Valley, GA. The program generates about $9,991 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,991 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,378 per athlete.
Shorter University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Rome, GA, Shorter University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,152, against $13,152 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,563.
Georgia Southwestern State University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Americus, GA. Team revenue averages $17,236 per participant, with expenses of about $17,236 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,453 per athlete.
Middle Georgia State University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Macon, GA, Middle Georgia State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,305 per participant, against $9,305 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,016.
Savannah State University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Savannah State University is a public school based in Savannah, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,013, compared with $9,013 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,151.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.