by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 10 programs 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Baton Rouge, LA. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 72%. The program generates about $28,603 in revenue per athlete, compared with $145,653 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,802.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in Lafayette, LA, University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public institution. University of Louisiana at Lafayette records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $84,203, compared with $84,203 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,444 in athletic aid per athlete.
Louisiana Tech University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #3. Louisiana Tech University is a public school based in Ruston, LA. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,555, compared with $48,555 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,736.
McNeese State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. McNeese State University is a public school based in Lake Charles, LA. McNeese State University records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 68%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,032, against $36,032 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,441.
University of Louisiana at Monroe landed the #5 spot for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Monroe, LA. University of Louisiana at Monroe records an NCAA APR of 981, alongside a GSR of 82%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. The program generates about $42,980 in revenue per athlete, against $42,980 in expenses. The school awards about $12,350 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana landed the #6 spot this year. Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public school based in Natchitoches, LA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $32,612 in revenue per athlete, against $27,884 in expenses. The school awards about $12,805 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southeastern Louisiana University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Located in Hammond, LA, Southeastern Louisiana University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, alongside a GSR of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,958, compared with $29,958 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,131.
Nicholls State University landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in Thibodaux, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,338, with expenses of about $23,062 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,823.
Southern University and A & M College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Based in Baton Rouge, LA, Southern University and A & M College is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 968, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 44% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $11,481 per participant, against $16,636 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,045.
Grambling State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Based in Grambling, LA, Grambling State University is a public institution. Grambling State University records an NCAA APR of 976, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. Team revenue averages $14,236 per participant, against $14,236 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,778 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.