by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 21 schools 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:
Leading the list is Belmont University, our #1 college for Women's Softball. Located in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,248, compared with $60,248 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earned the #2 place for student athletes. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public school based in Knoxville, TN. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. Team revenue averages $41,958 per participant, against $162,686 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,054.
Union University landed the #3 spot for Women's Softball. Based in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,776, against $24,752 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
Lipscomb University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Team revenue averages $56,059 per participant, compared with $56,059 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,176 per athlete.
Rhodes College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit school based in Memphis, TN. Team revenue averages $9,464 per participant, with expenses of about $9,464 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Based in Murfreesboro, TN, Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution. Middle Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,709, compared with $51,709 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,110 per athlete.
University of Memphis did well this year, earning the #7 position. University of Memphis is a public school based in Memphis, TN. University of Memphis records an NCAA APR of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. The program generates about $48,459 in revenue per athlete, against $48,459 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,106.
Austin Peay State University landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in Clarksville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 70%. Team revenue averages $37,104 per participant, with expenses of about $37,104 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,483 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Chattanooga, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $37,278 in revenue per athlete, against $37,278 in expenses. The school awards about $13,025 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lee University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Lee University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, TN. The program generates about $20,038 in revenue per athlete, against $20,038 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,272 per athlete.
Tennessee Technological University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Tennessee Technological University is a public school based in Cookeville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Team revenue averages $25,920 per participant, against $25,920 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,453 per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Harrogate, TN, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $26,888 per participant, with expenses of about $26,784 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,449 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Martin landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Martin, TN, The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $27,375 per participant, with expenses of about $27,504 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,021 per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $23,281 in revenue per athlete, against $21,166 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,766 per athlete.
Christian Brothers University landed the #15 spot this year. Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit school based in Memphis, TN. The program generates about $16,210 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,206 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,833 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jefferson City, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,979, against $20,900 in expenses. The school awards about $10,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tennessee State University landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Nashville, TN, Tennessee State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, alongside a GSR of 84%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,586, with expenses of about $25,586 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,651.
East Tennessee State University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Located in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 954, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $17,130 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,130 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
King University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Bristol, TN, King University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,393 per participant, with expenses of about $11,958 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,932 per athlete.
Tusculum University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greeneville, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,923, compared with $17,977 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,457 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lane College ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jackson, TN. Team revenue averages $12,633 per participant, compared with $12,633 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,306.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.