by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 11 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:
Our analysis found Marshall University to be the best college for Women's Softball in West Virginia. This public school is set in Huntington, WV. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, alongside a GSR of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Team revenue averages $63,930 per participant, compared with $63,930 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,594 in athletic aid per athlete.
Shepherd University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Shepherd University is a public school based in Shepherdstown, WV. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,040, with expenses of about $15,040 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,796.
West Liberty University earned the #3 place for student athletes. West Liberty University is a public school based in West Liberty, WV. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,266, against $9,266 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,841.
Fairmont State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Fairmont, WV. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,260, with expenses of about $9,845 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,874 per athlete.
West Virginia Wesleyan College is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #5. Located in Buckhannon, WV, West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,357 per participant, with expenses of about $11,357 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,641.
Davis & Elkins College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Elkins, WV, Davis & Elkins College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,065 in revenue per athlete, against $9,905 in expenses. The school awards about $7,033 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wheeling University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wheeling, WV. Team revenue averages $20,991 per participant, compared with $18,848 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,271.
Bluefield State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Bluefield, WV, Bluefield State University is a public institution. The program generates about $11,909 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,909 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Virginia State University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in Institute, WV, West Virginia State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,773, with expenses of about $17,773 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,933 per athlete.
Concord University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Athens, WV, Concord University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,464 per participant, against $8,464 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,226 per athlete.
Glenville State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Glenville State University is a public school based in Glenville, WV. Team revenue averages $9,390 per participant, compared with $8,586 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,454.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.