by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 63 colleges for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Arizona State University Campus Immersion, our #1 college for Women's Softball. Arizona State University Campus Immersion is a public school based in Tempe, AZ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. The program generates about $150,348 in revenue per athlete, compared with $150,348 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,490 per athlete.
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Located in Norman, OK, University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $129,227, against $370,715 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,789.
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. The University of Texas at Austin is a public school based in Austin, TX. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,486, with expenses of about $181,515 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,650.
University of Tulsa earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Tulsa, OK, University of Tulsa is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $66,438 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $66,438 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,797.
Baylor University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waco, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, alongside a GSR of 95%. About 81% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $119,687, against $119,687 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $30,455 per athlete.
University of Arizona landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Tucson, AZ, University of Arizona is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. Team revenue averages $143,316 per participant, compared with $143,316 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,887.
Texas A&M University-College Station did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in College Station, TX, Texas A&M University-College Station is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 74%. Team revenue averages $26,208 per participant, with expenses of about $144,869 per participant. The school awards about $17,123 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sam Houston State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Huntsville, TX, Sam Houston State University is a public institution. Sam Houston State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 81% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,519, compared with $41,519 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,743 per athlete.
Texas State University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in San Marcos, TX, Texas State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 74% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $65,463 in revenue per athlete, compared with $65,463 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,371.
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Stillwater, OK, Oklahoma State University-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 96%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,234, with expenses of about $146,140 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,335.
University of Dallas did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Irving, TX, University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,564, with expenses of about $4,564 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Houston came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Houston, TX, University of Houston is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, alongside a GSR of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. The program generates about $65,972 in revenue per athlete, compared with $65,972 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,948 per athlete.
University of New Mexico-Main Campus did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Albuquerque, NM, University of New Mexico-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $44,030 per participant, against $44,030 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,510 per athlete.
Texas Lutheran University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Seguin, TX, Texas Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,949, compared with $14,107 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Abilene Christian University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in Abilene, TX, Abilene Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Abilene Christian University records an NCAA APR of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 81%. About 63% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $74,827, compared with $53,883 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,012 per athlete.
Austin College did well this year, earning the #16 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Sherman, TX. The program generates about $8,239 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,620 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Grand Canyon University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Phoenix, AZ, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $54,774 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $54,774 per participant. The school awards about $9,958 in athletic aid per athlete.
LeTourneau University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Based in Longview, TX, LeTourneau University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,657 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,657 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oklahoma Christian University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in Edmond, OK, Oklahoma Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,660, with expenses of about $20,316 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,286.
Oklahoma Baptist University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Shawnee, OK, Oklahoma Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $27,663 in revenue per athlete, compared with $26,634 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,273 per athlete.
Lubbock Christian University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Lubbock, TX, Lubbock Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $27,878 per participant, compared with $27,878 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,404 in athletic aid per athlete.
Houston Christian University placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Located in Houston, TX, Houston Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,447, compared with $46,447 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,924.
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #23 spot this year. Based in El Paso, TX, The University of Texas at El Paso is a public institution. The University of Texas at El Paso records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $15,321 per participant, with expenses of about $48,050 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,754.
Texas Tech University did well this year, earning the #24 position. Texas Tech University is a public school based in Lubbock, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,646, with expenses of about $158,730 per participant. The school awards about $13,662 in athletic aid per athlete.
Texas A & M International University landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Laredo, TX, Texas A & M International University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $19,409 per participant, with expenses of about $19,409 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,327 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
