by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 14 colleges for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Oklahoma Baptist University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Shawnee, OK. The program generates about $27,663 in revenue per athlete, compared with $26,634 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,273.
Oklahoma Christian University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. Located in Edmond, OK, Oklahoma Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $25,660 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,316 per participant. The school awards about $7,286 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Norman, OK, University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus is a public institution. University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus records an NCAA APR of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. Team revenue averages $129,227 per participant, compared with $370,715 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,789 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Tulsa ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. University of Tulsa is a private not-for-profit school based in Tulsa, OK. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $66,438, compared with $66,438 spent per athlete. The school awards about $34,797 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Oklahoma earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Edmond, OK, University of Central Oklahoma is a public institution. Team revenue averages $27,260 per participant, with expenses of about $24,784 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,477 per athlete.
Southern Nazarene University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Southern Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bethany, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,402, against $14,678 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,122.
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Based in Stillwater, OK, Oklahoma State University-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $55,234 per participant, compared with $146,140 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,335 per athlete.
Northeastern State University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Tahlequah, OK, Northeastern State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,645, with expenses of about $11,645 per participant. The school awards about $7,449 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Durant, OK. The program generates about $19,309 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,309 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,833 per athlete.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a public school based in Alva, OK. The program generates about $14,702 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,168 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,134.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Weatherford, OK, Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. The program generates about $12,818 in revenue per athlete, against $12,818 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,204.
Rogers State University landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Claremore, OK. Team revenue averages $23,261 per participant, against $23,261 in expenses. The school awards about $4,881 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Central University did well this year, earning the #13 position. East Central University is a public school based in Ada, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,682, compared with $15,682 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,432.
Cameron University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Lawton, OK, Cameron University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,441, with expenses of about $14,355 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,117 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.
