by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 14 schools for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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No school ranked higher than Drake University this year for Women's Softball. Drake University is a private not-for-profit school based in Des Moines, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $45,921 in revenue per athlete, against $45,921 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,413.
Grinnell College landed the #2 spot for Women's Softball. Located in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,047, compared with $9,047 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Iowa State University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Iowa State University is a public school based in Ames, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,011, with expenses of about $81,683 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,185.
University of Northern Iowa ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. University of Northern Iowa is a public school based in Cedar Falls, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $37,521 per participant, compared with $37,521 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,720 in athletic aid per athlete.
Luther College earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA. The program generates about $9,213 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,905 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Cornell College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,505 in revenue per athlete, against $6,017 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wartburg College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waverly, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,886, with expenses of about $8,886 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Iowa did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. The program generates about $11,026 in revenue per athlete, compared with $90,355 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,176.
Loras College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. The program generates about $5,621 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,621 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Simpson College placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianola, IA. Team revenue averages $6,978 per participant, compared with $7,089 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Buena Vista University landed the #11 spot this year. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit school based in Storm Lake, IA. Team revenue averages $10,390 per participant, compared with $9,706 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Upper Iowa University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fayette, IA. Team revenue averages $18,446 per participant, against $18,387 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,035.
Coe College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Softball. Coe College is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedar Rapids, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,524, against $6,524 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Dubuque placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Softball. University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA. Team revenue averages $10,351 per participant, against $9,854 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.