by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 7 colleges 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Jump to the options below.
Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Wichita State University this year for Women's Softball. Based in Wichita, KS, Wichita State University is a public institution. Wichita State University records an NCAA APR of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. Team revenue averages $99,714 per participant, against $99,714 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,114.
Pittsburg State University landed the #2 spot for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Pittsburg, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,722, against $27,722 in expenses. The school awards about $5,160 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Kansas is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #3. University of Kansas is a public school based in Lawrence, KS. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $116,863, with expenses of about $116,863 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,506.
Emporia State University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #4. Emporia State University is a public school based in Emporia, KS. Team revenue averages $28,113 per participant, compared with $26,413 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,709.
Newman University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Wichita, KS, Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,052 per participant, compared with $14,052 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,192.
Washburn University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in Topeka, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,655, against $27,655 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,727 per athlete.
Fort Hays State University landed the #7 spot this year. This public school is set in Hays, KS. Team revenue averages $14,367 per participant, compared with $14,367 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,057 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.