by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 5 colleges for Women’s Softball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is University of South Dakota, our #1 college for Women's Softball. Based in Vermillion, SD, University of South Dakota is a public institution. University of South Dakota records an NCAA APR of 979, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 74%. The program generates about $35,121 in revenue per athlete, compared with $35,121 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
University of Sioux Falls came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Sioux Falls, SD. Team revenue averages $18,165 per participant, against $17,751 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,811 per athlete.
South Dakota State University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Softball. This public school is set in Brookings, SD. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, alongside a GSR of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 68%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,335, against $25,335 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,424.
Northern State University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Aberdeen, SD, Northern State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $16,838 per participant, against $17,255 in expenses. The school awards about $3,884 in athletic aid per athlete.
Black Hills State University is one of the top schools for Women's Softball, at #5. Located in Spearfish, SD, Black Hills State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $15,955 per participant, against $16,455 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,363 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.