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2026 Best Colleges for Women’s Soccer (Division I)

339 Colleges Ranked
997 Avg NCAA APR*
100% Avg Grad Success Rate*
Women's Soccer (Division I) Badge

Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 339 programs for Women’s Soccer (Division I) 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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Top 25 Colleges for Women’s Soccer (Division I)

Explore the leading programs below:

1
Duke University crest
Duke University
Durham, NC

Duke University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 92%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $112,715, against $116,531 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.

2

University of Notre Dame came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 94% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $106,356, compared with $106,356 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,391.

3
Vanderbilt University crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Vanderbilt University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $91,503, with expenses of about $91,503 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,235.

4

Northwestern University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $47,250 per participant, compared with $78,543 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $53,919 per athlete.

5

Southern Methodist University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Dallas, TX. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $98,831 per participant, compared with $98,831 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $56,388.

6

Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Columbus, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $99,119 in revenue per athlete, against $99,119 in expenses. The school awards about $27,151 in athletic aid per athlete.

7
Stanford University crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Stanford University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. Team revenue averages $115,735 per participant, with expenses of about $115,735 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.

8
Rice University crest
Rice University
Houston, TX

Rice University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Houston, TX, Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $68,073 per participant, compared with $68,073 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $41,166.

9
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC

Wake Forest University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Winston-Salem, NC, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $91,765, compared with $91,765 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $38,933 per athlete.

10
Clemson University crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC

Clemson University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC. Clemson University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. Team revenue averages $105,330 per participant, with expenses of about $105,330 per participant. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.

11

University of Southern California did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Southern California records an NCAA APR of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $102,819, against $102,819 in expenses. The school awards about $40,006 in athletic aid per athlete.

12
Seton Hall University crest
Seton Hall University
South Orange, NJ

Seton Hall University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division I). Based in South Orange, NJ, Seton Hall University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,870, with expenses of about $50,870 per participant. The school awards about $32,496 in athletic aid per athlete.

13

Texas Christian University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fort Worth, TX. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 93%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $89,206, with expenses of about $89,206 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $37,174.

14

Pepperdine University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $71,743 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $71,743 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,861 per athlete.

15

Baylor University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Waco, TX, Baylor University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 76%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $102,983, compared with $102,983 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $30,455 per athlete.

16
University of Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL

University of Miami ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division I). University of Miami is a private not-for-profit school based in Coral Gables, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $111,910 per participant, compared with $111,910 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $38,474 per athlete.

17

Rutgers University-New Brunswick placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $70,043 per participant, with expenses of about $70,043 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,379.

18

University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #18 spot this year. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $72,809, against $72,809 in expenses. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.

19

University of Delaware did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in Newark, DE, University of Delaware is a public institution. University of Delaware records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. The program generates about $49,339 in revenue per athlete, against $49,339 in expenses. The school awards about $24,002 in athletic aid per athlete.

20
Villanova University crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA

Villanova University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Villanova, PA. Villanova University records an NCAA APR of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $55,447 per participant, with expenses of about $55,447 per participant. Athletic aid averages $25,480 per athlete.

21
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chestnut Hill, MA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. The program generates about $73,082 in revenue per athlete, against $73,082 in expenses. The school awards about $29,391 in athletic aid per athlete.

22

University of Connecticut did well this year, earning the #22 position. University of Connecticut is a public school based in Storrs, CT. University of Connecticut records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,650, compared with $58,650 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,776 in athletic aid per athlete.

23

University of Denver ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Soccer (Division I). Located in Denver, CO, University of Denver is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Denver records an NCAA APR of 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $60,967 in revenue per athlete, against $60,967 in expenses. The school awards about $42,890 in athletic aid per athlete.

24
Georgetown University crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC

Georgetown University placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit school based in Washington, DC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 96%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $64,231, compared with $64,231 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,232 in athletic aid per athlete.

25
Boston University crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

Boston University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Soccer (Division I). Boston University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 95%. Team revenue averages $73,074 per participant, against $73,074 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.

Rest of the Top 50 Colleges for Women’s Soccer (Division I)

These schools rounded out the top of the list:

26
Providence College crest
Providence College
Providence, RI
27
University of Richmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
28
Temple University crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
29
Fairfield University crest
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT
30
31
Lehigh University crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
32
33
Michigan State University crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
34
Lafayette College crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
35
36
37
Bucknell University crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
38
39
Colgate University crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
40
41
42
Mississippi State University crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS
43
44
45
46
University of Utah crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
47
48
49
50
Seattle University crest
Seattle University
Seattle, WA

Rest of the Top 20% Colleges for Women’s Soccer (Division I)

Click any college name below to learn more:

Rank College Location
51 Furman University Greenville, SC

Honorable Mentions

These colleges narrowly missed the top tiers:

Rank College Location
52 University of Mississippi University, MS
53 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
54 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
55 Auburn University Auburn, AL
56 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
57 University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI
58 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
59 American University Washington, DC
60 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
61 Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ
62 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA
63 Belmont University Nashville, TN
64 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
65 Lipscomb University Nashville, TN
66 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
Rank College Location
67 University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA
68 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

This ranking is produced 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.

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