It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there are so many options available for student athletes. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for Division I Women's Softball ranking is part of that endeavor.
We analyzed 273 colleges and universities across the United States to determine which were the best for D1 Women's Softball athletes. To come up with this ranking, we look at a number of factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include the school's overall quality as determined by our Best Colleges ranking and the athletic competitiveness of the school. Thus, in order to rank well, the school must offer a quality education in addition to having a great sports team.
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to online students or returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
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Top Colleges in the U.S. for D1 Women's Softball athletes
Our analysis found University of Florida to be the best school for D1 Women’s Softball athletes in this year’s ranking. This large public school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 10,063 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at UF took home $831,918 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 991.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, UF is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full University of Florida Sports Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baylor University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D1 Women’s Softball athletes list. Baylor University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 3,698 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at Baylor took home $2,434,118 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 997.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. Baylor excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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Out of the 273 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 8,003 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at University of Arizona took home $1,348,292 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 993, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Full University of Arizona Sports Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D1 Women’s Softball athletes list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,851 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at UCLA took home $2,243,574 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 977.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCLA also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on University of California - Los Angeles
A rank of #5 on our list means The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a great place for D1 Women’s Softball athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 5,533 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at UT Knoxville took home $731,504 in revenue. With a perfect academic progress rate of 1000, the team is showing that they know how to hit the books, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, UT Knoxville is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Sports Report
University of Tulsa landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it awarded 773 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Softball team at University of Tulsa made $1,285,272 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 993, signifying that team members care about their grades.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, University of Tulsa also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking.
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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 8,969 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Softball team at U-M made $486,371 in revenue.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, U-M also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #8, Fordham University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Fordham U is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 2,645 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The D1 Women’s Softball team at Fordham U brought home $1,508,556 in revenue in a single year. The team had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Fordham U also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Read full sports report on Fordham University
Florida State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. This large public school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 9,550 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Softball team at Florida State made $1,138,557 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 963.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Florida State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Florida State University
James Madison University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 4,688 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The D1 Women’s Softball team at JMU brought home $1,797,665 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 980, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. JMU also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Syracuse University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Syracuse is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,205 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at Syracuse took home $1,154,265 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 996 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. In addition to its great ranking here, Syracuse is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Seattle, Washington, the large public school handed out 9,719 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at UW Seattle took home $1,213,441 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 997, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UW Seattle also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Read full sports report on University of Washington - Seattle Campus
The University of Alabama ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball list. UA is a large public school situated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awarded 7,332 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D1 Women’s Softball team at UA brought home $1,550,656 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 997 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UA also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full The University of Alabama Sports Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,757 students in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Softball team at University of Oklahoma made $1,586,470 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, University of Oklahoma also is in the top 20% of our overall quality ranking.
Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Sports Report
Boston College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball list. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3,062 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Softball team at Boston College made $1,614,389 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 988, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Boston College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Boston College Sports Report
With a ranking of #16, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 13,536 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at Texas A&M College Station took home $844,235 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 991.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. In addition to its great ranking here, Texas A&M College Station is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Texas A&M University - College Station
Boston University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Boston U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,998 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at Boston U took home $1,451,621 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 992 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, Boston U is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Boston University
With a ranking of #18, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 8,508 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at UMN Twin Cities took home $86,774 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 993 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UMN Twin Cities also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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Furman University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Located in Greenville, South Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 779 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D1 Women’s Softball team at Furman brought home $1,009,715 in revenue in a single year.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. On top of its placing in this ranking, Furman also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on Furman University
Hofstra University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Hempstead, New York, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,519 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The D1 Women’s Softball team at Hofstra brought home $1,285,349 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 988.
In addition to its great ranking here, Hofstra is in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Hofstra University Sports Report
With a ranking of #21, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 2,688 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Softball team at Northwestern took home $213,129 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 992.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Northwestern also is in the top 1% of our overall quality ranking.
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With a ranking of #22, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,829 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D1 Women’s Softball team at Notre Dame brought home $2,345,981 in revenue in a single year. Sports aren’t the only thing that the team excels at - they had a perfect academic progress rate of 1000.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. In addition to its great ranking here, Notre Dame is in the top 1% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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University of Oregon ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball list. This large public school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 4,382 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D1 Women’s Softball team at UO brought home $605,201 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 962.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UO excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on University of Oregon
With a ranking of #24, Villanova University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,165 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The D1 Women’s Softball team at Villanova brought home $1,553,289 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 996 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Villanova also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on Villanova University
Auburn University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Women’s Softball ranking. Auburn, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,764 students in .
The D1 Women’s Softball team at Auburn brought home $666,283 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 981 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Auburn also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Auburn University Sports Report
Rest of the Top 15% Best Colleges for D1 Women's Softball athletes
Not only did these schools make the top 41 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
References
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there are so many options available for student athletes. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for Division I Women's Softball ranking is part of that endeavor.
