Every year NCSA releases its Power Rankings, created based on a proprietary analysis of NCSA Favorites data from the college search activity of more than two million student-athletes on the NCSA recruiting network, U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, IPEDS graduation rates and IPEDS average cost after aid.
1,110 4-year colleges provide an opportunity for softball players to continue to compete on the collegiate level. Amongst the Top 100 rankings are schools at the NCAA Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3 levels.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of California Los Angeles
- Harvard University
- Stanford University
- University of Florida
See the Top 100 Colleges for Softball Student-Athletes
Once you’ve identified that this level is the right fit, there are 250 schools that you could potentially call home. Being a student-athlete at D1 schools requires a lot of dedication. Be sure to research your options and ask a lot of questions during your visits to be sure it is the right fit.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of California Los Angeles
- Harvard University
- Stanford University
- University of Florida
Top 50 NCAA Division I Softball Colleges
The NCAA Division 2 level has 150 colleges with softball teams. D2 schools can be just as competitive as D1 schools. Some athletes dream of having a D1 experience but ultimately find that D2 is a better fit and an easier transition from high school to college athletics. Consider our top 5 schools below.
- University of California – San Diego
- Truman State University
- Western Washington University
- Grand Valley State University
- Bentley University
Top 50 NCAA Division II Softball Colleges
Looking for a small, competitive team but still have enough time to pursue your other hobbies and interests outside of softball? D3 may be the right fit for you! There are more than 400 softball colleges competing at the NCAA Division 3 level.
- Pomona-Pitzer Colleges
- University of Chicago
- Amherst College
- Emory University
- Franklin and Marshall College
Top 50 NCAA Division III Softball Colleges
When you are creating your list of schools, consider adding a few NAIA schools to go and visit. There are about 150 colleges that have softball teams at the NAIA level. While an NAIA college might not have been the school you grew up dreaming about, you might find it is just what you are looking for in a school and team.
- Indiana Wesleyan University
- Taylor University
- Asbury University
- Bethel University – Indiana
- University of Michigan – Dearborn
