NCAA Division 1 Softball Colleges: Compete at the Highest Level

If you’re looking to compete on a highly competitive, elite college softball team and you’ve got the skills to back it up, an NCAA D1 softball college might be a great fit for you. Athletes who compete at NCAA D1 softball colleges were usually the best players on their high school and club teams, and they are passionate about their sport. D1 softball colleges push their athletes to compete at the highest level, and athletes typically focus solely on their sport, with little time left for other extracurricular activities outside of their schoolwork and softball.

If you’re interested in competing at a D1 softball college, check out our answers to frequently asked questions.

How many Division 1 college softball teams are there?

Currently, there are 286 NCAA D1 softball colleges across the country. There are opportunities in nearly every U.S. state. D1 softball colleges do have the ability to offer scholarships, but bear in mind that not all programs will be fully funded. It’s crucial to develop a relationship with the coach to learn more about how each particular program handles scholarship opportunities.

How many teams are in the College Softball World Series?

64 teams will compete in the NCAA tournament, only 16 teams will make it to the Super Regionals and 8 teams will compete in the College Softball World Series, hosted each year in May and June in Oklahoma City. One of the most exciting aspects of D1 softball is the ability to compete in the College Softball World Series. In 2016 and 2017, Oklahoma claimed the championship, and in 2014 and 2015 Florida held the first place title.

Division 1 softball rankings  

Of the 250 NCAA D1 women’s college softball programs, which best meet your family’s athletic, academic, social and financial needs? To help student-athletes answer this question, NCSA has ranked the top 50 D1 schools that offer women’s softball based on cost, academics, size and more. Below are the top 10 division 1 softball colleges. 

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2. University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
3. Harvard University
4. Stanford University
5. University of Florida
6. University of Michigan
7. University of California
8. University of Washington
9. Duke University
10. University of Virginia

View the full list of top D1 softball schools on our Power Rankings page.

Student-athletes can also visit the NCAA’s website to see rankings for D1 softball teams.