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.

Related Articles

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. 

Full list of Division 1 softball teams

School

City and State

Type

Conference

Division

Abilene, Texas

Private

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Normal, Alabama

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Montgomery, Alabama

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Alcorn, Mississippi

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Boone, North Carolina

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Tempe, Arizona

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Auburn, Alabama

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Clarksville, Tennessee

Public

ASUN Conference

NCAA D1

Muncie, Indiana

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Waco, Texas

Private

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

Louisville, Kentucky

Private

ASUN Conference

NCAA D1

Nashville, Tennessee

Private

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Daytona Beach, Florida

Private

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Boise, Idaho

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Private

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Boston, Massachusetts

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Bowling Green, Ohio

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Peoria, Illinois

Private

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Provo, Utah

Private

West Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Providence, Rhode Island

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Smithfield, Rhode Island

Private

American East Conference

NCAA D1

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Indianapolis, Indiana

Private

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

Riverside, California

Private

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

San Luis Obispo, California

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Bakersfield, California

Public

Big West Conference

NCAA D1

Fresno, California

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Fullerton, California

Public

Big West Conference

NCAA D1

Long Beach, California

Public

Big West Conference

NCAA D1

Northridge, California

Public

Big West Conference

NCAA D1

Sacramento, California

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Buies Creek, North Carolina

Private

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Buffalo, New York

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

New Britain, Connecticut

Public

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Charleston, South Carolina

Private

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Clemson, South Carolina

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Cleveland, Ohio

Public

Horizon League

NCAA D1

Conway, South Carolina

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Hamilton, New York

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Charleston, South Carolina

Public

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Worcester, Massachusetts

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Fort Collins, Colorado

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

New York, New York

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Baltimore, Maryland

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Ithaca, New York

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Omaha, Nebraska

Private

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

Hanover, New Hampshire

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Dover, Delaware

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Chicago, Illinois

Private

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

Des Moines, Iowa

Private

Misouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Private

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Durham, North Carolina

Private

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Greenville, North Carolina

Public

American Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Johnson City, Tennessee

Public

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

Charleston, Illinois

Public

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Richmond, Kentucky

Public

Asun Conference

NCAA D1

Elon, North Carolina

Private

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Fairfield, Connecticut

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Teaneck, New Jersey

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Tallahassee, Florida

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Boca Raton, Florida

Public

The american athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Fort Myers, Florida

Public

Atlantic Sun Conference

NCAA D1

Miami, Florida

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Tallahassee, Florida

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Bronx, New York

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Greenville, South Carolina

Private

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

Boiling Springs, North Carolina

Private

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Fairfax, Virginia

Public

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

Washington, District Of Columbia

Private

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

Washington, District Of Columbia

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Statesboro, Georgia

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Atlanta, Georgia

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Atlanta, Georgia

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Grambling, Louisiana

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Phoenix, Arizona

Private

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Public

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Hampton, Virginia

Private

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Hempstead, New York

Private

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Houston, Texas

Private

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Washington, District Of Columbia

Private

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Pocatello, Idaho

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Normal, Illinois

Public

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Terre Haute, Indiana

Public

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Bloomington, Indiana

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Indianapolis, Indiana

Public

Horizon League

NCAA D1

New Rochelle, New York

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Ames, Iowa

Public

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

Jackson, Mississippi

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Jacksonville, Alabama

Public

ASUN Conference

NCAA D1

Jacksonville, Florida

Private

Atlantic Sun Conference

NCAA D1

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Public

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Kennesaw, Georgia

Public

Atlantic Sun Conference

NCAA D1

Kent, Ohio

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Easton, Pennsylvania

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Beaumont, Texas

Public

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Private

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Lynchburg, Virginia

Private

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Saint Charles, Missouri

Private

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Nashville, Tennessee

Private

Atlantic Sun Conference

NCAA D1

Long Island, New York

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Farmville, Virginia

Public

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Ruston, Louisiana

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Los Angeles, California

Private

West Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Chicago, Illinois

Private

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

Riverdale, New York

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Poughkeepsie, New York

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Huntington, West Virginia

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Lake Charles, Louisiana

Public

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Macon, Georgia

Private

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

North Andover, Massachusetts

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Oxford, Ohio

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

East Lansing, Michigan

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Mississippi State, Mississippi

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Itta Bena, Mississippi

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Springfield, Missouri

Public

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

West Long Branch, New Jersey

Private

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Morehead, Kentucky

Public

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Baltimore, Maryland

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Emmitsburg, Maryland

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Murray, Kentucky

Public

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Niagara University, New York

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Thibodaux, Louisiana

Public

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Norfolk, Virginia

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Greensboro, North Carolina

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Durham, North Carolina

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Raleigh, North Carolina

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Fargo, North Dakota

Public

Summit League

NCAA D1

Dekalb, Illinois

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Public

Horizon League

NCAA D1

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Public

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Evanston, Illinois

Private

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Rochester, Michigan

Public

Horizon League

NCAA D1

Columbus, Ohio

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Athens, Ohio

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Public

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

Corvallis, Oregon

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

University Park, Pennsylvania

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Portland, Oregon

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Prairie View, Texas

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Clinton, South Carolina

Private

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Princeton, New Jersey

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Providence, Rhode Island

Private

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

West Lafayette, Indiana

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Public

Horizon League

NCAA D1

Charlotte, North Carolina

Private

Atlantic Sun Conference

NCAA D1

Hamden, Connecticut

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Radford, Virginia

Public

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Moon Township, Pennsylvania

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Piscataway, New Jersey

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Fairfield, Connecticut

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Loretto, Pennsylvania

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Private

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

St. Louis, Missouri

Private

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

Moraga, California

Private

West Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Jersey City, New Jersey

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Huntsville, Texas

Public

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Birmingham, Alabama

Private

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

San Diego, California

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

San Jose, California

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Santa Clara, California

Private

West Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Seattle, Washington

Private

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

South Orange, New Jersey

Private

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

Loudonville, New York

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Orangeburg, South Carolina

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Brookings, South Dakota

Public

Summit League Conference

NCAA D1

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Public

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Hammond, Louisiana

Public

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Carbondale, Illinois

Public

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Edwardsville, Illinois

Public

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Cedar City, Utah

Public

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Saint Bonaventure, New York

Private

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

Queens, New York

Private

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

Stanford, California

Private

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Nacogdoches, Texas

Public

Western Conference

NCAA D1

Deland, Florida

Private

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Easton, Massachusetts

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Vestal, New York

Public

America East Conference

NCAA D1

Stony Brook, New York

Public

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Albany, New York

Public

America East Conference

NCAA D1

Buffalo, New York

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Syracuse, New York

Private

American Athletics Conference

NCAA D1

Stephenville, Texas

Public

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Nashville, Tennessee

Public

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

College Station, Texas

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Commerce, Texas

Public

Lone Star Conference

NCAA D1

Corpus Christi, Texas

Public

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Houston, Texas

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

San Marcos, Texas

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Lubbock, Texas

Public

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

Towson, Maryland

Public

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Troy, Alabama

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

West Point, New York

Public

Patriot League

NCAA D1

Akron, Ohio

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Birmingham, Alabama

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Tucson, Arizona

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Public

Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Berkeley, California

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Davis, California

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Los Angeles, California

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Riverside, California

Public

Big West Conference

NCAA D1

La Jolla, California

Public

Big West Conference

NCAA D1

Santa Barbara, California

Public

Big West Conference

NCAA D1

Conway, Arkansas

Public

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Orlando, Florida

Public

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

Orlando, Florida

Public

American Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Storrs, Connecticut

Public

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

Dayton, Ohio

Private

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

Newark, Delaware

Public

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Detroit, Michigan

Private

Horizon League

NCAA D1

Evansville, Indiana

Private

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Gainesville, Florida

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Athens, Georgia

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Honolulu, Hawaii

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Houston, Texas

Public

American Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Champaign, Illinois

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Chicago, Illinois

Public

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Iowa City, Iowa

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Lawrence, Kansas

Public

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

Lexington, Kentucky

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Lafayette, Louisiana

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Monroe, Louisiana

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Louisville, Kentucky

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Orono, Maine

Public

America East Conference

NCAA D1

College Park, Maryland

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Baltimore, Maryland

Public

America East Conference

NCAA D1

Princess Anne, Maryland

Public

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Amherst, Massachusetts

Public

Atlantic 10 Conference

NCAA D1

Lowell, Massachusetts

Public

America East Conference

NCAA D1

Memphis, Tennessee

Public

American Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

University, Mississippi

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Columbia, Missouri

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Kansas City, Missouri

Public

The Summit League

NCAA D1

Missoula, Montana

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Lincoln, Nebraska

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Omaha, Nebraska

Public

The Summit League

NCAA D1

Las Vegas, Nevada

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Reno, Nevada

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Florence, Alabama

Public

Gulf South Conference

NCAA D1

Greensboro, North Carolina

Public

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

Wilmington, North Carolina

Public

Colonial Athletic Association

NCAA D1

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Charlotte, North Carolina

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Jacksonville, Florida

Public

Atlantic Sun Conference

NCAA D1

Denton, Texas

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Greeley, Colorado

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Public

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Notre Dame, Indiana

Private

Division I-A Independents

NCAA D1

Norman, Oklahoma

Public

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

Eugene, Oregon

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Kingston, Rhode Island

Public

Atlantic Ten Conference

NCAA D1

San Diego, California

Private

West Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Mobile, Alabama

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Columbia, South Carolina

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Public

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Vermillion, South Dakota

Public

The Summit League

NCAA D1

Tampa, Florida

Public

American Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Public

Sun Belt Conference

NCAA D1

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Private

The Summit League

NCAA D1

Knoxville, Tennessee

Public

Southeastern Conference

NCAA D1

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Public

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

Martin, Tennessee

Public

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Arlington, Texas

Public

Western Atlantic Conference

NCAA D1

Arlington, Texas

Public

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Austin, Texas

Public

Big 12 Conference

NCAA D1

El Paso, Texas

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

San Antonio, Texas

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

San Antonio, Texas

Private

Southland Conference

NCAA D1

Stockton, California

Private

West Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Toledo, Ohio

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Private

American Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Salt Lake City, Utah

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Charlottesville, Virginia

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Seattle, Washington

Public

Pacific-12 Conference

NCAA D1

Madison, Wisconsin

Public

Big Ten Conference

NCAA D1

Green Bay, Wisconsin

Public

Horizon League

NCAA D1

Logan, Utah

Public

Mountain West Conference

NCAA D1

Saint George, Utah

Public

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Orem, Utah

Public

Western Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Valparaiso, Indiana

Private

Missouri Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Villanova, Pennsylvania

Private

Big East Conference

NCAA D1

Blacksburg, Virginia

Public

Atlantic Coast Conference

NCAA D1

Staten Island, New York

Private

Northeast Conference

NCAA D1

Ogden, Utah

Public

Big Sky Conference

NCAA D1

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Public

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

Macomb, Illinois

Public

Ohio Valley Conference

NCAA D1

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Public

Conference USA

NCAA D1

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Public

Mid-American Conference

NCAA D1

Wichita, Kansas

Public

American Athletic Conference

NCAA D1

Rock Hill, South Carolina

Public

Big South Conference

NCAA D1

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Private

Southern Conference

NCAA D1

New Haven, Connecticut

Private

Ivy League

NCAA D1

Youngstown, Ohio

Public

Horizon League

NCAA D1