Top ten college softball/academics programs

[Onemorechance]

Hello all

If possible could I get some input on the top softball programs including academics. Please list you top 10 schools.

[anonlooker]

Depends on your criteria, especially for academics.

But generally if you list top softball programs and top universities, you might have Stanford, UCLA, Michigan and Washington on both lists.

But since athletics cuts into academic study time, the athletes who graduate probably aren't getting types of degrees that make these top academic institutions. Some may, but generally speaking its tough to play sports and get a top flight degree at the same time.

[jonriv]

Also depends on the level you are looking to play(di, dii, diii etc....). Many times the smaller schools offer more flexible athletic/academic options

[jonriv]

Tufts,a top academic school, won the diii softball championship


Penn won the Ivy League

Stanford, Michigan, ucla and notre dame are some in di that might fit your criteria, but as mentioned degree options might be limited for student-athlete

Keep options open, softball could be the edge that might get your daughter in a top school

[exD1dad]

Here's what my DD did last year, she looked at these two links , back & forth, back & forth

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1

[Tyler Durden]

Here's what my DD did last year, she looked at these two links , back & forth, back & forth

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1

The Forbes methodology renders it essentially useless IMHO. Pomona at #2. OK.

[exD1dad]

Hey TD... perhaps you missed the D1 on the NCAA rankings. As Jonriv & others have pointed out so many times there are many, many outstanding DII & DIII Universities but in my DD's case she only wants to play D1. Using this method she eliminated over 20 schools that she had been interested in.

[as the world turns]

My kid used this list to help narrow her choices.
http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/top-pa ... w-rankings

DD applied to all those schools, a full ride required chugging a beer in under 3 seconds - her best time was 4.2 She was heartbroken.

[catcherdad]

Well, I think you can put them in categories:

Ivy League - D1 - top one gets berth to NCAA tourney - Penn won it last year, Dartmouth won North division, and Harvard has won it recently in the past. Princeton won it for years, but not recently, but they now have a great coach. The coaches from these 4 programs are going to Cali and Texas for talent. BUT, Ivies usually do not give athletic scholarships, you get money based upon need.

Pac 10 - Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA have some top academic programs, but you must be a beast to play there. We played with a Texas player who had top grades and was a top D1 prospect and Stanford said, no. Lightening fast and a .500 hitter.

ACC - Georgia Tech if you want engineering. Did not do well last year, but usually plays in NCAA playoffs. They have a new coach.

Big 10 - Northwestern but you have to be as tall as the sister coaches are. Michigan is an excellent school and has a top program.

Non D1 - I would put Tufts first, but there are so many excellent academic schools in D2 and D3, your area of interest and geography would matter a lot. I like Coach Herman at Williams and the coach at Emory. But then MIT and Chicago are excellent schools as are the other great liberal arts and sciences colleges.

[ontheblack]

DII - UCSD
stellar education
top 3 DII softball program

not fully funded though.