Ranked by results · 2021 to 2025
The best D3 soccer schools, by results
By average final national ranking from 2021 to 2025, the D3 programs with the best results are Messiah University, Johns Hopkins University, Amherst College (women's); Amherst, St. Olaf College, Connecticut College (men's). This page ranks 50 of the 671 programs that were ranked in at least 4 of those seasons, and sets each school’s graduation rate beside its results.
- Programs ranked
- 671
- Seasons
- 2021–25
- Listed here
- 50
The best D3 soccer schools, by results: 50 programs ranked here, read Oct 6, 2026.
Free · no card · no sales call
How is “best” measured here?
One way only: results on the field. For each program we average its final national ranking across the seasons from 2021 to 2025. The ranking is the final Massey Ratings for the earlier seasons and, from 2025, the NCAA Power Index (NPI). A program is listed when it was ranked in at least 4 of those seasons, so one good year does not put a team on the list.
It says nothing about coaching, facilities, playing time or whether the school suits your player. Use it to understand the level, not to pick a college.
| Level | D3, women’s and men’s |
|---|---|
| Seasons averaged | 2021 to 2025 |
| Programs with enough seasons | 671 |
| Listed on this page | 50 |
| Minimum seasons ranked | 4 |
Which D3 women's soccer programs have the best results?
The top 25 of 279, best average first. A lower average rank is better.
| # | School | Avg rank | Grad rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Messiah University | 6.6 | 78% |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins University | 7.6 | 95% |
| 3 | Amherst College | 8.6 | 93% |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | 11.6 | 93% |
| 5 | Misericordia University | 13.0 | 69% |
| 6 | Tufts University | 14.0 | 93% |
| 7 | Emory University | 14.6 | 92% |
| 8 | Loras College | 18.8 | 70% |
| 9 | Wesleyan University (Connecticut) | 20.0 | 92% |
| 10 | University of Chicago | 20.5 | 95% |
| 11 | Trinity University (Texas) | 21.2 | 82% |
| 12 | Williams College | 21.6 | 97% |
| 13 | Calvin University | 24.2 | 77% |
| 14 | University of Rochester | 24.6 | 84% |
| 15 | Middlebury College | 26.0 | 93% |
| 16 | Washington and Lee University | 31.2 | 95% |
| 17 | University of Scranton | 31.4 | 81% |
| 18 | Swarthmore College | 39.6 | 94% |
| 19 | Bowdoin College | 40.2 | 96% |
| 20 | Hamilton College | 40.6 | 91% |
| 21 | Rowan University | 42.0 | 68% |
| 22 | Hardin-Simmons University | 43.8 | 50% |
| 23 | University of Puget Sound | 44.4 | 68% |
| 24 | Brandeis University | 47.2 | 86% |
| 25 | St. Catherine University | 47.2 | 64% |
Which D3 men's soccer programs have the best results?
The top 25 of 392, best average first. A lower average rank is better.
| # | School | Avg rank | Grad rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amherst | 6.6 | 93% |
| 2 | St. Olaf College | 6.8 | 84% |
| 3 | Connecticut College | 7.8 | 84% |
| 4 | Middlebury | 8.2 | 93% |
| 5 | Tufts | 9.6 | 93% |
| 6 | Williams | 15.0 | 97% |
| 7 | Chicago | 16.5 | 95% |
| 8 | Washington & Lee | 17.2 | 95% |
| 9 | State University of New York at Cortland | 18.3 | 68% |
| 10 | Trinity University (Texas) | 20.4 | 82% |
| 11 | Bowdoin | 20.6 | 96% |
| 12 | Messiah | 22.4 | 78% |
| 13 | Calvin | 22.6 | 77% |
| 14 | Mary Washington | 23.0 | 67% |
| 15 | Christopher Newport University | 26.0 | 75% |
| 16 | Lynchburg | 27.2 | 62% |
| 17 | Wesleyan University (Connecticut) | 27.4 | 92% |
| 18 | Franklin & Marshall College | 28.8 | 86% |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 28.8 | 68% |
| 20 | Gustavus Adolphus College | 29.5 | 76% |
| 21 | Kenyon | 29.8 | 87% |
| 22 | North Central College | 29.8 | 71% |
| 23 | Montclair State University | 30.6 | 64% |
| 24 | Pacific Lutheran University | 33.0 | 71% |
| 25 | Hamilton | 34.0 | 91% |
Which of them graduate the most students?
The same programs, sorted by the school’s six-year graduation rate instead. The order changes, which is the point.
| School | Grad rate | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|
| Williams | 97% | 15.0 |
| Williams College | 97% | 21.6 |
| Bowdoin | 96% | 20.6 |
| Bowdoin College | 96% | 40.2 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 95% | 7.6 |
| Chicago | 95% | 16.5 |
| Washington & Lee | 95% | 17.2 |
| University of Chicago | 95% | 20.5 |
| Washington and Lee University | 95% | 31.2 |
| Swarthmore College | 94% | 39.6 |
| Amherst | 93% | 6.6 |
| Middlebury | 93% | 8.2 |
| Amherst College | 93% | 8.6 |
| Tufts | 93% | 9.6 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 93% | 11.6 |
How this was counted
Avg rank is the mean of the program’s final national ranking in each season it was ranked, from 2021 to 2025; Seasons is how many that was. Grad rate is the school’s six-year graduation rate for all students (IPEDS DRVGR2023 · GBA6RTT). Roster is the 2026-27 squad as the school lists it, where we could confirm the season.
Rankings change every season. This page is recalculated when the data is refreshed, and the date below is the last time.
Last checked:
Quick answers
Which D3 women's soccer programs have the best results?
By average final national ranking from 2021 to 2025: Messiah University (6.6), Johns Hopkins University (7.6), Amherst College (8.6), Carnegie Mellon University (11.6), Misericordia University (13.0). A lower number is better.
Which D3 men's soccer programs have the best results?
By average final national ranking from 2021 to 2025: Amherst (6.6), St. Olaf College (6.8), Connecticut College (7.8), Middlebury (8.2), Tufts (9.6). A lower number is better.
How is “best” decided on this page?
By results only. Each program’s final national ranking is averaged across the seasons from 2021 to 2025, and a program is listed when it was ranked in at least 4 of them. It is not a rating of coaching, facilities or academics.
Is the highest-ranked program the best choice for my player?
Not usually. A top-ranked program recruits a small number of players a year from a national and international pool. The better question is which programs your player can make the squad at and get on the field for, at a school that suits them. The graduation-rate table is here to show that the two orders differ.
Why are there no “best” lists for Division II or the NAIA?
We hold one season of Division II rankings, and those rank a team inside its region, not the country. We hold no national ranking history for the NAIA. One season is not enough to call anything a result over time, so those pages are not published.
Where to go next
Your player, your list
The best program is the one your player fits.
Results tell you the level. The free list scores which programs fit your player’s level, position, grad year and grades, at every division.
Free · no card · no sales call