Women’s Soccer Colleges to Pro: What Schools Produce the Most NWSL Players?

Women’s college soccer to pro: What are some of the biggest college soccer feeder programs if you want to play in the NWSL? If you want to play professional women’s soccer in the United States, what women’s soccer college should you attend? There are just certain colleges that produce or develop more professional soccer players than others. Explore the best soccer colleges for girls who want to play pro soccer:

Now updated with the college players from the recent NWSL 2020 draft. Women’s college soccer to pro:

One thing to keep in mind though, at the top women’s soccer schools it’s harder to get playing time, so it might make more sense to go to a college where you will play all the time and gain more experience.

One trick is to go to one of these colleges soccer camps if you want to eventually go to school there and then reach the professional soccer level. Plus, at the summer soccer camps for the colleges below you’ll often get tips and coaching from former professional players who attended that particular school. They can perhaps suggest which summer league teams to play on or even guide you to pick up soccer games that are going on in your area. The idea is to always try to play with players who are better than you so you can learn more and develop as a player.

Highlights from the 2019 season in the NWSL. Featuring goals from Sam Kerr, Marta, Jessica McDonald, Christen Press, Carli Lloyd, Amy Rodriguez, Tobin Heath, and more. Plus, saves from Aubrey Bledsoe, Adrianna Franch, Jane Campbell, and more.

The best women’s soccer players end up going to the top schools with the best coaches and programs so they thus generate more pros, but it also might just be the collective spirt and energy that these schools and programs create that produce more pros. The competition at these schools makes everyone better. How hard is it to play women’s college soccer? You have to put the work in every day if you want to play college soccer and then make it to the pros. Every soccer player who’s played in college and go on to the pros will tell you that.

The top college soccer schools for women are UCLA, North Carolina, Virginia and Stanford. Another interesting school is the University of Wisconsin, where of course Rose Lavelle went to school. I wonder how this women’s soccer program will grow in the coming years due to Lavelle’s success in not just in professional soccer but on the world stage.

Here’s a list of top soccer women’s colleges to attend if you want to play in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League). Here are the colleges that produced most pro women’s soccer players. Women’s college soccer to pro:

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bridgette Andrzejewski (Houston Dash)
Alex Kimball (Utah Royals FC)
Dorian Bailey (Washington Spirit)
Julia Ashley (Sky Blue FC)
Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns)
Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride)
Heather O’Reilly (North Carolina Courage)
Allie Long (Seattle Reign FC)
Kealia Ohai (Houston Dash)
Amber Brooks (Houston Dash)
Nikki Washington (Boston Breakers)
Crystal Dunn (North Carolina Courage)
Satara Murray (Houston Dash)
Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns)
Yael Averbuch (Seattle Reign FC)
Robyn Gayle (Washington Spirit)
Summer Green (Chicago Red Stars)
Jessica McDonald (North Carolina Courage)
Meg Morris (Portland Thorns)
Brooke Elby (Utah Royals FC)
Alexa Newfield (Utah Royals FC)
Katie Bowen (Utah Royals FC)

University of Virginia

Courtney Petersen (Orlando Pride)
Phoebe McClernon (Orlando Pride)
Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC)
Makenzy Doniak (Utah Royals FC)
Brittany Ratcliffe (Utah Royals FC)
Morgan Brian (Chicago Red Stars)
Danielle Colaprico (Chicago Red Stars)
Betsy Brandon (Houston Dash)
Veronica Latsko (Houston Dash)
Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns)
Kristen McNabb (Seattle Reign)
Meghan Cox (Washington Spirit)
Lori Lindsey (Washington Spirit)

Stanford University

Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars)
Jordan DiBiasi (Washington Spirit)
Tegan McGrady (Washington Spirit)
Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC)
Christen Press (Utah Royals FC)
Madeline Bauer (Seattle Reign)
Jane Campbell (Houston Dash)
Chioma Ubogagu (Orlando Pride)
Courtney Verloo (Western New York Flash)
Rachel Quon (Chicago Red Stars)

University of Portland

Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC)
Kendall Johnson (Portland Thorns)
Keelin Winters (Seattle Reign FC)
Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns)
Elli Reed (Seattle Reign FC)
Michelle Cruz (Seattle Reign FC)
Amanda Frisbie (FC Kansas City)
Sophie Schmidt (Sky Blue FC)

University of Colorado

Taylor Kornieck – Orlando Pride
Erin Greening – Orlando Pride

Pepperdine University

Hailey Harbison (North Carolina Courage)
Michelle Maemone (Utah Royals FC)

West Virginia University

Bianca St. Georges (Chicago Red Stars)
Grace Cutler (Houston Dash)

University of Denver

Kristen Hamilton (North Carolina Courage)
Taryn Hemmings (Orlando Pride)

University of Nebraska

Sinclaire Miramontez – North Carolina Courage
Meg Brandt – Reign FC

Illinois State University

Kate Del Fava (Utah Royals FC)

North Carolina State

Tziarra King (Utah Royals FC)

Washington State University

Morgan Weaver (Portland Thorns)
Averie Collins (Washington Spirit)

Northwestern University

Marisa Viggiano (Orlando Pride)
Kayla Sharples (Chicago Red Stars)
Hannah Davison (Chicago Red Stars)

Santa Clara University

Kelcie Hedge (Reign FC)
Sofia Huerta (Houston Dash)
Maria Sanchez (Chicago Red Stars)
Julie Ertz  (Chicago Red Stars)
Dani Weatherholt (Orlando Pride)
Katherine Reynolds (Portland Thorns)
Meleana Shim (Portland Thorns)
Alyssa Kleiner (Washington Spirit)
Leslie Osborne (Chicago Red Stars)

Florida State University

Kaycie Tillman (North Carolina Courage)
Becky Edwards (Orlando Pride)
Jamia Fields (Orlando Pride)
Toni Pressley (Orlando Pride)
Cheyna Williams (Washington Spirit)
Kelsey Wys (Washington Spirit)
Tori Huster (Washington Spirit)
Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars)
Amanda Da Costa (Chicago Red Stars)
Dagny Brynjarsdottir (Portland Thorns)
Kassey Kallman (Boston Breakers)
Tiffany McCarty (FC Kansas City)
Carson Pickett (Seattle Reign FC)
Kristin Grubka (Sky Blue FC)
Michaela Hahn (Western New York Flash)

University of Florida

Abby Wambach (Western New York Flash)
Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers)
Savannah Jordan (Houston Dash)
Christen Westphal (Seattle Reign FC)
Erika Tymrak (Utah Royals FC)
Kaylan Marckese (Sky Blue FC)

Wake Forest University

Katie Stengel (Utah Royals FC)
Kristen Meier (Seattle Reign FC)

Rutgers University

Casey Murphy (Seattle Reign FC)
Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC)
Kenie Wright (Sky Blue FC)
Madison Tiernan (Sky Blue FC)

University of Southern California 

Amy Rodriguez (Utah Royals)
Natalie Jacobs – Washington Spirit
Julia Bingham – Chicago Red Stars
Leah Pruitt (North Carolina Courage)
Ally Prisock (Houston Dash)
Morgan Andrews (Boston Breakers)
Kayla Mills – Sky Blue FC
Mandy Freeman – Sky Blue FC

University of California Berkeley

Arielle Ship (Seattle Reign FC)
Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride)
Abigail Kim (Orlando Pride)

University of Wisconsin

Camryn Biegalski (Chicago Red Stars)
Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit)

UCLA

Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit)
Hailie Mace – Sky Blue FC
Mallory Pugh (Washington Spirit)
Zakiya Bywaters (Chicago Red Stars)
Lauren Barnes – Seattle Reign FC
Abby Dahlkemper – North Carolina Courage
Caprice Dydasco – Washington Spirit
Darian Jenkins – North Carolina Courage
Lauren Kaskie – Chicago Red Stars
Sarah Killion – Sky Blue FC
Sydney Leroux – Orlando Pride
Sam Mewis – North Carolina Courage
Megan Oyster – Seattle Reign FC
Katelyn Rowland – North Carolina Courage
Taylor Smith – Washington Spirit
Rosie White – Chicago Red Stars
McCall Zerboni – North Carolina Courage

Pepperdine University

Lynn Williams – North Carolina Courage

Penn State University

Alyssa Naeher – Chicago Red Stars
Kaleigh Riehl – Sky Blue FC
Emily Ogle (Portland Thorns FC)
Madeline Nolf (Utah Royals FC)
Allie Long (Seattle Reign)
Whitney Church (Washington Spirit)
Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride)

Duke University

Kayla McCoy (Houston Dash)
Rebecca Quinn (Washington Spirit)
Natasha Anasi (Boston Breakers)
Mollie Pathman (Boston Breakers)

Georgetown University

Elizabeth Wenger (Washington Spirit)
Rachel Corboz (Seattle Reign FC)
Emily Menges (Portland Thorns)
Daphne Corboz (Sky Blue FC)
Kyra Carusa (Sky Blue FC)

University of Washington

Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
Kimberly Keever (Houston Dash)
Sarah Shimer (Houston Dash)
Kate Deines (Seattle Reign FC)

University of South Florida

Evelyne Viens – Sky Blue FC

Texas A&M

Aleandra Watt – North Carolina Courage
Shea Grom – Houston Dash

University of Central Florida

Jamaica Konya – Orlando Pride

University of Oregon

Jazmin Jackmon (Houston Dash)

Women’s college soccer to pro will be updated on a regular basis.