| 2016 NWSL College Draft | |
| Sport: | Soccer |
| Date: | January 15, 2016 |
| Time: | 10:00 AM ET |
| Location: | Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland |
| First: | Emily Sonnett, Portland Thorns FC |
| Fewest: | Portland Thorns FC (2 picks) |
| Most: | Chicago Red Stars (7 picks) |
| Overall: | 40 |
| Rounds: | 4 |
| Prev: | 2015 |
| Next: | 2017 |
The 2016 NWSL College Draft was the fourth annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select eligible college players. It was held on January 15, 2016, at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.[1]
| + | Denotes player who has been selected as NWSL Most Valuable Player | |
| Denotes player who has been selected for an NWSL Best XI or NWSL Second XI team | ||
| ^ | Denotes player who has been selected as NWSL Rookie of the Year | |
| Denotes player who has never appeared in an NWSL regular season, playoff, or Challenge Cup game |
Below is a list of undrafted rookies who appeared in a competitive NWSL game in 2016.
| Player | Original NWSL team | College | class=unsortable | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | M | |||||
| | D | |||||
| | M | |||||
| | F | |||||
| | D | |||||
| | D | |||||
| | G | |||||
| | F |
Round 1:Round 2:Round 3:Round 4:
In 2016, a total of 27 colleges had players selected. Of these, 13 had a player drafted to the NWSL for the first time: Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, California, DePaul, Hofstra, LSU, Northern Colorado, Rutgers, San Francisco, St. John's, Texas and Utah.
| Selections | Schools | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | North Carolina | |
| 3 | Florida State, Penn State, Virginia | |
| 2 | Arizona State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Texas Tech |
| Conference | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACC | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 |
| Big East | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Big Sky | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Big Ten | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Big West | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Big 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Colonial | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Pac-12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| SEC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| West Coast | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Position | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| Defender | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 16 | |
| Midfielder | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| Forward | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
