2026 Best Colleges for Men’s Volleyball (Division I) in Far Western
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 10 colleges for Men’s Volleyball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual scores each program on a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Find Your Fit
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Jump to the options below.
Get your FREE recruiting profile, assessment & game plan!
Top 10 Colleges for Men’s Volleyball (Division I)
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found University of Southern California to be the best college for Men's Volleyball (Division I) in the Far Western Region. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school based in Los Angeles, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $77,690 in revenue per athlete, compared with $77,690 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $40,006 per athlete.
Stanford University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $76,378, against $76,378 in expenses. The school awards about $42,012 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Los Angeles is one of the top schools for Men's Volleyball (Division I), at #3. This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. University of California-Los Angeles records an NCAA APR of 987, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $111,571, against $111,571 in expenses. The school awards about $24,306 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara is one of the top schools for Men's Volleyball (Division I), at #4. University of California-Santa Barbara is a public school based in Santa Barbara, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $46,963 per participant, against $46,963 in expenses. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Honolulu, HI, University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $95,751 in revenue per athlete, against $78,276 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,398 per athlete.
California State University-Long Beach came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Long Beach, CA, California State University-Long Beach is a public institution. California State University-Long Beach records an NCAA APR of 985, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $82,026 in revenue per athlete, compared with $82,026 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,770 per athlete.
Pepperdine University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 976, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $58,465 per participant, compared with $58,465 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,861 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-San Diego ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Volleyball (Division I). This public school is set in La Jolla, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $34,721 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,721 per participant. The school awards about $9,847 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Irvine placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Irvine, CA, University of California-Irvine is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $50,710 in revenue per athlete, against $50,710 in expenses. The school awards about $13,955 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Northridge placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Volleyball (Division I). California State University-Northridge is a public school based in Northridge, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,825, compared with $35,433 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
Explore Other Sports
More Rankings >
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
See our data sources and methodologies.