by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 13 schools for Men’s Volleyball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Lewis University to be the best college for Men's Volleyball in Illinois. Based in Romeoville, IL, Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,306 per participant, compared with $21,306 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,669.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Volleyball. Based in Chicago, IL, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 79%. Team revenue averages $38,010 per participant, compared with $38,010 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,325 per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #3 spot for Men's Volleyball. Located in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,753, compared with $6,753 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology is one of the top schools for Men's Volleyball, at #4. Based in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,360 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,360 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Volleyball. Based in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,270 per participant, against $7,334 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
McKendree University landed the #6 spot this year. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lebanon, IL. Team revenue averages $19,160 per participant, compared with $19,160 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,695 in athletic aid per athlete.
Aurora University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Volleyball. Based in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,990 in revenue per athlete, against $8,990 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Park University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. North Park University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. The program generates about $7,703 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,703 per participant. The school awards about $32 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in River Forest, IL. Team revenue averages $10,385 per participant, against $10,385 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roosevelt University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Chicago, IL, Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,014, against $14,014 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,633 per athlete.
Quincy University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Quincy University is a private not-for-profit school based in Quincy, IL. The program generates about $12,496 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,442 per participant. The school awards about $8,507 in athletic aid per athlete.
Greenville University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greenville, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,389, with expenses of about $5,852 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rockford University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Volleyball. Located in Rockford, IL, Rockford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,528 per participant, against $8,528 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.