by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 47 colleges for Women’s Volleyball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Northwestern University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Evanston, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $102,824 per participant, against $208,102 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53,919.
University of Notre Dame landed the #2 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division I). University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school based in Notre Dame, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. Team revenue averages $167,786 per participant, compared with $167,786 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,391.
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This public school is set in Columbus, OH. Ohio State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $158,051 per participant, with expenses of about $158,051 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,151.
University of Wisconsin-Madison came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. Team revenue averages $213,444 per participant, against $273,138 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,586 per athlete.
Michigan State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $197,734 per participant, against $197,734 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,500.
Indiana University-Bloomington ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Bloomington, IN, Indiana University-Bloomington is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $98,733 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $98,733 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,161.
Purdue University-Main Campus placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This public school is set in West Lafayette, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $359,215 in revenue per athlete, against $134,881 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,382 per athlete.
Loyola University Chicago did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Chicago, IL, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Loyola University Chicago records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. Team revenue averages $81,338 per participant, compared with $81,338 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,325.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year's ranking. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school based in Ann Arbor, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 89%. The program generates about $22,255 in revenue per athlete, against $128,259 in expenses. The school awards about $28,650 in athletic aid per athlete.
Xavier University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. Xavier University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $75,244, compared with $75,245 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,280 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign did well this year, earning the #11 position. This public school is set in Champaign, IL. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. The program generates about $34,334 in revenue per athlete, compared with $145,720 spent per athlete. The school awards about $25,398 in athletic aid per athlete.
Marquette University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Marquette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Milwaukee, WI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $154,323 per participant, with expenses of about $154,323 per participant. The school awards about $14,770 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus landed the #13 spot this year. This public school is set in Cincinnati, OH. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $97,323 in revenue per athlete, against $97,323 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,882 per athlete.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Bowling Green, OH. Bowling Green State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $61,903 in revenue per athlete, against $61,051 in expenses. The school awards about $16,840 in athletic aid per athlete.
DePaul University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Chicago, IL, DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 986, alongside a GSR of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Team revenue averages $89,018 per participant, with expenses of about $89,018 per participant. Athletic aid averages $23,928 per athlete.
Ohio University-Main Campus came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Ohio University-Main Campus is a public school based in Athens, OH. Ohio University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $71,942 per participant, with expenses of about $71,942 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,284 per athlete.
Illinois State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This public school is set in Normal, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,402, compared with $61,402 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,477 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Evansville ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Evansville, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $63,836 in revenue per athlete, against $63,836 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,525.
Bradley University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in Peoria, IL, Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Bradley University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $59,224, compared with $59,224 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,583 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Toledo did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Toledo, OH, University of Toledo is a public institution. University of Toledo records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Team revenue averages $57,720 per participant, with expenses of about $57,720 per participant. The school awards about $21,660 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Michigan University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Western Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $70,836 per participant, with expenses of about $70,836 per participant. The school awards about $19,248 in athletic aid per athlete.
Miami University-Oxford placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Miami University-Oxford is a public school based in Oxford, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $63,053 in revenue per athlete, against $63,053 in expenses. The school awards about $17,790 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Illinois Chicago placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Chicago, IL, University of Illinois Chicago is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 47%. Team revenue averages $59,141 per participant, against $59,141 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,167 per athlete.
Northern Illinois University landed the #24 spot this year. Based in Dekalb, IL, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. The program generates about $68,973 in revenue per athlete, compared with $68,973 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,138 per athlete.
Ball State University landed the #25 spot this year. This public school is set in Muncie, IN. Ball State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $54,798 per participant, with expenses of about $54,798 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,206 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.