by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 6 programs for Women’s Volleyball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
Leading the list is Michigan State University, our #1 college for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $197,734, compared with $197,734 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,500 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division I), at #2. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school based in Ann Arbor, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,255, compared with $128,259 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,650.
Western Michigan University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Western Michigan University is a public school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Team revenue averages $70,836 per participant, against $70,836 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,248 per athlete.
Oakland University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Rochester Hills, MI, Oakland University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $36,072 per participant, compared with $36,072 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,959 per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University landed the #5 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Eastern Michigan University is a public school based in Ypsilanti, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 83%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $47,392 in revenue per athlete, compared with $47,392 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,547 per athlete.
Central Michigan University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University is a public institution. Central Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 984, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Team revenue averages $53,794 per participant, compared with $53,794 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,123 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.