by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 13 programs 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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Ohio State University-Main Campus tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. The program generates about $158,051 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $158,051 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
Xavier University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 70%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $75,244, compared with $75,245 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,280 per athlete.
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Cincinnati, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $97,323, against $97,323 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,882.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $61,903 in revenue per athlete, compared with $61,051 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,840 per athlete.
University of Toledo came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). University of Toledo is a public school based in Toledo, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,720, compared with $57,720 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,660.
Ohio University-Main Campus ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Athens, OH, Ohio University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $71,942, against $71,942 in expenses. The school awards about $17,284 in athletic aid per athlete.
Miami University-Oxford came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Oxford, OH, Miami University-Oxford is a public institution. Miami University-Oxford records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. The program generates about $63,053 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $63,053 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,790.
University of Dayton came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Dayton, OH, University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $43,724 per participant, compared with $82,160 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,913 per athlete.
Wright State University-Main Campus did well this year, earning the #9 position. Wright State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Dayton, OH. Wright State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. The program generates about $46,738 in revenue per athlete, against $46,738 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,387 per athlete.
Kent State University at Kent came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Kent, OH, Kent State University at Kent is a public institution. Kent State University at Kent records an NCAA APR of 981, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,099, with expenses of about $47,099 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,976.
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Akron, OH, University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,928, against $40,928 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,189.
Cleveland State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Cleveland, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 70%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,760, compared with $37,210 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,645 per athlete.
Youngstown State University landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Youngstown, OH, Youngstown State University is a public institution. Youngstown State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $41,495 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $41,495 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,634 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.