by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 7 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:
No school ranked higher than New Jersey Institute of Technology this year for Women's Volleyball (Division I). New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public school based in Newark, NJ. New Jersey Institute of Technology records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,316, compared with $57,497 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,477 per athlete.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 46%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $188,736, compared with $188,736 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,379 per athlete.
Seton Hall University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Seton Hall University is a private not-for-profit school based in South Orange, NJ. Seton Hall University records an NCAA APR of 984, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $52,071, with expenses of about $52,071 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $32,496.
Princeton University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Princeton, NJ, Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,702, against $44,702 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Teaneck, NJ, Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is a private not-for-profit institution. Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $33,658 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $33,658 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,185 per athlete.
Saint Peter's University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Saint Peter's University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jersey City, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,464, with expenses of about $9,464 per participant. The school awards about $10,025 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rider University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lawrenceville, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $23,865 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,865 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,540.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
