by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 16 programs for Women’s Volleyball (Division I) 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Syracuse University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Syracuse, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. The program generates about $54,340 in revenue per athlete, against $103,635 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $33,068.
St. John's University-New York earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Queens, NY. St. John's University-New York records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $106,831, compared with $106,831 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,040 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colgate University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Hamilton, NY, Colgate 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%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $74,526 per participant, with expenses of about $74,526 per participant. The school awards about $22,658 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hofstra University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hempstead, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $92,209 per participant, with expenses of about $92,209 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,514.
Fordham University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 962, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $84,440 per participant, against $84,440 in expenses. The school awards about $32,443 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stony Brook University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Stony Brook University is a public school based in Stony Brook, NY. Stony Brook University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Team revenue averages $78,056 per participant, compared with $78,056 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,341.
University at Buffalo landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Buffalo, NY, University at Buffalo is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 45%. Team revenue averages $77,212 per participant, against $77,212 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,340 per athlete.
University at Albany placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Albany, NY, University at Albany is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,498, with expenses of about $50,263 per participant. The school awards about $13,856 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iona University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Iona University is a private not-for-profit school based in New Rochelle, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,386, against $36,386 in expenses. The school awards about $10,814 in athletic aid per athlete.
Marist University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Poughkeepsie, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. Team revenue averages $38,464 per participant, compared with $38,464 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,661 in athletic aid per athlete.
Niagara University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,531, compared with $29,531 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,462 per athlete.
Columbia University in the City of New York placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $24,869 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,869 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Binghamton University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Vestal, NY, Binghamton University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 954, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,509, with expenses of about $51,509 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,522.
Cornell University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $28,755 in revenue per athlete, against $28,755 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Manhattan University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Riverdale, NY, Manhattan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 967, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. The program generates about $29,202 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,649 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,484.
Canisius University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in Buffalo, NY, Canisius University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $34,479 in revenue per athlete, against $34,479 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,300 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.