by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 10 colleges for Women’s Volleyball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Samford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Birmingham, AL. Samford University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $72,211, with expenses of about $66,423 per participant. The school awards about $20,864 in athletic aid per athlete.
Auburn University is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division I), at #2. Based in Auburn, AL, Auburn University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,506, compared with $145,526 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,233.
The University of Alabama landed the #3 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This public school is set in Tuscaloosa, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $121,946, with expenses of about $121,946 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,760.
University of South Alabama is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division I), at #4. Located in Mobile, AL, University of South Alabama is a public institution. University of South Alabama records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $55,732 per participant, with expenses of about $55,732 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,705 per athlete.
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Birmingham, AL, University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $58,523 per participant, with expenses of about $55,964 per participant. The school awards about $17,655 in athletic aid per athlete.
Troy University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Troy, AL, Troy University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,678, compared with $46,868 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,487.
University of North Alabama came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of North Alabama is a public school based in Florence, AL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. The program generates about $33,901 in revenue per athlete, compared with $33,901 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,402 per athlete.
Jacksonville State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Jacksonville, AL, Jacksonville State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 970, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. The program generates about $45,114 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $45,114 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,761 per athlete.
Alabama A & M University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Normal, AL, Alabama A & M University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 934, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. The program generates about $10,136 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $30,158 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,274 per athlete.
Alabama State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). This public school is set in Montgomery, AL. Alabama State University records an NCAA APR of 971, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 31%. The program generates about $31,155 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,155 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,418 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.