by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 12 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 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Clemson University, our #1 college for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. The program generates about $135,467 in revenue per athlete, compared with $135,467 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,730 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia earned the #2 place for student athletes. University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $136,255 in revenue per athlete, compared with $136,255 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,645.
Wofford College is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division I), at #3. Based in Spartanburg, SC, Wofford College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. Team revenue averages $70,555 per participant, with expenses of about $70,555 per participant. Athletic aid averages $26,368 per athlete.
Furman University landed the #4 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Based in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $54,299 per participant, with expenses of about $54,299 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,699.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public school based in Charleston, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 982, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $66,803, with expenses of about $47,282 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,439.
College of Charleston came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Charleston, SC, College of Charleston is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $58,119 per participant, against $58,119 in expenses. The school awards about $11,551 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coastal Carolina University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Conway, SC, Coastal Carolina University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 981, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $72,594, compared with $72,594 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,875 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Upstate ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Located in Spartanburg, SC, University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Team revenue averages $36,031 per participant, compared with $36,031 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,411 in athletic aid per athlete.
Presbyterian College landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. The program generates about $27,347 in revenue per athlete, compared with $27,347 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,454.
Winthrop University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division I). Winthrop University is a public school based in Rock Hill, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. The program generates about $34,298 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,298 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,244.
Charleston Southern University landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Charleston, SC, Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $27,425 in revenue per athlete, against $27,425 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,092 per athlete.
South Carolina State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in Orangeburg, SC. South Carolina State University records an NCAA APR of 956, and a 63% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 30%. The program generates about $21,957 in revenue per athlete, against $21,957 in expenses. The school awards about $5,529 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.