by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 33 programs for Women’s Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Jump to the options below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Rockhurst University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $19,605 per participant, against $19,605 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,130 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Duluth came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Duluth, MN, University of Minnesota-Duluth is a public institution. The program generates about $34,661 in revenue per athlete, compared with $34,661 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,671.
University of Mary landed the #3 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Bismarck, ND, University of Mary is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,933, with expenses of about $20,933 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,321.
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Rolla, MO, Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,438, against $24,438 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,772 per athlete.
Maryville University of Saint Louis is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States, at #5. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. The program generates about $17,962 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,816 per participant. The school awards about $6,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. This public school is set in Maryville, MO. Team revenue averages $35,759 per participant, compared with $35,759 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,287 per athlete.
University of Sioux Falls came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit school based in Sioux Falls, SD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,240, compared with $27,851 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,811 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drury University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Springfield, MO, Drury University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,520 per participant, compared with $20,520 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,859 per athlete.
University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Kearney, NE. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,564, against $39,563 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,590.
Winona State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,089, against $32,089 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,907 per athlete.
Pittsburg State University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Pittsburg, KS, Pittsburg State University is a public institution. The program generates about $27,496 in revenue per athlete, against $27,496 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,160 per athlete.
Truman State University landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Kirksville, MO, Truman State University is a public institution. The program generates about $22,663 in revenue per athlete, against $22,663 in expenses. The school awards about $3,206 in athletic aid per athlete.
William Jewell College placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Liberty, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,760, against $13,452 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,219.
University of Minnesota-Crookston landed the #14 spot this year. This public school is set in Crookston, MN. Team revenue averages $32,184 per participant, compared with $32,184 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,101 per athlete.
Washburn University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Topeka, KS, Washburn University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $27,847 per participant, with expenses of about $27,847 per participant. The school awards about $5,727 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Saint Louis, MO, University of Missouri-St Louis is a public institution. Team revenue averages $18,724 per participant, against $18,967 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,395 per athlete.
Bemidji State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Bemidji State University is a public school based in Bemidji, MN. The program generates about $24,253 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,253 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,153 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newman University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wichita, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,298, compared with $18,298 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,192 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emporia State University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in Emporia, KS, Emporia State University is a public institution. The program generates about $24,931 in revenue per athlete, against $24,880 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,709 per athlete.
Saint Cloud State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Saint Cloud State University is a public school based in Saint Cloud, MN. The program generates about $41,619 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $37,829 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,426 per athlete.
University of Central Missouri came in at #21 in this year's ranking. University of Central Missouri is a public school based in Warrensburg, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,159, against $27,159 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,385 per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead landed the #22 spot this year. Based in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution. Team revenue averages $23,645 per participant, against $22,027 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,722.
Northern State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. This public school is set in Aberdeen, SD. Team revenue averages $27,590 per participant, against $26,423 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,884.
Missouri Western State University placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Saint Joseph, MO, Missouri Western State University is a public institution. The program generates about $25,620 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,164 per participant. The school awards about $7,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwest Baptist University landed the #25 spot this year. Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bolivar, MO. Team revenue averages $12,379 per participant, against $12,351 in expenses. The school awards about $7,015 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
