by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 16 colleges for Women’s Volleyball (Division III) 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than California Institute of Technology this year for Women's Volleyball (Division III). California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Pasadena, CA. The program generates about $15,429 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,429 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Cruz is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division III), at #2. University of California-Santa Cruz is a public school based in Santa Cruz, CA. The program generates about $16,672 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,672 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whitman College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Whitman College is a private not-for-profit school based in Walla Walla, WA. Team revenue averages $12,351 per participant, against $10,685 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Chapman University landed the #4 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,218, with expenses of about $9,218 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Occidental College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Located in Los Angeles, CA, Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,835 per participant, compared with $8,283 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California Lutheran University landed the #6 spot this year. California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Thousand Oaks, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,106, with expenses of about $12,106 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $14,675 in revenue per athlete, against $14,675 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,596 per participant, with expenses of about $11,596 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Willamette University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, OR. Team revenue averages $10,353 per participant, against $10,353 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Redlands did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,098 per participant, with expenses of about $12,793 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Whitworth University landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spokane, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,387, with expenses of about $12,386 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
George Fox University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,694 per participant, with expenses of about $10,480 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of La Verne came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in La Verne, CA. Team revenue averages $9,013 per participant, compared with $8,464 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Puget Sound placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Tacoma, WA, University of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,656, against $6,656 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Linfield University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Linfield University is a private not-for-profit school based in McMinnville, OR. The program generates about $7,721 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,822 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Whittier College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Whittier, CA, Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,286 in revenue per athlete, against $4,523 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.