by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 17 schools for Women’s Volleyball (Division III) 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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Explore the leading programs below:
University of Chicago earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Chicago, IL, University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,002, with expenses of about $15,002 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,927 per participant, with expenses of about $8,927 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Illinois Institute of Technology is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division III), at #3. Based in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,740 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,740 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
North Central College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division III). North Central College is a private not-for-profit school based in Naperville, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,187, with expenses of about $6,113 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Elmhurst University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elmhurst, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,793, against $7,793 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lake Forest College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,565 per participant, against $5,565 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Illinois College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Jacksonville, IL, Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,115 in revenue per athlete, against $8,115 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Knox College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Knox College is a private not-for-profit school based in Galesburg, IL. The program generates about $5,207 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,427 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Aurora University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,748 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,748 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Park University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Chicago, IL, North Park University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,547 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,547 per participant. The school awards about $32 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in River Forest, IL, Concordia University-Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,460, with expenses of about $8,361 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Millikin University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decatur, IL. The program generates about $6,126 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,126 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Blackburn College placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Carlinville, IL. The program generates about $11,313 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,313 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Greenville University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Greenville, IL, Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,871 per participant, against $4,895 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eureka College placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Located in Eureka, IL, Eureka College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,435 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,435 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rockford University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Rockford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rockford, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,265, compared with $4,265 spent per athlete. 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. 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.