by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 30 programs for Women’s Volleyball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
New York University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. The program generates about $18,726 in revenue per athlete, against $18,352 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hamilton College is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division III), at #2. Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,636 in revenue per athlete, against $14,636 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Rochester is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball (Division III), at #3. Located in Rochester, NY, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,383, against $13,017 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vassar College landed the #4 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,347 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,588 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Union College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,836 per participant, compared with $10,434 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,499 per athlete.
Skidmore College landed the #6 spot this year. Skidmore College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,325, against $8,325 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $22,814 in revenue per athlete, against $21,310 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,070.
Ithaca College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,586 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,586 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St. John Fisher University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,951, against $9,892 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Yeshiva University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in New York, NY, Yeshiva University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,619 in revenue per athlete, against $6,619 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Clarkson University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Potsdam, NY, Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,976, with expenses of about $10,193 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,842.
St Lawrence University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,011 per participant, against $8,011 in expenses. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Geneva, NY, Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,855 per participant, against $21,855 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $50 per athlete.
Bard College placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Team revenue averages $13,896 per participant, against $13,896 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at New Paltz did well this year, earning the #15 position. This public school is set in New Paltz, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,327, against $10,245 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nazareth University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Nazareth University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. Team revenue averages $7,576 per participant, compared with $7,227 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
State University of New York at Cortland did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Cortland, NY, State University of New York at Cortland is a public institution. The program generates about $10,161 in revenue per athlete, against $10,161 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Russell Sage College landed the #18 spot this year. Located in Troy, NY, Russell Sage College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,167 per participant, compared with $8,247 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
State University of New York at Oswego came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Oswego, NY, State University of New York at Oswego is a public institution. The program generates about $9,035 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,919 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sarah Lawrence College did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Bronxville, NY, Sarah Lawrence College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,278, with expenses of about $3,278 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Mount Saint Vincent came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Located in Bronx, NY, University of Mount Saint Vincent is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,268 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,076 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utica University placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Utica, NY. The program generates about $7,240 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,225 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Houghton University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Houghton, NY, Houghton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,243 per participant, compared with $5,243 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Alfred University landed the #24 spot this year. Alfred University is a private not-for-profit school based in Alfred, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,510, with expenses of about $6,305 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Farmingdale State College ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Farmingdale State College is a public school based in Farmingdale, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,866, compared with $4,802 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.