by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 47 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 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Carnegie Mellon University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. The program generates about $13,439 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,597 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Swarthmore College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Swarthmore, PA, Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,844, against $12,850 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College landed the #3 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $12,420 per participant, compared with $13,405 spent per athlete. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
Haverford College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Haverford, PA. Team revenue averages $10,990 per participant, with expenses of about $10,659 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gettysburg College landed the #5 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gettysburg, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,623, with expenses of about $9,623 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Muhlenberg College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Allentown, PA, Muhlenberg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,988 per participant, against $8,988 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Dickinson College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,147, against $5,285 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ursinus College did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Collegeville, PA. Team revenue averages $7,566 per participant, with expenses of about $7,566 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Elizabethtown College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Elizabethtown, PA, Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,566, against $5,566 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Moravian University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Bethlehem, PA, Moravian University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,919 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,079 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Juniata College did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Huntingdon, PA. Team revenue averages $15,362 per participant, with expenses of about $14,305 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annville, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,922, compared with $6,755 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Allegheny College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Meadville, PA. The program generates about $11,226 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,226 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
DeSales University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,273 per participant, compared with $9,001 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Scranton placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Located in Scranton, PA, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,108 per participant, against $3,108 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Susquehanna University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Selinsgrove, PA. Team revenue averages $6,164 per participant, compared with $6,164 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Messiah University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mechanicsburg, PA. Team revenue averages $4,481 per participant, with expenses of about $4,608 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Widener University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chester, PA. Team revenue averages $10,232 per participant, with expenses of about $8,730 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arcadia University landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Glenside, PA, Arcadia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,917 per participant, against $9,917 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lancaster Bible College did well this year, earning the #20 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. The program generates about $6,108 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,661 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Vincent College landed the #21 spot this year. Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit school based in Latrobe, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,255, against $5,255 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Marywood University landed the #22 spot this year. Located in Scranton, PA, Marywood University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,562, against $4,919 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wilkes University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,733, compared with $7,733 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Misericordia University placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Located in Dallas, PA, Misericordia University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,032 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,032 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Geneva College did well this year, earning the #25 position. Geneva College is a private not-for-profit school based in Beaver Falls, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,908, compared with $8,908 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 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 list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.