by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 13 colleges 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Macalester College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,012, with expenses of about $11,556 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Carleton College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, MN. The program generates about $6,657 in revenue per athlete, against $7,175 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Olaf College landed the #3 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,572 per participant, compared with $8,572 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #4 spot for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Located in Saint Peter, MN, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,513 per participant, compared with $10,513 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Winona, MN. Team revenue averages $9,504 per participant, against $9,504 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Martin Luther College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Ulm, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,165, with expenses of about $4,165 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Catherine University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $8,081 in revenue per athlete, against $8,081 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northwestern-St Paul placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball (Division III). University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $5,640 in revenue per athlete, against $5,640 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris did well this year, earning the #9 position. This public school is set in Morris, MN. Team revenue averages $6,232 per participant, against $6,151 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hamline University landed the #10 spot this year. Hamline University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $6,658 in revenue per athlete, against $6,658 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Augsburg University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball (Division III). Located in Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,639, against $7,639 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Central University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,091 per participant, against $4,091 in expenses. The school awards about $49 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Mankato, MN, Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,196, against $5,121 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. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.