by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 20 colleges for Women’s Volleyball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Leading the list is University of Notre Dame, our #1 college for Women's Volleyball. Based in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. The program generates about $167,786 in revenue per athlete, against $167,786 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $34,391 per athlete.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Terre Haute, IN, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,608 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,608 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Purdue University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball, at #3. Purdue University-Main Campus is a public school based in West Lafayette, IN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $359,215 in revenue per athlete, compared with $134,881 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,382 per athlete.
Indiana University-Bloomington came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Bloomington, IN. Indiana University-Bloomington records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 89%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $98,733, with expenses of about $98,733 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,161.
DePauw University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Greencastle, IN, DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,610 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,610 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Evansville placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Evansville, IN, University of Evansville is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. The program generates about $63,836 in revenue per athlete, compared with $63,836 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,525 in athletic aid per athlete.
Valparaiso University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Based in Valparaiso, IN, Valparaiso University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $49,116 per participant, with expenses of about $50,048 per participant. The school awards about $8,540 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ball State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Muncie, IN, Ball State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $54,798 in revenue per athlete, against $54,798 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,206.
Earlham College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Richmond, IN, Earlham College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,068 per participant, compared with $15,068 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Trine University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Based in Angola, IN, Trine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,962 per participant, compared with $5,001 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Indiana State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Terre Haute, IN, Indiana State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,706, with expenses of about $30,706 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,961.
Indiana University-Indianapolis did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Indianapolis, IN, Indiana University-Indianapolis is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $40,376 per participant, against $40,376 in expenses. The school awards about $8,962 in athletic aid per athlete.
Butler University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianapolis, IN. Butler University records an NCAA APR of 977, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Team revenue averages $54,780 per participant, compared with $55,254 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,113 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hanover College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, IN. Team revenue averages $11,482 per participant, compared with $11,482 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Fort Wayne, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $35,430 per participant, against $33,631 in expenses. The school awards about $7,345 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Indianapolis placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. University of Indianapolis is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianapolis, IN. The program generates about $23,958 in revenue per athlete, against $23,958 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,002.
University of Southern Indiana ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Based in Evansville, IN, University of Southern Indiana is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,717, against $27,717 in expenses. The school awards about $6,037 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin College landed the #18 spot this year. Located in Franklin, IN, Franklin College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,698 in revenue per athlete, against $3,455 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Manchester University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in North Manchester, IN, Manchester University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,012 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,630 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Purdue University Northwest landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Hammond, IN, Purdue University Northwest is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,460, compared with $17,460 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,013 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.