by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 21 colleges for Women’s Volleyball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual scores each program on 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:
Our analysis found University of Michigan-Ann Arbor to be the best college for Women's Volleyball in Michigan. Based in Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 89%. Team revenue averages $22,255 per participant, with expenses of about $128,259 per participant. Athletic aid averages $28,650 per athlete.
Michigan State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Michigan State University is a public school based in East Lansing, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $197,734, compared with $197,734 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,500 in athletic aid per athlete.
Michigan Technological University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Houghton, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,741, with expenses of about $41,785 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,159.
Hope College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Holland, MI, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,530, against $8,474 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Calvin University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Calvin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Grand Rapids, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,309, compared with $12,309 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Kalamazoo College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,488 per participant, against $5,488 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Oakland University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Oakland University is a public school based in Rochester Hills, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,072, against $36,072 in expenses. The school awards about $12,959 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grand Valley State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This public school is set in Allendale, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,590, compared with $38,514 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,088 per athlete.
Western Michigan University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Western Michigan University is a public school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $70,836, against $70,836 in expenses. The school awards about $19,248 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwood University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Northwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Midland, MI. Team revenue averages $28,384 per participant, against $28,384 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,948 per athlete.
Alma College placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Alma College is a private not-for-profit school based in Alma, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,158, against $5,158 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Central Michigan University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,794, against $53,794 in expenses. The school awards about $12,123 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Superior State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Sault Ste Marie, MI, Lake Superior State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $22,792 per participant, compared with $22,792 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,276 per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Eastern Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $47,392 per participant, compared with $47,392 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,547 per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in University Center, MI, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. The program generates about $49,314 in revenue per athlete, compared with $48,703 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,118 per athlete.
Northern Michigan University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $38,723 per participant, with expenses of about $39,124 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Albion College did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Albion, MI, Albion College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,111, against $8,528 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ferris State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Big Rapids, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,879, with expenses of about $50,879 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,572 per athlete.
Adrian College placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Adrian, MI. The program generates about $6,167 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,167 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Davenport University landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. Team revenue averages $26,054 per participant, compared with $26,054 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,850 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Olivet did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Olivet, MI. Team revenue averages $4,500 per participant, against $4,500 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.