by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 72 programs for Women’s Volleyball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Carnegie Mellon University, our #1 college for Women's Volleyball. 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. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Swarthmore College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Swarthmore, PA. The program generates about $13,844 in revenue per athlete, against $12,850 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,420 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,405 per participant. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
Haverford College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball. Based in Haverford, PA, Haverford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,990 per participant, compared with $10,659 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gettysburg College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gettysburg, PA. The program generates about $9,623 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,623 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Muhlenberg College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Muhlenberg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Allentown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,988, with expenses of about $8,988 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Team revenue averages $210,206 per participant, compared with $210,206 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $30,613.
Thomas Jefferson University landed the #8 spot this year. Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. Team revenue averages $20,058 per participant, compared with $20,058 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,341 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gannon University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $31,778 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,778 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,313 per athlete.
Dickinson College landed the #10 spot this year. Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. The program generates about $5,147 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,285 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Temple University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Temple University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $79,939 per participant, with expenses of about $79,939 per participant. The school awards about $28,567 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Based in West Chester, PA, West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. The program generates about $17,995 in revenue per athlete, against $14,827 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,168.
Elizabethtown College placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elizabethtown, PA. Team revenue averages $5,566 per participant, with expenses of about $5,566 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ursinus College did well this year, earning the #14 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Collegeville, PA. The program generates about $7,566 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,566 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Moravian University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Located in Bethlehem, PA, Moravian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,919, compared with $8,079 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lehigh University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Based in Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $71,604 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $71,604 per participant. The school awards about $19,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seton Hill University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Greensburg, PA, Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,508 in revenue per athlete, against $17,508 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,657 per athlete.
Lafayette College placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Easton, PA, Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution. Lafayette College records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 72%. The program generates about $59,303 in revenue per athlete, against $59,303 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,987.
University of Scranton ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,108, against $3,108 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Messiah University landed the #20 spot this year. Messiah University is a private not-for-profit school based in Mechanicsburg, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,481, with expenses of about $4,608 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Villanova University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Located in Villanova, PA, Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $98,128, with expenses of about $98,128 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,480.
Lebanon Valley College placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Based in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,922 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,755 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bucknell University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in Lewisburg, PA, Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $97,355 per participant, against $97,355 in expenses. The school awards about $19,655 in athletic aid per athlete.
Susquehanna University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Selinsgrove, PA, Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,164 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,164 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Juniata College is a private not-for-profit school based in Huntingdon, PA. Team revenue averages $15,362 per participant, against $14,305 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 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. 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.