by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 242 programs for Women’s Volleyball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Emory University this year for Women's Volleyball. Emory University is a private not-for-profit school based in Atlanta, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,525, with expenses of about $17,207 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Duke University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $125,958, compared with $124,341 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
Washington and Lee University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball. Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lexington, VA. Team revenue averages $14,655 per participant, compared with $14,401 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Virginia-Main Campus earned the #4 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $121,549, compared with $121,549 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
Union University landed the #5 spot for Women's Volleyball. Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Team revenue averages $33,900 per participant, compared with $33,193 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
University of Mississippi came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in University, MS, University of Mississippi is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $161,713 per participant, with expenses of about $161,713 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,457.
Clemson University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 81% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $135,467 in revenue per athlete, compared with $135,467 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,730.
Eckerd College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Based in Saint Petersburg, FL, Eckerd College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $44,345 in revenue per athlete, compared with $44,345 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Kentucky ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Lexington, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $214,353 in revenue per athlete, compared with $214,353 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,921 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $136,255 per participant, with expenses of about $136,255 per participant. The school awards about $18,645 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rollins College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Based in Winter Park, FL, Rollins College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $39,754 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $39,754 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,632.
Rhodes College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,574 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,574 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Miami came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $160,081 in revenue per athlete, compared with $160,081 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $38,474 per athlete.
Christopher Newport University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. The program generates about $15,255 in revenue per athlete, against $15,255 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harding University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $28,467 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,984 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,216 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nova Southeastern University landed the #16 spot this year. Based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $35,747 per participant, with expenses of about $35,747 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,636 per athlete.
Wofford College ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $70,555, against $70,555 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,368.
Berry College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Located in Mount Berry, GA, Berry College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,290 in revenue per athlete, against $14,924 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lipscomb University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. Lipscomb University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $88,684, with expenses of about $88,684 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,176.
James Madison University landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $88,502 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $88,502 per participant. The school awards about $19,945 in athletic aid per athlete.
William & Mary landed the #21 spot this year. Based in Williamsburg, VA, William & Mary is a public institution. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. The program generates about $49,694 in revenue per athlete, compared with $61,012 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,943.
Elon University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Elon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elon, NC. Elon University records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $77,952 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $77,952 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,795.
Samford University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Based in Birmingham, AL, Samford University 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 82%. The program generates about $72,211 in revenue per athlete, compared with $66,423 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,864.
University of Louisville ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Based in Louisville, KY, University of Louisville is a public institution. University of Louisville records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $637,975, compared with $179,948 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,083.
Belmont University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Belmont University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $70,943, with expenses of about $70,943 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.