by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 18 schools for Women’s Volleyball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Samford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Birmingham, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $72,211 in revenue per athlete, against $66,423 in expenses. The school awards about $20,864 in athletic aid per athlete.
Auburn University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball. Based in Auburn, AL, Auburn University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $19,506 in revenue per athlete, against $145,526 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,233.
The University of Alabama ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Tuscaloosa, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $121,946, compared with $121,946 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,760 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Alabama came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball. Located in Mobile, AL, University of South Alabama is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,732, with expenses of about $55,732 per participant. The school awards about $15,705 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Alabama in Huntsville earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Huntsville, AL, University of Alabama in Huntsville is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,833, with expenses of about $23,833 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,175.
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public school based in Birmingham, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 82%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $58,523 per participant, with expenses of about $55,964 per participant. The school awards about $17,655 in athletic aid per athlete.
Troy University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Troy, AL, Troy University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $46,678 in revenue per athlete, against $46,868 in expenses. The school awards about $13,487 in athletic aid per athlete.
Spring Hill College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Spring Hill College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mobile, AL. Team revenue averages $18,597 per participant, with expenses of about $17,979 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,824.
University of North Alabama landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Florence, AL, University of North Alabama is a public institution. University of North Alabama records an NCAA APR of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. Team revenue averages $33,901 per participant, with expenses of about $33,901 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,402 per athlete.
Jacksonville State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Jacksonville, AL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 970, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $45,114 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $45,114 per participant. The school awards about $14,761 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Alabama landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Livingston, AL. Team revenue averages $33,086 per participant, against $32,727 in expenses. The school awards about $11,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tuskegee University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Tuskegee, AL, Tuskegee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,712, compared with $5,712 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,470 per athlete.
University of Montevallo ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. Located in Montevallo, AL, University of Montevallo is a public institution. The program generates about $20,236 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,236 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,698 per athlete.
Auburn University at Montgomery landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Montgomery, AL, Auburn University at Montgomery is a public institution. Team revenue averages $30,744 per participant, against $30,609 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,718 per athlete.
Huntingdon College landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Montgomery, AL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,568, against $8,775 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $1,932 per athlete.
Alabama A & M University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in Normal, AL, Alabama A & M University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 934, alongside a GSR of 94%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $10,136 in revenue per athlete, compared with $30,158 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,274 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alabama State University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Montgomery, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 31%. The program generates about $31,155 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,155 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,418 per athlete.
Miles College landed the #18 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, AL. The program generates about $10,323 in revenue per athlete, against $10,323 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,563 per athlete.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.