by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 14 schools for Women’s Volleyball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Grinnell College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Volleyball. Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Grinnell, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,985, compared with $9,985 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Iowa State University landed the #2 spot for Women's Volleyball. Iowa State University is a public school based in Ames, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,582, with expenses of about $112,550 per participant. The school awards about $16,185 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cornell College landed the #3 spot for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Vernon, IA. Team revenue averages $15,056 per participant, against $11,996 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Iowa ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Based in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,339, compared with $111,654 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,176 per athlete.
Drake University is one of the top schools for Women's Volleyball, at #5. Based in Des Moines, IA, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $41,063 per participant, compared with $41,063 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
Luther College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in Decorah, IA. Team revenue averages $6,581 per participant, compared with $6,281 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northern Iowa ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This public school is set in Cedar Falls, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $75,691, against $75,691 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,720.
Wartburg College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,220 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,220 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Loras College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. The program generates about $5,697 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,697 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Coe College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Volleyball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cedar Rapids, IA. Team revenue averages $10,515 per participant, compared with $10,515 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Simpson College landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Indianola, IA, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,838 per participant, compared with $3,489 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Buena Vista University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,968 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,650 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Upper Iowa University landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Fayette, IA, Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,829, with expenses of about $24,476 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,035 per athlete.
University of Dubuque placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Volleyball. Located in Dubuque, IA, University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,213, against $6,626 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid 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.