As a growing collegiate sport, beach volleyball is currently offered by about 90 colleges across the NCAA Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 levels, as well as the NAIA and the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). However, more and more colleges are planning to add a beach volleyball program in the next few years. We’ve included a list of current beach volleyball colleges and we’ve also noted the institutions that will be adding a program in the upcoming seasons. Use these lists to help you research schools and find your best college fit, athletically, academically and socially.
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D1 beach volleyball colleges: Join the elite beach volleyball players
There are about 54 D1 beach volleyball programs, making it the largest division for beach volleyball. D1 teams are known for their elite-level of play, physicality and power. This is the most competitive level athletically, though you might see some high-level D2 teams that are similar to D1 programs. At the D1 level, expect to play your sport year-round, with a small amount of time leftover for activities outside of beach volleyball and your schoolwork. Athletes who love the thrill of playing against the best competitors in the game usually opt to compete at this level.
Insider tip: D1 recruiting will generally start earlier than the other division levels. If you’re interested in playing at a Division 1 beach volleyball college, you should start initiating contact with college coaches your sophomore year and, at the latest, early your junior year.
D2 colleges with beach volleyball: Balance athletics and academics
D2 beach volleyball colleges are still highly competitive programs that recruit top athletes. The biggest differences you’ll see between D1 and D2 teams are the depth of the bench and, in many cases, the time commitment to your sport. In most cases, D2 athletes will have a little more time in their schedule to focus on academics or even pick up an extracurricular activity in the off-season. While there’s still 11 D2 schools offering beach volleyball, that number will continue to grow over the next few years.
D3 beach volleyball colleges: Get a well-rounded college experience
At the D3 level, there are only three colleges that currently offer beach volleyball. However, D3 schools have a lot to offer to student-athletes, and they are worth pursuing. D3 student-athletes have the most flexibility in their schedule to pursue other extracurricular activities outside of their sport and academics. Furthermore, some of the most academically competitive schools are found at the D3 level, ensuring student-athletes get a great education while continuing to play the sport they love.
Insider tip: D3 schools technically don’t give out athletic scholarships. However, they do provide other forms of financial aid, including academic scholarships and merit- or need-based aid. Don’t let the initial price tag deter you from D3 schools.
NAIA beach volleyball colleges: A unique college experience
For many student-athletes, the charm of the NAIA comes from its overall flexibility between athletics, academics, a social life. The athletic competition is usually compared to a D2 or upper-level D3 school, and the ability to have a well-rounded college experience is similar to the D3 level. While there are only about two NAIA beach volleyball colleges at this point, more and more NAIA schools will be adding beach volleyball in the upcoming years. It’s worth your time to research those schools and see if NAIA might be the best fit for you.
College beach volleyball rankings. What are the best beach volleyball colleges?
Student-athletes and their families consider a variety of factors when researching colleges, including cost, academics, size and location. NCSA has developed a proprietary Power Rankings system, which analyzes these factors to rank the over 70 four-year NCAA and NAIA beach volleyball colleges and determine the top 10 programs across all divisions.
- University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of California
- Stanford University
- Florida State University
- University of Southern California
- Pepperdine University
- University of Washington
- California State University – Long Beach
- University of California – Davis
- Loyola Marymount University
View the complete NCSA Power Rankings list of top women’s beach volleyball schools.
Find beach volleyball colleges
School
City and State
Type
Conference
Division
Phoenix, Arizona
Private
Golden State Athletic Conference
NAIA
Tempe, Arizona
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Clarksville, Tennessee
Public
ASUN Conference
NCAA D1
Ave Maria, Florida
Private
Sun Conference
NAIA
Bakersfield, California
Public
CCCAA
JC
Mesa, Arizona
Private
California Pacific Conference
NAIA
Boise, Idaho
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA D1
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Private
Independent
JC
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Public
CJCC
JC
Eugene, Oregon
Private
Cascade Collegiate Conference
NAIA
San Luis Obispo, California
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA D1
Bakersfield, California
Public
Big West Conference
NCAA D1
Long Beach, California
Public
Big West Conference
NCAA D1
Los Angeles, California
Public
Independent
NCAA D2
Northridge, California
Public
Big West Conference
NCAA D1
Sacramento, California
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA D1
Jefferson City, Tennessee
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Salisbury, North Carolina
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Hickory, North Carolina
Public
CJCC
JC
Lancaster, Texas
Public
Dallas Athletic Conference
JC
Conway, South Carolina
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA D1
Charleston, South Carolina
Public
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA D1
Kentfield, California
Public
California Community College Athletic Association
JC
Palm Desert, California
Public
IEAC
JC
Grand Junction, Colorado
Public
Independent
NCAA D2
Irvine, California
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Salem, Oregon
Private
Cascade Collegiate Conference
NAIA
Cypress, California
Public
Orange Empire Conference
JC
Charleston, Illinois
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA D1
Richmond, Kentucky
Public
Asun Conference
NCAA D1
St. Petersburg, Florida
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Torrance, California
Public
CCCAA (SCFA Football)
JC
Due West, South Carolina
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Quincy, California
Public
Golden Valley Conference
JC
Boca Raton, Florida
Public
The american athletic Conference
NCAA D1
Fort Myers, Florida
Public
Atlantic Sun Conference
NCAA D1
Miami, Florida
Public
Conference USA
NCAA D1
Miami Gardens, Florida
Private
Sun Conference
NAIA
Lakeland, Florida
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Jacksonville, Florida
Public
Mid-Florida Conference
JC
Tallahassee, Florida
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA D1
Fresno, California
Public
Central Valley Conference
JC
Dallas, North Carolina
Public
CJCC
JC
Atlanta, Georgia
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA D1
Phoenix, Arizona
Private
Western Athletic Conference
NCAA D1
Fullerton, California
Private
Golden State Athletic Conference
NAIA
Houston, Texas
Private
Southland Conference
NCAA D1
Jacksonville, Alabama
Public
ASUN Conference
NCAA D1
Jacksonville, Florida
Private
Atlantic Sun Conference
NCAA D1
Leesburg, Florida
Public
Mid-Florida Conference
JC
Saint Charles, Missouri
Private
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA D1
St. Charles, Missouri
Private
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA D2
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA D1
Los Angeles, California
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA D1
New Orleans, Louisiana
Private
Southern States Athletic Conference
NAIA
Lebanon, Illinois
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Macon, Georgia
Private
Southern Conference
NCAA D1
Mesa, Arizona
Public
ACCAC
JC
Oceanside, California
Public
Pacific Coast Athletic Conference
JC
Saint Louis, Missouri
Private
American Midwest Conference
NAIA
Springfield, Missouri
Public
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA D1
Moorpark, California
Public
WSC
JC
Morehead, Kentucky
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA D1
Walnut, California
Public
CCCAA
JC
San Jacinto, California
Public
IEAC
NCAA D1
Sarasota, Florida
Public
Intercollegiate Sailing Association
JC
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA D1
Kirkland, Washington
Private
Cascade Collegiate Conference
NAIA
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Private
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
NAIA
Costa Mesa, California
Public
Orange Empire Conference (SCFA Football)
JC
Ottawa, Kansas
Private
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
NAIA
Phoenix, Arizona
Private
Golden State Athletic Conference
NAIA
West Palm Beach, Florida
Private
Sunshine State Conference
NCAA D2
Lake Worth, Florida
Public
Southern Conference
JC
San Marcos, California
Public
PCAC (SCFA Football)
JC
Parkville, Missouri
Private
California Pacific Conference
NAIA
Malibu, California
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA D1
South Prince George, Virginia
Public
CJCC
JC
Mission Viejo, California
Public
Orange Empire Conference (SCFA Football)
JC
Saint Leo, Florida
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Moraga, California
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA D1
Salt Lake City, Utah
Public
Scenic West Athletic Conference
JC
Santee, California
Private
Golden State Athletic Conference
NAIA
San Diego, California
Public
Pacific Coast Conference
JC
San Diego, California
Public
PCAC
JC
San Jose, California
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA D1
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Public
CJCC
JC
Santa Barbara, California
Public
Western State Conference
JC
Santa Clara, California
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA D1
Santa Monica, California
Public
CCCAA
JC
Phoenix, Arizona
Public
ACCAC
JC
Hammond, Louisiana
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA D1
Lakeland, Florida
Private
Sun Conference
NAIA
Ashland, Oregon
Public
Cascade Collegiate Conference
NAIA
Bolivar, Missouri
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Private
CJCC
JC
Mobile, Alabama
Private
Independent
NCAA D2
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Private
Apalachian Athletic Conference
NAIA
Palatka, Florida
Public
Mid-Florida Conference
JC
Miami, Florida
Private
The Sun Conference
NAIA
Stanford, California
Private
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Bradenton, Florida
Public
Suncoast Conference
JC
Nacogdoches, Texas
Public
Western Conference
NCAA D1
Deland, Florida
Private
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
NCAA D1
Cookeville, Tennessee
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA D1
Corpus Christi, Texas
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA D1
Kingsville, Texas
Public
Lone Star Conference
NCAA D2
Fort Worth, Texas
Private
Big 12 Conference
NCAA D1
Caldwell, Idaho
Private
Cascade Collegiate Conference
NAIA
Santa Clarita, California
Private
Golden State Athletic Conference
NAIA
Trinidad, Colorado
Public
Region 9
JC
New Orleans, Louisiana
Private
American Athletic Conference
NCAA D1
Greeneville, Tennessee
Private
South Atlantic Conference
NCAA D2
Birmingham, Alabama
Public
Conference USA
NCAA D1
Tucson, Arizona
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Berkeley, California
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Davis, California
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA D1
Los Angeles, California
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Conway, Arkansas
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA D1
Honolulu, Hawaii
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA D1
Monroe, Louisiana
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA D1
Mobile, Alabama
Private
Southern States Athletic Conference
NAIA
Lincoln, Nebraska
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA D1
New Orleans, Louisiana
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA D1
Florence, Alabama
Public
Gulf South Conference
NCAA D1
Wilmington, North Carolina
Public
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA D1
Jacksonville, Florida
Public
Atlantic Sun Conference
NCAA D1
Eugene, Oregon
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Portland, Oregon
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA D1
San Marcos, California
Private
California Pacific Conference
NAIA
San Francisco, California
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA D1
Columbia, South Carolina
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA D1
Tampa, Florida
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA D1
Los Angeles, California
Private
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA D1
Tampa, Florida
Private
Sunshine State Conference
NCAA D2
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Public
Southern Conference
NCAA D1
Martin, Tennessee
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA D1
Austin, Texas
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA D1
El Paso, Texas
Public
Conference USA
NCAA D1
Stockton, California
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA D1
Salt Lake City, Utah
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Seattle, Washington
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA D1
Costa Mesa, California
Private
Golden State Athletic Conference
NAIA
Raleigh, North Carolina
Public
CJCC
JC
Lake Wales, Florida
Private
The Sun Conference
NAIA
Wayne, Nebraska
Public
Independent
NCAA D2
Babson Park, Florida
Private
Sun Conference
NAIA
Irvine, California
Private
California Pacific Conference
NAIA
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Private
Southern States Athletic Conference
NAIA
