by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 5 schools for Men’s Swimming & Diving (Division I) 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:
Purdue University-Main Campus earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division I). This public school is set in West Lafayette, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $10,055 per participant, compared with $49,366 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,382 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division I), at #2. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Columbus, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $70,358, with expenses of about $70,358 per participant. The school awards about $27,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
Xavier University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cincinnati, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. The program generates about $2,067 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,918 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,280 per athlete.
Valparaiso University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Based in Valparaiso, IN, Valparaiso University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,367, with expenses of about $6,344 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,540.
Eastern Illinois University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Charleston, IL, Eastern Illinois University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 974, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,061, with expenses of about $7,061 per participant. The school awards about $7,653 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.