by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 47 colleges for Men’s Swimming & Diving (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Nova Southeastern University this year for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $25,263 per participant, with expenses of about $25,263 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,636.
Lewis University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Romeoville, IL. The program generates about $27,761 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $27,761 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,669 per athlete.
Colorado School of Mines earned the #3 place for student athletes. Colorado School of Mines is a public school based in Golden, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,538, with expenses of about $10,538 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,984.
Rollins College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Rollins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Winter Park, FL. The program generates about $13,967 in revenue per athlete, against $13,967 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,632 per athlete.
Florida Southern College is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II), at #5. Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lakeland, FL. The program generates about $17,064 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,064 per participant. The school awards about $8,785 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida Institute of Technology came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Melbourne, FL, Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,141, against $14,141 in expenses. The school awards about $13,103 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gannon University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Gannon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Erie, PA. Team revenue averages $10,311 per participant, against $10,311 in expenses. The school awards about $9,313 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fresno Pacific University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Fresno, CA, Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,933 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,440 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,517 per athlete.
Concordia University-Irvine placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Concordia University-Irvine is a private not-for-profit school based in Irvine, CA. Team revenue averages $14,738 per participant, compared with $14,738 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,027 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public school based in Rolla, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,493, compared with $15,493 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,772 per athlete.
Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,634, against $9,596 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,338.
Saint Michael's College placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Colchester, VT, Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,644, compared with $9,644 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,634 per athlete.
Lynn University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Boca Raton, FL, Lynn University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,447 per participant, with expenses of about $13,447 per participant. The school awards about $12,987 in athletic aid per athlete.
Assumption University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Worcester, MA, Assumption University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,200 per participant, with expenses of about $9,267 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,778.
Catawba College placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Salisbury, NC. Team revenue averages $21,564 per participant, with expenses of about $21,064 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,164 per athlete.
William Jewell College landed the #16 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Liberty, MO. The program generates about $12,986 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,052 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,219 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oklahoma Christian University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Oklahoma Christian University is a private not-for-profit school based in Edmond, OK. Team revenue averages $13,384 per participant, compared with $13,017 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,286 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Saint Louis, MO, University of Missouri-St Louis is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,968, compared with $11,509 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,395 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jefferson City, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,698, with expenses of about $19,035 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
Roberts Wesleyan University landed the #20 spot this year. Roberts Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. Team revenue averages $11,214 per participant, compared with $9,256 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,925 in athletic aid per athlete.
Truman State University landed the #21 spot this year. Based in Kirksville, MO, Truman State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,858, compared with $6,858 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,206 per athlete.
Wingate University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Wingate, NC, Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,579 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $22,745 per participant. The school awards about $6,748 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Kutztown, PA. The program generates about $14,713 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,713 per participant. The school awards about $1,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
King University placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). King University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,294, against $26,317 in expenses. The school awards about $7,932 in athletic aid per athlete.
Barry University placed #25 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Miami, FL, Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,539, with expenses of about $16,539 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,733.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.
