by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 24 schools for Men’s Swimming & Diving (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Nova Southeastern University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Team revenue averages $25,263 per participant, against $25,263 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,636.
Florida Institute of Technology came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Melbourne, FL, Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,141 per participant, compared with $14,141 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,103 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rollins College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Winter Park, FL, Rollins College is a private not-for-profit institution. 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 came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Lakeland, FL, Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,064, compared with $17,064 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,785.
Lynn University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Lynn University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boca Raton, FL. The program generates about $13,447 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,447 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,987 per athlete.
Catawba College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Salisbury, NC, Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,564 per participant, against $21,064 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,164 per athlete.
Carson-Newman University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,698 per participant, with expenses of about $19,035 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
Wingate University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Wingate, NC, Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $24,579 per participant, compared with $22,745 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,748.
King University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bristol, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,294, against $26,317 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,932 per athlete.
Barton College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Wilson, NC, Barton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,503 in revenue per athlete, against $10,503 in expenses. The school awards about $6,654 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hickory, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,783, against $7,783 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,094 per athlete.
Emory & Henry University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit school based in Emory, VA. Team revenue averages $7,240 per participant, against $7,240 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,871.
Converse University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. The program generates about $11,111 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,074 per participant. The school awards about $7,241 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lees-McRae College did well this year, earning the #14 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Banner Elk, NC. Team revenue averages $21,035 per participant, against $21,035 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,547 per athlete.
Barry University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Barry University is a private not-for-profit school based in Miami, FL. The program generates about $16,539 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,539 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,733 per athlete.
University of Montevallo landed the #16 spot this year. University of Montevallo is a public school based in Montevallo, AL. Team revenue averages $10,236 per participant, against $10,236 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,698 per athlete.
Delta State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Cleveland, MS, Delta State University is a public institution. The program generates about $8,131 in revenue per athlete, against $8,131 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,421.
Fairmont State University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Fairmont State University is a public school based in Fairmont, WV. The program generates about $6,922 in revenue per athlete, against $6,213 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,874.
West Virginia Wesleyan College landed the #19 spot this year. Located in Buckhannon, WV, West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,552, with expenses of about $7,552 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,641 per athlete.
Wheeling University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Wheeling, WV, Wheeling University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,416 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,057 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,271.
Davis & Elkins College did well this year, earning the #21 position. Davis & Elkins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Elkins, WV. Team revenue averages $13,069 per participant, compared with $12,362 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,033 per athlete.
Mars Hill University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Mars Hill University is a private not-for-profit school based in Mars Hill, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,747, against $12,747 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,311.
Henderson State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Arkadelphia, AR, Henderson State University is a public institution. The program generates about $6,981 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,981 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,143 per athlete.
Chowan University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Murfreesboro, NC, Chowan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,818 in revenue per athlete, against $8,818 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,571.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.