by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 7 colleges for Men’s Swimming & Diving (Division III) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Johns Hopkins University to be the best college for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III) in Maryland. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD. The program generates about $9,955 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,955 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,612 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. Mary's College of Maryland landed the #2 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This public school is set in St. Mary's City, MD. The program generates about $4,989 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,989 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stevenson University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Owings Mills, MD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,512, compared with $7,946 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Salisbury University is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #4. Located in Salisbury, MD, Salisbury University is a public institution. The program generates about $4,724 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,724 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Goucher College landed the #5 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Baltimore, MD. The program generates about $5,791 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,791 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
McDaniel College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Westminster, MD, McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,288, with expenses of about $4,240 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hood College landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Frederick, MD, Hood College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,098 per participant, against $7,098 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. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.