by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 8 programs 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Use the shortcuts below.
Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than New York University this year for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in New York, NY, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,471 in revenue per athlete, against $11,250 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Union College landed the #2 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,747, with expenses of about $8,720 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,499.
St Lawrence University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit school based in Canton, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,588, with expenses of about $10,588 per participant. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,365, with expenses of about $7,365 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bard College is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #5. Located in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, Bard College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,115 per participant, compared with $12,115 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clarkson University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Potsdam, NY. Team revenue averages $3,729 per participant, compared with $3,825 spent per athlete. The school awards about $4,842 in athletic aid per athlete.
State University of New York at New Paltz placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in New Paltz, NY, State University of New York at New Paltz is a public institution. Team revenue averages $4,967 per participant, compared with $4,967 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sarah Lawrence College placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Bronxville, NY. Team revenue averages $1,866 per participant, compared with $1,866 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.