by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 20 programs for Men’s Swimming & Diving (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Swarthmore College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit school based in Swarthmore, PA. The program generates about $9,303 in revenue per athlete, against $7,184 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,221 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,581 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Gettysburg College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,710 per participant, against $6,710 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ursinus College landed the #4 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Collegeville, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,528, compared with $8,528 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dickinson College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. Team revenue averages $2,857 per participant, compared with $3,557 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elizabethtown College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Elizabethtown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,269, with expenses of about $4,269 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Messiah University landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mechanicsburg, PA. Team revenue averages $3,475 per participant, with expenses of about $2,435 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Allegheny College landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,781 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,781 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit school based in Latrobe, PA. Team revenue averages $6,472 per participant, with expenses of about $6,472 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Juniata College landed the #10 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Huntingdon, PA. Team revenue averages $8,114 per participant, compared with $7,867 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Annville, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,319, compared with $2,319 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Misericordia University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dallas, PA. Team revenue averages $4,771 per participant, compared with $4,771 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wilkes University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,052 in revenue per athlete, against $8,052 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lycoming College placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamsport, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,195, compared with $9,235 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Chester, PA, Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,214, with expenses of about $5,046 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Arcadia University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Glenside, PA. Team revenue averages $5,131 per participant, with expenses of about $5,131 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Immaculata University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Immaculata University is a private not-for-profit school based in Immaculata, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,983, with expenses of about $4,983 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford came in at #18 in this year's ranking. University of Pittsburgh-Bradford is a public school based in Bradford, PA. Team revenue averages $7,819 per participant, with expenses of about $7,819 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.