by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 9 colleges for Men’s Swimming & Diving by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
University of California-San Diego earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in La Jolla, CA, University of California-San Diego is a public institution. University of California-San Diego records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $13,573 per participant, against $13,573 in expenses. The school awards about $9,847 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 79%. Team revenue averages $19,398 per participant, compared with $19,398 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Lutheran University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,480 per participant, with expenses of about $6,480 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of the Pacific came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Stockton, CA, University of the Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 981, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $24,678 in revenue per athlete, against $24,678 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,596.
University of Redlands earned the #5 place for student athletes. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school based in Redlands, CA. The program generates about $5,220 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,577 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of La Verne placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,368 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,584 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Irvine came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Irvine, CA. The program generates about $14,738 in revenue per athlete, against $14,738 in expenses. The school awards about $7,027 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in San Luis Obispo, CA. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo posts a 76% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 72%. The program generates about $10,326 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,326 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,344.
Fresno Pacific University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fresno, CA. The program generates about $14,933 in revenue per athlete, against $14,440 in expenses. The school awards about $9,517 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.