by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 7 schools for Men’s Swimming & Diving 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Lewis University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Romeoville, IL, Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,761, compared with $27,761 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,669 per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,357 in revenue per athlete, against $5,357 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Central College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,951 per participant, against $3,028 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Illinois University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Charleston, IL, Eastern Illinois University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 974, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $7,061 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,061 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,653 per athlete.
Illinois College landed the #5 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Jacksonville, IL, Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,525 per participant, compared with $6,525 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Millikin University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Decatur, IL, Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,832 per participant, compared with $7,832 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Quincy University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Quincy, IL, Quincy University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,179 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,262 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,507 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.