by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 6 programs for Men’s Swimming & Diving 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
John Carroll University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in University Heights, OH. The program generates about $6,525 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,525 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Xavier University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. The program generates about $2,067 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,918 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,280.
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Columbus, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, alongside a GSR of 86%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $70,358 per participant, against $70,358 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
University of Mount Union ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Alliance, OH, University of Mount Union is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,221 per participant, compared with $5,221 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Heidelberg University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Tiffin, OH, Heidelberg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,205, with expenses of about $13,205 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Shawnee State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in Portsmouth, OH. Team revenue averages $5,550 per participant, with expenses of about $5,508 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,174 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.