by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 11 colleges for Men’s Swimming & Diving by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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:
New York University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in New York, NY, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,471, compared with $11,250 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Niagara University is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving, at #2. Based in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. The program generates about $15,079 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,079 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,462 per athlete.
Union College is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving, at #3. Located in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,747 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,720 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,499.
St Lawrence University is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Canton, NY. The program generates about $10,588 in revenue per athlete, against $10,588 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
Ithaca College landed the #5 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. The program generates about $7,365 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,365 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bard College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. The program generates about $12,115 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,115 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Manhattan University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Riverdale, NY, Manhattan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 937, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Team revenue averages $12,910 per participant, with expenses of about $12,910 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,484.
Clarkson University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Potsdam, NY, Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,729, against $3,825 in expenses. The school awards about $4,842 in athletic aid per athlete.
Roberts Wesleyan University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Rochester, NY, Roberts Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,214 per participant, against $9,256 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,925 per athlete.
State University of New York at New Paltz ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving. State University of New York at New Paltz is a public school based in New Paltz, NY. The program generates about $4,967 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,967 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Sarah Lawrence College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Bronxville, NY, Sarah Lawrence College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,866 per participant, against $1,866 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.