by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 24 schools for Men’s Swimming & Diving by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Swarthmore College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Swarthmore, PA. The program generates about $9,303 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,184 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,221, compared with $5,581 spent per athlete. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution. University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus records an NCAA APR of 996, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,686, compared with $55,686 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $30,613 per athlete.
Gettysburg College is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving, at #4. Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gettysburg, PA. The program generates about $6,710 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,710 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gannon University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,311, with expenses of about $10,311 per participant. The school awards about $9,313 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ursinus College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Collegeville, PA. The program generates about $8,528 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,528 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dickinson College landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,857 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,557 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elizabethtown College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving. Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit school based in Elizabethtown, PA. The program generates about $4,269 in revenue per athlete, against $4,269 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Messiah University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Mechanicsburg, PA, Messiah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,475 in revenue per athlete, against $2,435 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Allegheny College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,781, against $17,781 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Vincent College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Latrobe, PA, Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,472 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,472 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Juniata College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving. Juniata College is a private not-for-profit school based in Huntingdon, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,114, against $7,867 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annville, PA. The program generates about $2,319 in revenue per athlete, against $2,319 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Misericordia University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Misericordia University is a private not-for-profit school based in Dallas, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,771, compared with $4,771 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a public school based in Kutztown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,713, compared with $14,713 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $1,904 per athlete.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Shippensburg, PA, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,097, against $8,742 in expenses. The school awards about $2,132 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wilkes University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The program generates about $8,052 in revenue per athlete, against $8,052 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lycoming College landed the #18 spot this year. Lycoming College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamsport, PA. The program generates about $10,195 in revenue per athlete, against $9,235 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University landed the #19 spot this year. Widener University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chester, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,214, compared with $5,046 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Arcadia University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Glenside, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,131, with expenses of about $5,131 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Immaculata University placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Immaculata, PA, Immaculata University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,983, with expenses of about $4,983 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford did well this year, earning the #22 position. This public school is set in Bradford, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,819, compared with $7,819 spent per athlete. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.