by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 12 colleges 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Catawba College, our #1 college for Men's Swimming & Diving. Located in Salisbury, NC, Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,564, with expenses of about $21,064 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,164.
Wingate University is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving, at #2. Based in Wingate, NC, Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,579 in revenue per athlete, against $22,745 in expenses. The school awards about $6,748 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University is one of the top schools for Men's Swimming & Diving, at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boiling Springs, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 958, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. The program generates about $24,596 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,596 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,936.
Barton College landed the #4 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving. Barton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wilson, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,503, against $10,503 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,654 per athlete.
Queens University of Charlotte landed the #5 spot for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Charlotte, NC, Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 68%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,831, with expenses of about $20,831 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,282.
Lenoir-Rhyne University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Swimming & Diving. Based in Hickory, NC, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,783, with expenses of about $7,783 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,094.
Lees-McRae College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Lees-McRae College is a private not-for-profit school based in Banner Elk, NC. The program generates about $21,035 in revenue per athlete, against $21,035 in expenses. The school awards about $6,547 in athletic aid per athlete.
William Peace University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Raleigh, NC, William Peace University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,271, against $9,074 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Mars Hill University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Mars Hill University is a private not-for-profit school based in Mars Hill, NC. The program generates about $12,747 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,747 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,311 in athletic aid per athlete.
Warren Wilson College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Swimming & Diving. Warren Wilson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Swannanoa, NC. Team revenue averages $3,475 per participant, against $2,907 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chowan University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Murfreesboro, NC, Chowan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,818 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,818 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,571 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. 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.