by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 6 schools for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division I) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Xavier University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cincinnati, OH. Xavier University records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $17,049 per participant, against $17,049 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,280 per athlete.
Purdue University-Main Campus ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Purdue University-Main Campus is a public school based in West Lafayette, IN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $10,553 per participant, against $44,896 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,382 per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I), at #3. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Columbus, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Team revenue averages $77,604 per participant, with expenses of about $77,604 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
Butler University landed the #4 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Located in Indianapolis, IN, Butler University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,324, with expenses of about $9,541 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,113.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Based in Charleston, IL, Eastern Illinois University is a public institution. Eastern Illinois University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,298, compared with $9,298 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,653.
Valparaiso University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Valparaiso, IN, Valparaiso University is a private not-for-profit institution. Valparaiso University records an NCAA APR of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $7,330 per participant, against $7,007 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,540.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.