by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 11 programs for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Vanderbilt 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 Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, alongside a GSR of 95%. About 95% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $82,859 per participant, against $82,859 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
William & Mary earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Williamsburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $29,103 per participant, against $9,649 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,943.
Florida State University landed the #3 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). This public school is set in Tallahassee, FL. Florida State University records an NCAA APR of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 84%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,328, compared with $31,328 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,364 per athlete.
Old Dominion University landed the #4 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Located in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $25,599 per participant, against $25,599 in expenses. The school awards about $24,728 in athletic aid per athlete.
Queens University of Charlotte came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Located in Charlotte, NC, Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. The program generates about $24,465 in revenue per athlete, against $24,465 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,282.
Campbell University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Buies Creek, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. The program generates about $32,947 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $32,947 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,433.
University of North Florida ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). This public school is set in Jacksonville, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,946, with expenses of about $13,946 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,675.
University of Louisville placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Located in Louisville, KY, University of Louisville is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,500, against $47,154 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,083 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Based in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $21,842 per participant, with expenses of about $21,842 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,936 per athlete.
Bellarmine University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division I). Based in Louisville, KY, Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 94%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,733, against $22,733 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,105.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.