by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 58 programs for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division II) 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? Jump to the options below.
Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Rockhurst University this year for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Kansas City, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,707, with expenses of about $19,707 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,130.
Colorado School of Mines ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines is a public institution. The program generates about $11,646 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,646 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,984.
Nova Southeastern University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,456 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,456 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,636.
Florida Southern College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Lakeland, FL, Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,362 in revenue per athlete, against $20,362 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,785 per athlete.
Lewis University is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II), at #5. Based in Romeoville, IL, Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $18,169 per participant, compared with $18,169 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,669 per athlete.
Rollins College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Winter Park, FL, Rollins College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,998 per participant, against $10,998 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,632 per athlete.
Gannon University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,939 per participant, with expenses of about $11,939 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,313.
Florida Institute of Technology ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Melbourne, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,343, compared with $12,343 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,103 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Mary came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Bismarck, ND, University of Mary is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,038 per participant, against $17,038 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,321.
Fresno Pacific University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fresno, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,998, compared with $14,440 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,517.
Westmont College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, Westmont College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,563 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,883 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,511 per athlete.
Lynn University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boca Raton, FL. The program generates about $16,700 in revenue per athlete, against $16,700 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,987 per athlete.
Saint Michael's College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Colchester, VT, Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,474, compared with $9,474 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,634 in athletic aid per athlete.
William Jewell College did well this year, earning the #14 position. William Jewell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Liberty, MO. The program generates about $15,681 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,692 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,219 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,847 in revenue per athlete, against $7,821 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,338.
Catawba College landed the #16 spot this year. Based in Salisbury, NC, Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $31,233 per participant, with expenses of about $24,604 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,164.
McKendree University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Lebanon, IL, McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,007 per participant, with expenses of about $20,007 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,695 per athlete.
University of Sioux Falls came in at #18 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Sioux Falls, SD. Team revenue averages $18,890 per participant, against $18,757 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,811 per athlete.
Oklahoma Christian University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Edmond, OK, Oklahoma Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,583, with expenses of about $13,472 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,286 per athlete.
Felician University landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lodi, NJ. The program generates about $24,597 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,597 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,189 per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis came in at #21 in this year's ranking. University of Missouri-St Louis is a public school based in Saint Louis, MO. The program generates about $12,654 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,421 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,395.
Truman State University landed the #22 spot this year. This public school is set in Kirksville, MO. The program generates about $9,976 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,976 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,206 per athlete.
Assumption University did well this year, earning the #23 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Worcester, MA. The program generates about $4,820 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,867 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,778.
Carson-Newman University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,176 in revenue per athlete, against $17,635 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,904 per athlete.
King University landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Bristol, TN, King University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,688, with expenses of about $24,468 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,932.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.