by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 25 programs for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division II) 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Nova Southeastern University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The program generates about $19,456 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,456 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,636 per athlete.
Florida Southern College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lakeland, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,362, compared with $20,362 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,785 per athlete.
Florida Institute of Technology ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Melbourne, FL. Team revenue averages $12,343 per participant, with expenses of about $12,343 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,103.
Rollins College landed the #4 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Rollins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Winter Park, FL. Team revenue averages $10,998 per participant, with expenses of about $10,998 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,632 per athlete.
Lynn University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Boca Raton, FL, Lynn University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,700 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,700 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,987.
Catawba College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Salisbury, NC, Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $31,233 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,604 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,164.
Carson-Newman University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Jefferson City, TN. The program generates about $19,176 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,635 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,904 per athlete.
Wingate University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Wingate University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wingate, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,347, compared with $22,167 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,748 per athlete.
King University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Bristol, TN, King University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,688, against $24,468 in expenses. The school awards about $7,932 in athletic aid per athlete.
Barton College placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Wilson, NC, Barton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,582, against $10,582 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,654 per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hickory, NC. Team revenue averages $8,183 per participant, against $8,183 in expenses. The school awards about $7,094 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emory & Henry University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,491 in revenue per athlete, against $7,491 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,871.
Converse University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Converse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spartanburg, SC. Team revenue averages $13,258 per participant, with expenses of about $13,206 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,241 per athlete.
Barry University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Miami, FL, Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $23,099 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,099 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,733 per athlete.
University of Montevallo ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). University of Montevallo is a public school based in Montevallo, AL. Team revenue averages $10,344 per participant, compared with $10,344 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,698.
Lees-McRae College landed the #16 spot this year. Lees-McRae College is a private not-for-profit school based in Banner Elk, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,289, with expenses of about $13,289 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,547 per athlete.
Wheeling University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Wheeling, WV, Wheeling University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $21,624 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,312 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,271.
Fairmont State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Fairmont State University is a public school based in Fairmont, WV. The program generates about $8,316 in revenue per athlete, against $7,725 in expenses. The school awards about $4,874 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Virginia Wesleyan College landed the #19 spot this year. West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit school based in Buckhannon, WV. Team revenue averages $7,173 per participant, with expenses of about $7,173 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,641.
Delta State University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Based in Cleveland, MS, Delta State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $6,900 per participant, against $6,900 in expenses. The school awards about $5,421 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mars Hill University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Based in Mars Hill, NC, Mars Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,376 per participant, against $10,376 in expenses. The school awards about $6,311 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davis & Elkins College placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Elkins, WV, Davis & Elkins College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,274 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,842 per participant. The school awards about $7,033 in athletic aid per athlete.
Henderson State University landed the #23 spot this year. Based in Arkadelphia, AR, Henderson State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,824 per participant, against $8,824 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,143.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This public school is set in Pembroke, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,699, compared with $7,219 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,165 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chowan University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Murfreesboro, NC. Team revenue averages $11,876 per participant, compared with $11,876 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. 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.