by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 8 colleges for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
No school ranked higher than Catawba College this year for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Catawba College is a private not-for-profit school based in Salisbury, NC. Team revenue averages $31,233 per participant, with expenses of about $24,604 per participant. The school awards about $9,164 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wingate University landed the #2 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Based in Wingate, NC, Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,347, with expenses of about $22,167 per participant. The school awards about $6,748 in athletic aid per athlete.
Barton College came in at #3 on this year's ranking 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. The school awards about $6,654 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hickory, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,183, compared with $8,183 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,094 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lees-McRae College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Lees-McRae College is a private not-for-profit school based in Banner Elk, NC. Team revenue averages $13,289 per participant, against $13,289 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,547.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke did well this year, earning the #6 position. University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a public school based in Pembroke, NC. Team revenue averages $7,699 per participant, with expenses of about $7,219 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,165.
Mars Hill University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division II). Located in Mars Hill, NC, Mars Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,376 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,376 per participant. The school awards about $6,311 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chowan University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Chowan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Murfreesboro, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,876, compared with $11,876 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,571.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.