by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 96 colleges for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
Johns Hopkins University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,902 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,064 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,612 per athlete.
New York University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in New York, NY, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,277 per participant, compared with $12,983 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Brandeis University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA. Team revenue averages $9,871 per participant, with expenses of about $9,871 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Swarthmore College landed the #4 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Swarthmore, PA, Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,580 per participant, with expenses of about $5,854 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #5. Located in Hoboken, NJ, Stevens Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,188 in revenue per athlete, against $7,188 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whitman College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Walla Walla, WA, Whitman College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,284 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,628 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washington and Lee University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,085 in revenue per athlete, against $5,833 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gettysburg College landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,025, with expenses of about $7,025 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,482, with expenses of about $4,918 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Ursinus College landed the #10 spot this year. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Collegeville, PA. Team revenue averages $9,172 per participant, against $9,172 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bard College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, Bard College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,880 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,880 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Lawrence University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Canton, NY. The program generates about $6,596 in revenue per athlete, against $6,596 in expenses. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
Berry College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Mount Berry, GA, Berry College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,874 per participant, with expenses of about $7,828 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,888 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,888 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
DePauw University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Greencastle, IN, DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,475 in revenue per athlete, against $5,475 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Lutheran University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,940, with expenses of about $5,940 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rowan University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Glassboro, NJ, Rowan University is a public institution. The program generates about $10,177 in revenue per athlete, against $9,114 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College landed the #18 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ashland, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,801, with expenses of about $5,800 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University landed the #19 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,611, compared with $8,611 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Willamette University landed the #20 spot this year. Willamette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Salem, OR. Team revenue averages $6,157 per participant, against $6,157 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drew University placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Madison, NJ, Drew University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,706 per participant, compared with $7,706 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dickinson College placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Carlisle, PA. Team revenue averages $3,345 per participant, with expenses of about $4,045 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
George Fox University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Based in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,676 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,608 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Redlands ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,250 per participant, compared with $7,162 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #25 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL. The program generates about $5,357 in revenue per athlete, against $5,357 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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.