by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 11 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Whitman College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Walla Walla, WA, Whitman College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,284, with expenses of about $8,628 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Willamette University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Willamette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Salem, OR. The program generates about $6,157 in revenue per athlete, against $6,157 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California Lutheran University landed the #3 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Thousand Oaks, CA. Team revenue averages $5,940 per participant, compared with $5,940 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #4. Located in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,611 per participant, compared with $8,611 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Fox University landed the #5 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,676, compared with $9,608 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lewis & Clark College landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,025 per participant, against $6,025 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Redlands placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school based in Redlands, CA. The program generates about $7,250 in revenue per athlete, against $7,162 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Whitworth University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Spokane, WA, Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,627 per participant, against $8,984 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of La Verne placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,368 per participant, with expenses of about $6,584 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Puget Sound ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $4,432 in revenue per athlete, against $4,432 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Linfield University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in McMinnville, OR, Linfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,139, against $5,539 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.