by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 13 schools for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division III) 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 DePauw University this year for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Greencastle, IN. Team revenue averages $5,475 per participant, compared with $5,475 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,357, against $5,357 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Naperville, IL. Team revenue averages $5,521 per participant, against $5,328 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franciscan University of Steubenville ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,476, against $1,476 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hanover College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Hanover, IN, Hanover College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,224 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,224 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Alma College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Alma, MI, Alma College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,430 in revenue per athlete, against $7,430 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Beloit College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Beloit, WI, Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,065 per participant, against $3,065 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mount Union ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Alliance, OH, University of Mount Union is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,645 per participant, compared with $4,645 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit school based in Jacksonville, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,929, with expenses of about $6,929 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Albion College placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Albion College is a private not-for-profit school based in Albion, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,391, against $7,901 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Heidelberg University landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tiffin, OH. The program generates about $9,004 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,004 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Millikin University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Decatur, IL, Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,689 per participant, compared with $6,689 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
The University of Olivet came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Olivet, MI. Team revenue averages $4,878 per participant, against $4,878 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.