by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 7 schools for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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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Our analysis found Johns Hopkins University to be the best college for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III) in Maryland. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD. Team revenue averages $12,902 per participant, against $12,064 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,612.
St. Mary's College of Maryland earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in St. Mary's City, MD. Team revenue averages $4,989 per participant, against $4,989 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Salisbury University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Salisbury, MD, Salisbury University is a public institution. The program generates about $4,460 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,460 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stevenson University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Owings Mills, MD, Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,842 in revenue per athlete, against $4,800 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
McDaniel College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Westminster, MD. Team revenue averages $4,603 per participant, compared with $4,935 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hood College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Frederick, MD, Hood College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,784, with expenses of about $7,784 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Goucher College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Baltimore, MD, Goucher College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,855 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,855 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.