by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 7 colleges for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
New York University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in New York, NY, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,277 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,983 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Lawrence University is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #2. 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. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
Ithaca College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #3. Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,888, against $6,888 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bard College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Bard College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,880, against $9,880 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Clarkson University is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #5. Located in Potsdam, NY, Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,723 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,818 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,842.
State University of New York at New Paltz placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in New Paltz, NY, State University of New York at New Paltz is a public institution. The program generates about $4,956 in revenue per athlete, against $4,956 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sarah Lawrence College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Bronxville, NY, Sarah Lawrence College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,370 per participant, with expenses of about $3,370 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.