by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 21 colleges for Women’s Swimming & Diving (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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No school ranked higher than Swarthmore College this year for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit school based in Swarthmore, PA. Team revenue averages $7,580 per participant, compared with $5,854 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #2. Located in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,482, compared with $4,918 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Gettysburg College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,025, against $7,025 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ursinus College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Collegeville, PA, Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,172, with expenses of about $9,172 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Dickinson College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,345, against $4,045 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elizabethtown College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Elizabethtown, PA, Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,269 in revenue per athlete, against $4,269 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Messiah University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Mechanicsburg, PA, Messiah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,085 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,742 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Vincent College did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Latrobe, PA. The program generates about $6,746 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,746 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Juniata College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Huntingdon, PA. Team revenue averages $7,790 per participant, against $7,244 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Marywood University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. Team revenue averages $5,552 per participant, against $4,437 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Allegheny College placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,368, against $7,368 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lebanon Valley College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,768 per participant, with expenses of about $1,768 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Misericordia University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Dallas, PA, Misericordia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,646, against $4,646 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wilkes University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,272 per participant, with expenses of about $9,272 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lycoming College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamsport, PA. Team revenue averages $10,259 per participant, against $9,292 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arcadia University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Glenside, PA. Team revenue averages $5,131 per participant, compared with $5,131 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Chester, PA, Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,579 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,411 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). University of Pittsburgh-Bradford is a public school based in Bradford, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,605, compared with $13,605 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Immaculata University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Immaculata, PA, Immaculata University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,767 in revenue per athlete, against $1,767 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Cedar Crest College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Located in Allentown, PA, Cedar Crest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,997 per participant, with expenses of about $4,997 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.