by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 15 programs 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 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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Washington and Lee University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, VA. Team revenue averages $6,085 per participant, compared with $5,833 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Berry College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Berry, GA. The program generates about $8,874 in revenue per athlete, against $7,828 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III), at #3. Randolph-Macon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ashland, VA. The program generates about $5,801 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,800 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Lynchburg ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. The program generates about $7,159 in revenue per athlete, against $7,159 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roanoke College landed the #5 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Based in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,711 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,711 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Asbury University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilmore, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,338, against $4,338 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Millsaps College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Jackson, MS, Millsaps College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,057, compared with $6,057 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Randolph College landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lynchburg, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,849, compared with $5,849 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
William Peace University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Raleigh, NC. The program generates about $8,271 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,181 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Virginia Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Virginia Beach, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,518, with expenses of about $4,518 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Piedmont University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Demorest, GA. The program generates about $4,639 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,639 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Guilford College landed the #12 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greensboro, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,668, with expenses of about $3,224 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Greensboro College landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Greensboro, NC, Greensboro College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,667 in revenue per athlete, against $4,667 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Warren Wilson College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Warren Wilson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Swannanoa, NC. The program generates about $2,843 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,365 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Southern Virginia University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving (Division III). Southern Virginia University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buena Vista, VA. Team revenue averages $5,678 per participant, with expenses of about $5,678 per participant. Athletic aid averages $90 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.