by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 6 colleges for Women’s Swimming & Diving by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Xavier University, our #1 college for Women's Swimming & Diving. Located in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. Xavier University records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,049, compared with $17,049 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,280.
Franciscan University of Steubenville is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving, at #2. Located 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. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Columbus, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 982, alongside a GSR of 97%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $77,604, with expenses of about $77,604 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
University of Mount Union ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Based in Alliance, OH, University of Mount Union is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,645 per participant, against $4,645 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Heidelberg University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving. Located in Tiffin, OH, Heidelberg University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,004 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,004 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Shawnee State University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Shawnee State University is a public school based in Portsmouth, OH. The program generates about $8,181 in revenue per athlete, against $8,075 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,174.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.