by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 9 programs for Women’s Swimming & Diving 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Johns Hopkins University this year for Women's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Baltimore, MD. Team revenue averages $12,902 per participant, with expenses of about $12,064 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,612 per athlete.
Mount St. Mary's University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Emmitsburg, MD. Mount St. Mary's University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $40,022 per participant, against $40,022 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,910.
St. Mary's College of Maryland ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Based in St. Mary's City, MD, St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public institution. The program generates about $4,989 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,989 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Salisbury University landed the #4 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving. 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. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Stevenson University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Owings Mills, MD, Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,842, against $4,800 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
McDaniel College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Located in Westminster, MD, McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,603 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,935 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hood College placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Hood College is a private not-for-profit school based in Frederick, MD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,784, with expenses of about $7,784 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Frostburg State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Frostburg State University is a public school based in Frostburg, MD. The program generates about $6,702 in revenue per athlete, against $6,702 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,617 per athlete.
Goucher College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Based in Baltimore, MD, Goucher College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,855 per participant, compared with $3,855 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.