by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 10 schools for Women’s Swimming & Diving 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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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. New York University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,277, compared with $12,983 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Manhattan University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Based in Riverdale, NY, Manhattan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $14,305 per participant, with expenses of about $14,220 per participant. The school awards about $14,484 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Lawrence University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit school based in Canton, NY. The program generates about $6,596 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,596 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
Ithaca College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,888 per participant, compared with $6,888 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bard College landed the #5 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving. 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. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Niagara University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Team revenue averages $15,079 per participant, compared with $15,079 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,462.
Clarkson University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Potsdam, NY. The program generates about $3,723 in revenue per athlete, against $3,818 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,842.
Sarah Lawrence College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bronxville, NY. Team revenue averages $3,370 per participant, compared with $3,370 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at New Paltz ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. Located 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. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roberts Wesleyan University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. Team revenue averages $8,680 per participant, against $7,756 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,925 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
See our data sources and methodologies.