by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 16 schools 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Brandeis University to be the best college for Women's Swimming & Diving in the New England Region. Located in Waltham, MA, Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,871, compared with $9,871 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Stonehill College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit school based in Easton, MA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Team revenue averages $22,180 per participant, compared with $22,180 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,278 per athlete.
Providence College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving, at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI. Providence College records an NCAA APR of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 95%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,870, compared with $9,870 spent per athlete. The school awards about $25,955 in athletic aid per athlete.
Assumption University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Worcester, MA. The program generates about $4,820 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,867 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,778 per athlete.
Saint Michael's College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving, at #5. Located in Colchester, VT, Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,474, with expenses of about $9,474 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,634.
Roger Williams University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Bristol, RI, Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,108 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,767 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth landed the #7 spot this year. Located in North Dartmouth, MA, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public institution. Team revenue averages $15,092 per participant, with expenses of about $14,745 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gordon College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wenham, MA. Team revenue averages $2,724 per participant, with expenses of about $2,284 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Merrimack College did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Andover, MA. Merrimack College records an NCAA APR of 987, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 84% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,302, with expenses of about $32,302 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
Southern Connecticut State University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in New Haven, CT. The program generates about $11,789 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,789 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,062 per athlete.
Western New England University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Located in Springfield, MA, Western New England University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,354, with expenses of about $1,808 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of New England did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Biddeford, ME, University of New England is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,859 in revenue per athlete, against $3,853 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Eastern Connecticut State University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This public school is set in Willimantic, CT. Team revenue averages $4,763 per participant, with expenses of about $4,763 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Plymouth State University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Plymouth, NH, Plymouth State University is a public institution. The program generates about $4,578 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,620 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rhode Island College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. Rhode Island College is a public school based in Providence, RI. The program generates about $3,031 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,031 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Albertus Magnus College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. Albertus Magnus College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Haven, CT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,457, with expenses of about $3,457 per participant. 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. 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.