by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 51 schools for Women’s Swimming & Diving 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Washington and Lee University to be the best college for Women's Swimming & Diving in the Southeast Region. 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. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nova Southeastern University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving. Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,456, compared with $19,456 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,636.
William & Mary landed the #3 spot for Women's Swimming & Diving. This public school is set in Williamsburg, VA. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $29,103 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,649 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Rollins College is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Winter Park, FL. The program generates about $10,998 in revenue per athlete, against $10,998 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,632.
Vanderbilt University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, alongside a GSR of 95%. About 95% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $82,859 in revenue per athlete, compared with $82,859 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
Florida Southern College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lakeland, FL. Team revenue averages $20,362 per participant, with expenses of about $20,362 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,785 per athlete.
Berry College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Mount Berry, GA, Berry College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,874 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,828 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Florida Institute of Technology placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Melbourne, FL. Team revenue averages $12,343 per participant, with expenses of about $12,343 per participant. The school awards about $13,103 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Tallahassee, FL, Florida State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 84%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,328, against $31,328 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,364 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Ashland, VA, Randolph-Macon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,801 per participant, with expenses of about $5,800 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lynn University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Boca Raton, FL, Lynn University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,700, compared with $16,700 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,987.
Queens University of Charlotte ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school based in Charlotte, NC. Queens University of Charlotte records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $24,465 in revenue per athlete, against $24,465 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,282.
Catawba College landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Salisbury, NC, Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,233, compared with $24,604 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,164 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Florida ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. University of North Florida is a public school based in Jacksonville, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $13,946 in revenue per athlete, against $13,946 in expenses. The school awards about $8,675 in athletic aid per athlete.
Old Dominion University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Old Dominion University records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Team revenue averages $25,599 per participant, with expenses of about $25,599 per participant. The school awards about $24,728 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Lynchburg placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Based in Lynchburg, VA, University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,159, with expenses of about $7,159 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roanoke College placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving. Based in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,711 in revenue per athlete, against $3,711 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Asbury University landed the #18 spot this year. Located in Wilmore, KY, Asbury University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,338 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,338 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Campbell University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. This private not-for-profit school is set in Buies Creek, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 81% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $32,947 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $32,947 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,433 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 92%. The program generates about $21,842 in revenue per athlete, against $21,842 in expenses. The school awards about $14,936 in athletic aid per athlete.
Barton College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Barton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wilson, NC. Team revenue averages $10,582 per participant, with expenses of about $10,582 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,654.
University of Louisville landed the #22 spot this year. University of Louisville is a public school based in Louisville, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,500, against $47,154 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,083.
Millsaps College landed the #23 spot this year. Millsaps College is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, MS. The program generates about $6,057 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,057 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emory & Henry University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving. Based in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,491 per participant, compared with $7,491 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,871 per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hickory, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,183, against $8,183 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,094.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.