by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 11 colleges for Women’s Swimming & Diving in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Leading the list is Rockhurst University, our #1 college for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States. Located in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,707, against $19,707 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,130.
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Peter, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,288, compared with $4,288 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Maryville University of Saint Louis is one of the top schools for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States, at #3. Located in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,847 per participant, with expenses of about $7,821 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,338 per athlete.
University of Mary came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States. Located in Bismarck, ND, University of Mary is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,038 per participant, against $17,038 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,321 per athlete.
Nebraska Wesleyan University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States. Located in Lincoln, NE, Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,749 in revenue per athlete, against $2,924 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Truman State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States. Based in Kirksville, MO, Truman State University is a public institution. The program generates about $9,976 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,976 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,206 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loras College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,379 per participant, with expenses of about $2,379 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
William Jewell College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States. Based in Liberty, MO, William Jewell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,681, compared with $14,692 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,219 per athlete.
University of Sioux Falls did well this year, earning the #9 position. University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit school based in Sioux Falls, SD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,890, with expenses of about $18,757 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,811 per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Swimming & Diving in Plains States. University of Missouri-St Louis is a public school based in Saint Louis, MO. Team revenue averages $12,654 per participant, against $12,421 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,395.
Simpson College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianola, IA. The program generates about $2,735 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,712 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.