Best Swimming Colleges

Many high school swimmers have dreams of competing in the Olympics, while others simply want to compete collegiately. If you want to be a college swimmer, there are plenty of opportunities across the division levels.

Choosing the right college is a big decision for any high school swimmer. Where do you want to spend the next four years of your life? The rankings below are designed to get you started on your college search by learning about schools that you may not have thought to consider.

BEST MEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

Ready to swim in a collegiate pool? There are more than 450 four-year colleges that offer opportunities to compete in men’s college swimming. NCSA 2019 Power Rankings of the top 100 swimming schools features several D1 colleges, 33 D2 colleges and two D2 colleges. Are you surprised by our top five below?

1. Stanford University

2. Harvard University

3. Princeton University

4. Yale University

5. University of California

Top 100 Colleges for Men’s Swimming Student-Athletes

BEST NCAA DIVISION 1 MEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

Division 1 schools are all the hype when it comes to collegiate sports. If D1 is the right fit for you academically, athletically, financially and socially, there are 130 D1 men’s swimming programs to choose from.

1. Stanford University

2. Harvard University

3. Princeton University

4. Yale University

5. University of California

BEST NCAA DIVISION 2 MEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

University of California – San Diego made number one on 2019 Power Rankings for best D2 swimming colleges. However, there are about 70 colleges total at the D2 level. Check out our top five to see if any of these swimming programs interest you.

1. University of California – San Diego

2. Colorado School of Mines

3. Bentley University

4. Rollins College

5. Grand Valley State University

BEST NCAA DIVISION 3 MEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

D3 schools don’t offer scholarships, but student-athletes can get several other forms of financial aid (academic scholarships, grants and aid) that can make these schools competitive with any other division level’s scholarship offer. Despite not having scholarships, D3 schools still provide great places to play sports and get a solid education. There are more than 200 men’s swimming colleges at the D3 level.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

2. California Institute of Technology

3. Johns Hopkins University

4. Amherst College

5. Swarthmore College

BEST NAIA MEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

There are just over 20 colleges that have men’s swimming teams at the NAIA level. Fully funded NAIA teams can offer up to eight scholarships per team. After evaluating what you are looking for in a school, you may find that NAIA is a good fit. Student-athletes don’t often consider NAIA schools because they aren’t aware of all the options available.

1. Soka University of America

2. The College of Idaho

3. Asbury University

4. Loyola University New Orleans

5. Morningside College

BEST WOMEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

Women have even more opportunities to compete in college swimming. There are more than 500 four-year programs available. Surprisingly, there are 31 D3 opportunities in our top 100. Don’t fret if you don’t want to go D3, there are options across all divisions.

1. Stanford University

2. Harvard University

3. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

4. Princeton University

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel HillTop

100 Colleges for Women’s Swimming Student-Athletes

BEST NCAA DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

Stanford University took the number one spot on our 2019 Power Rankings list. See who else is amongst our top five.

1. Stanford University

2. Harvard University

3. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

4. Princeton University

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

BEST NCAA DIVISION 2 WOMEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

If a school is fully funded on the D2 level, they can offer up to 8.1 scholarships per team. If D2 is a good fit for you, check out the 100 women’s swimming colleges available.

1. University of California – San Diego

2. Bentley University

3. Truman State University

4. Colorado School of Mines

5. Rollins College

BEST NCAA DIVISION 3 WOMEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, most families don’t realize Division 3 athletes can get several other forms of financial aid. Some student-athletes find that D3 schools are a better fit and an easier transition to college sports. If you are interested in doing some research on D3 schools or even competing on this level, there are 250 women’s swimming colleges.

1. Johns Hopkins University

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3. Emory University

4. Amherst College

5. California Institute of Technology

BEST NAIA WOMEN’S SWIMMING COLLEGES

NAIA swimming programs often have a close-knit team. While an NAIA college might not have been the school you grew up dreaming about, with a little research, you might find it is just what you are looking for. Upon researching, you will discover that there are about 30 women’s swimming colleges.

1. Soka University of America

2. The College of Idaho

3. Asbury University

4. Indiana Wesleyan University

5. Loyola University New Orleans