Affordable Colleges with Swim Teams

The 120 most affordable NCAA swim programs ranked by estimated net price — real cost after grants and scholarships, not sticker price.

Net price is what your family actually pays after all federal, state, institutional, and athletic grants are applied. Among the 407 NCAA swim programs with published net price data, 0 have an average net price under $15,000/year and 156 come in under $25,000/year. 18 programs on this list meet 100% of demonstrated financial need.

What is "average net price"?

The U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS) requires every college to publish the average amount students actually pay per year — not the tuition sticker price. It reflects all grants and scholarships from all sources. Because it's an average, your personal net price depends on your family income, FAFSA SAI, and any athletic or academic aid offered. Use it as a baseline comparison, not a guarantee.

Top 120 Most Affordable NCAA Swim Programs

School	Location	Division	Est Net Price/yr	Meets Need	Niche
Truman State University	Kirksville, MO	D2	$15,100	—	C+
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Milwaukee, WI	D1	$15,300	—	C+
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	Erie, PA	D3	$15,400	—	A
University of St Thomas	Saint Paul, MN	D1	$15,400	—	C+
Bowling Green State University	Bowling Green, OH	D1	$15,500	—	C+
Frostburg State University	Frostburg, MD	D2	$15,500	—	C+
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	D1	$15,500	—	A+
University of Montevallo	Montevallo, AL	D2	$15,500	—	C+
The University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, AL	D1	$15,700	—	B
Louisiana State University and	Baton Rouge, LA	D1	$16,000	—	B-
Ohio State University	Columbus, OH	D1	$16,000	—	A
University of California-Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	D1	$16,200	—	B
University of Missouri-St Louis	Saint Louis, MO	D2	$16,200	—	C+
University of Southern California	Los Angeles, CA	D1	$16,300	—	A+
Illinois State University	Normal, IL	D1	$16,500	—	C+
University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	D1	$16,500	—	A+
Queens University of Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	D1	$16,600	—	C+
The University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	D1	$16,600	—	A+
Missouri University of Science and Technology	Rolla, MO	D2	$16,900	—	C+
University of Kentucky	Lexington, KY	D1	$16,900	—	A-
Arizona State University	Tempe, AZ	D1	$17,100	—	A-
Indiana University-Bloomington	Bloomington, IN	D1	$17,100	—	A
University of Evansville	Evansville, IN	D1	$17,100	—	C+
University of Nebraska-Lincoln	Lincoln, NE	D1	$17,100	—	B-
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	D1	$17,100	✓	A+
University of New Mexico	Albuquerque, NM	D1	$17,200	—	C+
College of Staten Island CUNY	Staten Island, NY	D2	$17,300	—	C+
Henderson State University	Arkadelphia, AR	D2	$17,600	—	C+
University of New Hampshire	Durham, NH	D1	$17,600	—	C+
North Carolina State University	Raleigh, NC	D1	$17,800	—	A
Southern Connecticut State University	New Haven, CT	D2	$17,800	—	C+
University of Massachusetts-Amherst	Amherst, MA	D1	$17,900	—	A
The University of Findlay	Findlay, OH	D2	$18,100	—	C+
University of Northern Colorado	Greeley, CO	D1	$18,100	—	C+
The University of Tampa	Tampa, FL	D2	$18,200	—	C+
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	Edinburg, TX	D1	$18,200	—	C+
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, IN	D1	$18,200	—	A+
Pennsylvania Western University	California, PA	D2	$18,400	—	A+
Princeton University	Princeton, NJ	D1	$18,400	✓	A+
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh, PA	D1	$18,400	—	A
University of Sioux Falls	Sioux Falls, SD	D2	$18,400	—	C+
West Virginia University	Morgantown, WV	D1	$18,400	—	A-
Cornell University	Ithaca, NY	D1	$18,500	✓	A+
The University of Texas Permian Basin	Odessa, TX	D2	$18,500	—	C+
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo, CA	D1	$18,600	—	C+
University of Nebraska at Omaha	Omaha, NE	D1	$18,600	—	C+
University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison, WI	D1	$18,700	—	A+
Maryville University of Saint Louis	Saint Louis, MO	D2	$18,900	—	C+
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor, MI	D1	$19,000	—	A+
University of Southern Indiana	Evansville, IN	D1	$19,500	—	C+
University of Illinois Chicago	Chicago, IL	D1	$19,800	—	A+
University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	D1	$19,900	—	A-
University of Kansas	Lawrence, KS	D1	$19,900	—	C+
University of North Carolina	Chapel Hill, NC	D1	$19,900	—	A+
Lenoir-Rhyne University	Hickory, NC	D2	$20,000	—	C+
Eastern Connecticut State University	Willimantic, CT	D3	$20,100	—	C+
Montclair State University	Montclair, NJ	D3	$20,100	—	C+
Carson-Newman University	Jefferson City, TN	D2	$20,200	—	C+
McKendree University	Lebanon, IL	D2	$20,300	—	C+
Ball State University	Muncie, IN	D1	$20,400	—	C+
Fresno Pacific University	Fresno, CA	D2	$20,400	—	C+
King University	Bristol, TN	D2	$20,400	—	C+
Mars Hill University	Mars Hill, NC	D2	$20,400	—	C+
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	Kutztown, PA	D2	$20,500	—	C+
University of Nebraska at Kearney	Kearney, NE	D2	$20,600	—	C+
Clarion University of Pennsylvania	Clarion, PA	D2	$20,700	—	C+
Colorado State University Pueblo	Pueblo, CO	D2	$20,700	—	C+
Rockhurst University	Kansas City, MO	D2	$20,700	—	C+
South Dakota State University	Brookings, SD	D1	$20,900	—	C+
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown	Johnstown, PA	D2	$20,900	—	A
University of Bridgeport	Bridgeport, CT	D2	$21,000	—	C+
Emory University	Atlanta, GA	D3	$21,100	—	A+
Pennsylvania State University	University Park, PA	D1	$21,100	—	A+
Saginaw Valley State University	University Center, MI	D2	$21,200	—	C+
University of California-Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	D1	$21,200	—	A+
University of Hawaii at Manoa	Honolulu, HI	D1	$21,200	—	C+
Delta State University	Cleveland, MS	D2	$21,300	—	C+
Duke University	Durham, NC	D1	$21,300	✓	A+
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona	Altoona, PA	D3	$21,400	—	A
Salem University	Salem, WV	D2	$21,400	—	C+
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	Green Bay, WI	D1	$21,400	—	C+
California State University-Bakersfield	Bakersfield, CA	D1	$21,500	—	C+
Emory & Henry University	Emory, VA	D2	$21,500	—	A
Florida Institute of Technology	Melbourne, FL	D2	$21,500	—	C+
Brown University	Providence, RI	D1	$21,600	✓	A+
Notre Dame College	Cleveland, OH	D2	$21,600	—	A
Northern Michigan University	Marquette, MI	D2	$21,800	—	C+
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania	Bloomsburg, PA	D2	$21,900	—	C+
Oklahoma Christian University	Edmond, OK	D2	$21,900	—	C+
Quincy University	Quincy, IL	D2	$21,900	—	C+
Catawba College	Salisbury, NC	D2	$22,000	—	C+
Indiana University of Pennsylvania	Indiana, PA	D2	$22,000	—	C+
Plymouth State University	Plymouth, NH	D3	$22,100	—	C+
University of California-San Diego	La Jolla, CA	D1	$22,100	—	C+
Southwest Baptist University	Bolivar, MO	D2	$22,200	—	C+
University of Richmond	University of Richmond, VA	D1	$22,200	—	A+
University of Wyoming	Laramie, WY	D1	$22,400	—	C+
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, PA	D3	$22,500	—	A+
University of Maine	Orono, ME	D1	$22,500	—	C+
University of Missouri-Columbia	Columbia, MO	D1	$22,500	—	A+
Adams State University	Alamosa, CO	D2	$22,600	—	C+
Emmanuel University	Franklin Springs, GA	D2	$22,600	—	C+
Georgetown University	Washington, DC	D1	$22,600	—	A+
University of Nevada-Las Vegas	Las Vegas, NV	D1	$22,600	—	C+
University of North Carolina Wilmington	Wilmington, NC	D1	$22,700	—	C+
Adelphi University	Garden City, NY	D2	$22,800	—	C+
Miami University-Oxford	Oxford, OH	D1	$22,800	—	C+
University of Maryland-Baltimore County	Baltimore, MD	D1	$22,800	—	C+
Washington State University	Pullman, WA	D1	$22,800	—	B-
Missouri State University-Springfield	Springfield, MO	D1	$22,900	—	C+
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	Little Rock, AR	D1	$22,900	—	B
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minneapolis, MN	D1	$22,900	—	A
Indiana University-Indianapolis	Indianapolis, IN	D1	$23,000	—	C+
Lynn University	Boca Raton, FL	D2	$23,000	—	C+
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, NC	D1	$23,000	—	A+
University of Oregon	Eugene, OR	D1	$23,000	—	A-
Saint Michael's College	Colchester, VT	D2	$23,100	—	C+
University of Utah	Salt Lake City, UT	D1	$23,100	—	A-
University of Louisville	Louisville, KY	D1	$23,200	—	B
Columbia University, New York City	New York, NY	D1	$23,300	—	A+

How to lower your net cost further

File FAFSA early — many institutional grants are first-come, first-served. File as soon as the FAFSA opens (October 1).
Consider public in-state schools — in-state residents at public universities often see the lowest net prices on this list.
Look for meet-need schools — the 18 programs that meet 100% of demonstrated need can dramatically cut cost for families with lower income.
Don't ignore D3 — Division III prohibits athletic scholarships but commonly stacks institutional merit + FAFSA need aid, often producing a net price competitive with D1 out-of-state tuition.
Negotiate — once you have competing offers, it's reasonable to ask a coach or financial aid office if they can improve your package.

See your personal net price for all 407 programs

Enter your FAFSA SAI, home state, and academic profile. We calculate your real estimated net price for every NCAA swim program — not just the average.

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