Do D3 swim programs offer scholarships?

No — NCAA Division III prohibits athletic scholarships. No aid can be tied to athletic performance. However, D3 schools offer academic merit grants and need-based financial aid. Many families find the real net cost at selective D3 institutions competitive with out-of-state D1 public university pricing.

Is D3 swimming competitive?

Yes. Division III swimming is deeply competitive, especially at top programs. The NCAA D3 Championships attracts some of the fastest non-scholarship swimmers in the country. D3 coaches recruit swimmers with strong times and emphasize the full student-athlete experience.

Division III Swimming Programs (NCAA)

Complete list of 157 NCAA Division III swim programs with recruiting time standards, costs, and academic data.

There are 157 NCAA Division III swim programs in our database. Average estimated net price is $31,486/year, and 8 of these schools meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. Division III programs do not offer athletic scholarships, but commonly stack academic merit aid plus need-based aid for swimmers.

What is NCAA Division 3 swimming?

NCAA Division III swimming is the largest division by program count and is built around a philosophy of athletics as part of the broader college experience — not the centerpiece of it. D3 programs cannot offer athletic scholarships under NCAA rules, but they compete at high levels, send swimmers to the NCAA D3 Championships, and many have storied traditions in the sport.

Without athletic scholarships, D3 schools compete on academic merit and need-based aid. Many families are surprised to find that the real after-aid net cost at a selective D3 institution is comparable to or lower than out-of-state D1 public university pricing. D3 coaches can advocate strongly for their recruits in the admissions process, and some D3 programs offer some of the best academic environments in the country.

What times are needed for D3 swimming?

D3 recruiting times vary widely by program, from highly competitive nationally-ranked programs with times approaching D1 standards, to smaller programs focused on participation. Without athletic scholarships, coaches have less financial leverage to attract recruits, so academic fit and personal connection to the program often matter as much as raw time. Check individual D3 school profiles for program-specific benchmarks.

How many Division III swim programs exist?

There are 157 NCAA Division III swim programs in the University Swim Fit database, the largest division by program count, including programs in the UAA, NESCAC, MIAA, CCIW, and many more. Programs are spread across all regions of the country, with strong concentrations in the Northeast, Midwest, and South.

The average estimated net price across these 157 programs is $31,486 per year, and 8 of them commit to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need. Net price varies dramatically by program type, location, and the financial aid philosophy of each institution — which is why comparing program-by-program is essential before targeting a recruiting list.

Most Affordable Division III Swim Programs

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College — $15,400 est net
Eastern Connecticut State University — $20,100 est net
Montclair State University — $20,100 est net
Emory University — $21,100 est net
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona — $21,400 est net

All Division III Programs

All 157 programs listed alphabetically — click any school for recruiting times, costs, and full profile.

School	Location	Type	Est Net/yr	Niche
Albertus Magnus College	New Haven, CT	private	$32,700	C+
Albion College	Albion, MI	private	$25,500	C+
Albright College	Reading, PA	private	$27,000	C+
Alfred University	Alfred, NY	private	$27,200	C+
Allegheny College	Meadville, PA	private	$36,500	C+
Alma College	Alma, MI	private	$30,300	C+
Amherst College	Amherst, MA	private	$36,100	A+
Anderson University	Anderson, IN	private	$31,700	C+
Arcadia University	Glenside, PA	private	$33,600	C+
Asbury University	Wilmore, KY	private	$26,400	C+
Augustana College	Rock Island, IL	private	$29,300	C+
Austin College	Sherman, TX	private	$28,800	C+
Babson College	Wellesley, MA	private	$38,400	C+
Baldwin Wallace University	Berea, OH	private	$34,200	C+
Bard College	Annandale-On-Hudson, NY	private	$27,500	C+
Bates College	Lewiston, ME	private	$39,800	A+
Beloit College	Beloit, WI	private	$39,700	C+
Berry College	Mount Berry, GA	private	$25,300	C+
Bethany College	Bethany, WV	private	$36,400	C+
Bluffton University	Bluffton, OH	private	$33,000	C+
Bowdoin College	Brunswick, ME	private	$38,100	A+
Brandeis University	Waltham, MA	private	$29,000	A
Bridgewater College	Bridgewater, VA	private	$30,500	C+
Bridgewater State University	Bridgewater, MA	public	$24,200	C+
California Institute of Technology	Pasadena, CA	private	$27,400	A+
California Lutheran University	Thousand Oaks, CA	private	$31,800	C+
Calvin University	Grand Rapids, MI	private	$34,200	C+
Carleton College	Northfield, MN	private	$31,100	A+
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, PA	private	$22,500	A+
Carroll University	Waukesha, WI	private	$28,200	C+
Carthage College	Kenosha, WI	private	$34,500	C+
Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, OH	private	$33,900	A
Centenary College of Louisiana	Shreveport, LA	private	$32,000	C+
Centre College	Danville, KY	private	$39,400	C+
Chapman University	Orange, CA	private	$29,400	C+
Chatham University	Pittsburgh, PA	private	$35,500	C+
Claremont McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps	Claremont, CA	private	$32,900	A
Clark University	Worcester, MA	private	$30,000	C+
Clarkson University	Potsdam, NY	private	$35,800	C+
Coe College	Cedar Rapids, IA	private	$27,200	C+
Colby College	Waterville, ME	private	$32,500	A+
Colby-Sawyer College	New London, NH	private	$35,100	A
College of Our Lady of the Elms	Chicopee, MA	private	$27,300	C+
College of Saint Benedict	Saint Joseph, MN	private	$26,900	C+
Colorado College	Colorado Springs, CO	private	$31,600	A+
Connecticut College	New London, CT	private	$30,300	A
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	New York, NY	private	$30,300	C+
CUNY Brooklyn College	Brooklyn, NY	private	$31,700	C+
CUNY Lehman College	Bronx, NY	private	$26,700	C+
CUNY York College	Jamaica, NY	private	$38,700	C+
Denison University	Granville, OH	private	$37,600	A+
DePauw University	Greencastle, IN	private	$37,800	C+
Dickinson College	Carlisle, PA	private	$33,500	C+
Drew University	Madison, NJ	private	$36,400	C+
Eastern Connecticut State University	Willimantic, CT	public	$20,100	C+
Elizabethtown College	Elizabethtown, PA	private	$28,400	C+
Emory University	Atlanta, GA	private	$21,100	A+
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus	Madison, NJ	private	$34,900	C+
Franklin and Marshall College	Lancaster, PA	private	$25,500	C+
Franklin College	Franklin, IN	private	$26,400	C+
Gallaudet University	Washington, DC	private	$31,100	C+
George Fox University	Newberg, OR	private	$27,600	C+
Gettysburg College	Gettysburg, PA	private	$34,800	C+
Gordon College	Wenham, MA	private	$30,600	C+
Goucher College	Baltimore, MD	private	$33,000	C+
Greensboro College	Greensboro, NC	private	$25,600	C+
Grinnell College	Grinnell, IA	private	$39,200	A
Grove City College	Grove City, PA	private	$35,300	C+
Gustavus Adolphus College	Saint Peter, MN	private	$31,300	C+
Hamilton College	Clinton, NY	private	$31,400	A+
Hamline University	Saint Paul, MN	private	$37,300	C+
Hampden-Sydney College	Hampden-Sydney, VA	private	$34,500	C+
Hanover College	Hanover, IN	private	$36,800	C+
Hartwick College	Oneonta, NY	private	$33,000	C+
Heidelberg University	Tiffin, OH	private	$35,100	C+
Hendrix College	Conway, AR	private	$30,400	C+
Hiram College	Hiram, OH	private	$30,300	C+
Hobart William Smith Colleges	Geneva, NY	private	$31,100	C+
Hood College	Frederick, MD	private	$32,000	C+
Hope College	Holland, MI	private	$36,900	C+
Husson University	Bangor, ME	private	$26,600	C+
Illinois College	Jacksonville, IL	private	$32,300	C+
Illinois Institute of Technology	Chicago, IL	private	$29,800	C+
Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington, IL	private	$28,600	A
Immaculata University	Immaculata, PA	private	$39,600	C+
Ithaca College	Ithaca, NY	private	$37,100	C+
John Carroll University	University Heights, OH	private	$26,900	C+
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	private	$30,400	A+
Juniata College	Huntingdon, PA	private	$38,900	C+
Kalamazoo College	Kalamazoo, MI	private	$34,100	C+
Keene State College	Keene, NH	public	$24,300	C+
Kenyon College	Gambier, OH	private	$26,600	A+
King's College	Wilkes-Barre, PA	private	$27,500	C+
Knox College	Galesburg, IL	private	$25,300	C+
LaGrange College	Lagrange, GA	private	$33,600	C+
Lake Forest College	Lake Forest, IL	private	$29,300	C+
Lawrence University	Appleton, WI	private	$31,800	C+
Lebanon Valley College	Annville, PA	private	$35,500	C+
Lewis & Clark College	Portland, OR	private	$28,500	C+
Linfield University	McMinnville, OR	private	$27,600	C+
Loras College	Dubuque, IA	private	$33,400	C+
Luther College	Decorah, IA	private	$27,400	C+
Lycoming College	Williamsport, PA	private	$28,100	C+
Macalester College	Saint Paul, MN	private	$34,100	C+
Maine Maritime Academy	Castine, ME	private	$27,900	C+
Manchester University	North Manchester, IN	private	$30,900	C+
Marymount University	Arlington, VA	private	$26,000	C+
Marywood University	Scranton, PA	private	$26,100	C+
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge, MA	private	$33,000	A+
McDaniel College	Westminster, MD	private	$30,200	C+
McMurry University	Abilene, TX	private	$29,500	C+
Medaille University	Buffalo, NY	private	$33,400	C+
Messiah University	Mechanicsburg, PA	private	$32,900	C+
Middlebury College	Middlebury, VT	private	$26,500	A+
Millikin University	Decatur, IL	private	$31,500	C+
Millsaps College	Jackson, MS	private	$39,600	C+
Milwaukee School of Engineering	Milwaukee, WI	private	$36,500	C+
Misericordia University	Dallas, PA	private	$35,000	C+
Monmouth College	Monmouth, IL	private	$34,700	C+
Montclair State University	Montclair, NJ	public	$20,100	C+
Moravian University	Bethlehem, PA	private	$28,500	C+
Mount Saint Mary College	Newburgh, NY	private	$36,100	C+
Mount St. Mary's University	Emmitsburg, MD	private	$29,700	C+
Nazareth University	Rochester, NY	private	$39,400	C+
Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln, NE	private	$30,200	A
New York University	New York, NY	private	$36,000	C+
North Central College	Naperville, IL	private	$34,000	C+
Norwich University	Northfield, VT	private	$36,200	C+
Oberlin College	Oberlin, OH	private	$28,600	A
Occidental College	Los Angeles, CA	private	$29,700	C+
Ohio Northern University	Ada, OH	private	$39,000	C+
Ohio Wesleyan University	Delaware, OH	private	$32,800	A
Pacific Lutheran University	Tacoma, WA	private	$38,200	C+
Pacific University	Forest Grove, OR	private	$32,500	C+
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona	Altoona, PA	public	$21,400	A
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	Erie, PA	public	$15,400	A
Piedmont University	Demorest, GA	private	$38,500	C+
Plymouth State University	Plymouth, NH	public	$22,100	C+
Pomona College	Claremont, CA	private	$29,400	A+
Ramapo College of New Jersey	Mahwah, NJ	private	$34,400	C+
Randolph College	Lynchburg, VA	private	$34,900	C+
Randolph-Macon College	Ashland, VA	private	$37,300	C+
Regis College	Weston, MA	private	$28,200	C+
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	private	$28,700	C+
Rhodes College	Memphis, TN	private	$25,900	A+
Ripon College	Ripon, WI	private	$34,300	C+
Roanoke College	Salem, VA	private	$27,500	C+
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, NY	private	$32,300	C+
Rochester University	Rochester Hills, MI	private	$29,500	C+
Roger Williams University	Bristol, RI	private	$27,600	A
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	Terre Haute, IN	private	$39,700	C+
Rowan University	Glassboro, NJ	private	$33,300	C+
SUNY Brockport	Brockport, NY	private	$36,100	C+
SUNY College at Geneseo	Geneseo, NY	private	$31,000	C+
SUNY College at Potsdam	Potsdam, NY	private	$31,700	C+
SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill	Cobleskill, NY	private	$29,500	C+
SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Alfred, NY	private	$35,500	C+

Browse Division III Programs by State

Find Division III swim programs near you or in your target state

New York (22)Pennsylvania (21)Ohio (11)Massachusetts (9)Illinois (9)Michigan (6)Indiana (6)Wisconsin (6)Virginia (6)California (6)Maine (5)Minnesota (5)New Jersey (5)Maryland (5)Georgia (4)Iowa (4)Oregon (4)Connecticut (3)New Hampshire (3)Kentucky (2)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do D3 swim programs offer scholarships?: No — NCAA Division III prohibits athletic scholarships. No aid can be tied to athletic performance. However, D3 schools offer academic merit grants and need-based financial aid. Many families find the real net cost at selective D3 institutions competitive with out-of-state D1 public university pricing.
Is D3 swimming competitive?: Yes. Division III swimming is deeply competitive, especially at top programs. The NCAA D3 Championships attracts some of the fastest non-scholarship swimmers in the country. D3 coaches recruit swimmers with strong times and emphasize the full student-athlete experience.

Which Division III programs match your times?

Enter your event times, GPA, and budget. We rank all 157 Division III programs by your personalized Swim Fit, Academic Fit, Cost Fit, and Location Fit scores — so you know exactly where to focus your recruiting energy.

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