The level of competition at Division 2 swimming colleges is still very high; in fact, coaches recruit using a lot of the same times and standards as coaches in Division 1. The main difference is that while a lot of D2 swimmers have the athletic ability to compete at D1, they may have chosen the D2 route because of other interests or aspirations they have in terms of academics or the overall college experience.
Currently there are 58 Division 2 swimming colleges for men in the U.S. A fully funded D2 team can have a maximum of nine scholarships available, but many teams are not fully funded. Coaches frequently divide scholarships between many student-athletes making full-ride scholarships rare at the D2 level.
To help student-athletes better evaluate their options, NCSA publishes an annual list of Power Rankings that aims to account for things that matter most to families beyond the team’s NCAA ranking. We look at public data sources like the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, as well “NCSA’s Favorites” (schools that the most current student-athletes follow within the NCSA platform) to provide families with insights that can help them find the right fit for their student-athlete.
Best Division 2 men’s swimming colleges
To find out the strongest teams based on performance alone, view the NCAA rankings.