Student-athletes who want to push themselves academically as well as athletically may find the best fit at a Division 3 college. Swimmers at this level are able to develop as athletes while still having time and flexibility in their schedules to pursue other passions outside of swimming. Also, the recruiting process is less regulated for Division 3, so recruits and coaches can communicate with each other earlier – giving swimmers at this level more time to be actively engaged in recruiting.
How many Division 3 swimming colleges are there?
There are 200 NCAA Division 3 swimming colleges, more than any other division level. Division 3 men’s swim teams do not offer athletic scholarships but can provide other forms of financial assistance through academic-related grants. Many D3 swimmers receive financial aid, so seeking a D3 roster spot is often a good way to offset the overall cost of college.
Division 3 swimming rankings
For all student-athletes, especially those at the D3 level, the swim team’s NCAA rank is not necessarily the end all, be all factor in selecting a college. To help student-athletes and their families evaluate schools beyond their athletic programs, NCSA creates an annual list of Power Rankings. The results include data from factors we know matter most when choosing the right college or university.
Best Division 3 men’s swimming colleges
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Chicago
- Emory University
- Tufts University
- Amherst College
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Rochester
- Williams College
Full List of D3 Swimming Colleges
New Haven, Connecticut
Private
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC)
D3
Albion, Michigan
Private
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
D3
Reading, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Conference
D3
Alfred, New York
Private
Empire 8
D3
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Private
Presidents' Athletic Conference
D3
Alma, Michigan
Private
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
D3
Amherst, Massachusetts
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Anderson, Indiana
Private
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Glenside, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference (MAC Freedom)
D3
Wilmore, Kentucky
Private
River States Conference
D3
Rock Island, Illinois
Private
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
D3
Sherman, Texas
Private
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Private
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
D3
Berea, Ohio
Private
Ohio Athletic Conference
D3
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Lewiston, Maine
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Beloit, Wisconsin
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Mount Berry, Georgia
Private
Southern Athletic Association
D3
Bethany, West Virginia
Private
Presidents' Athletic Conference
D3
Bluffton, Ohio
Private
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Brunswick, Maine
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Waltham, Massachusetts
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
Bridgewater, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Public
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Pasadena, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Thousand Oaks, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Private
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
D3
Northfield, Minnesota
Private
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Private
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
D3
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Private
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
D3
Cleveland, Ohio
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
Shreveport, Louisiana
Private
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Pella, Iowa
Private
American Rivers Conference (ARC)
D3
Danville, Kentucky
Private
Southern Athletic Association
D3
Orange, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Private
Presidents' Athletic Conference
D3
Worcester, Massachusetts
Private
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
D3
Potsdam, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Private
American Rivers Conference
D3
Waterville, Maine
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
New London, New Hampshire
Private
Great Northeast (GNAC)
D3
Wooster, Ohio
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Private
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
New London, Connecticut
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Granville, Ohio
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Greencastle, Indiana
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Madison, New Jersey
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Willimantic, Connecticut
Public
Little East Conference
D3
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Private
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
D3
Atlanta, Georgia
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
Madison, New Jersey
Private
Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference (MAC Freedom)
D3
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Franklin, Indiana
Private
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Washington, District Of Columbia
Private
Atlantic East Conference
D3
Newberg, Oregon
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Wenham, Massachusetts
Private
Commonwealth Coast Conference
D3
Baltimore, Maryland
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Greensboro, North Carolina
Private
USA South Athletic Conference
D3
Grinnell, Iowa
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Grove City, Pennsylvania
Private
Presidents' Athletic Conference
D3
Saint Peter, Minnesota
Private
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Clinton, New York
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Private
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Hanover, Indiana
Private
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Oneonta, New York
Private
Empire 8
D3
Tiffin, Ohio
Private
Ohio Athletic Conference
D3
Conway, Arkansas
Private
Southern Athletic Association
D3
Hiram, Ohio
Private
Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC)
D3
Geneva, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Frederick, Maryland
Private
Middle Atlantic Conference
D3
Holland, Michigan
Private
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
D3
Bangor, Maine
Private
North Atlantic Conference
D3
Jacksonville, Illinois
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Chicago, Illinois
Private
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
D3
Bloomington, Illinois
Private
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
D3
Immaculata, Pennsylvania
Private
Atlantic East Conference
D3
Ithaca, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
University Heights, Ohio
Private
Ohio Athletic Conference
D3
Baltimore, Maryland
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Private
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
D3
Keene, New Hampshire
Public
Little East Conference
D3
Gambier, Ohio
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference (MAC Freedom)
D3
Galesburg, Illinois
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Lake Forest, Illinois
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Appleton, Wisconsin
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Annville, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Conference
D3
Portland, Oregon
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
McMinnville, Oregon
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Dubuque, Iowa
Private
American Rivers Conference
D3
Decorah, Iowa
Private
American Rivers Conference
D3
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Private
Landmark Conference (LC)
D3
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Private
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Castine, Maine
Public
North Atlantic Conference
D3
North Manchester, Indiana
Private
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Arlington, Virginia
Private
Atlantic East Conference
D3
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Private
Atlantic East Conference
D3
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Private
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
D3
Westminster, Maryland
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Abilene, Texas
Private
American Southwest Conference
D3
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Conference
D3
Middlebury, Vermont
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Decatur, Illinois
Private
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
D3
Jackson, Mississippi
Private
Southern Athletic Association
D3
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Private
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
D3
Dallas, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference (MAC Freedom)
D3
Monmouth, Illinois
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Montclair, New Jersey
Public
New Jersey Athletic Conference
D3
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Newburgh, New York
Private
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
D3
Rochester, New York
Private
Empire 8
D3
Lincoln, Nebraska
Private
American Rivers Conference
D3
New York, New York
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
Naperville, Illinois
Private
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
D3
Northfield, Vermont
Private
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC)
D3
Oberlin, Ohio
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Los Angeles, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Ada, Ohio
Private
Ohio Athletic Conference
D3
Delaware, Ohio
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Tacoma, Washington
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Forest Grove, Oregon
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Altoona, Pennsylvania
Public
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
D3
Erie, Pennsylvania
Public
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
D3
Demorest, Georgia
Private
Collegiate Conference of the South
D3
Plymouth, New Hampshire
Public
Little East Conference
D3
Claremont, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Mahwah, New Jersey
Public
New Jersey Athletic Conference
D3
Lynchburg, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Ashland, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Weston, Massachusetts
Private
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC)
D3
Troy, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Memphis, Tennessee
Private
Southern Athletic Association
D3
Ripon, Wisconsin
Private
Midwest Conference
D3
Salem, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Rochester Hills, Michigan
Private
University Athletic Association (UAA)
D3
Rochester, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Bristol, Rhode Island
Private
Commonwealth Coast Conference
D3
Terre Haute, Indiana
Private
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Glassboro, New Jersey
Public
New Jersey Athletic Conference
D3
Collegeville, Minnesota
Private
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Standish, Maine
Private
Great Northeast Athletic Conference
D3
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Private
Presidents' Athletic Conference
D3
Salisbury, Maryland
Public
Coast to Coast Athletic Conference
D3
Bronxville, New York
Private
Skyline Conference
D3
Claremont, California
Private
Southern California Intercoll Athletic Conference
D3
Sewanee, Tennessee
Private
Southern Athletic Association
D3
Indianola, Iowa
Private
American Rivers Conference
D3
Saratoga Springs, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Buena Vista, Virginia
Private
USA South Athletic Conference
D3
Georgetown, Texas
Private
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Springfield, Massachusetts
Private
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
D3
Brooklyn, New York
Private
Skyline Conference (SC)
D3
Patchogue, New York
Private
Skyline Conference (SC)
D3
Canton, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Maryland
Public
United East Conference
D3
De Pere, Wisconsin
Private
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC)
D3
Northfield, Minnesota
Private
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Hoboken, New Jersey
Private
Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference (MAC Freedom)
D3
Owings Mills, Maryland
Private
Middle Atlantic Conference
D3
Alfred, New York
Public
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
D3
Brockport, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
Cobleskill, New York
Public
North Atlantic Conference
D3
Cortland, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
Delhi, New York
Public
North Atlantic Conference
D3
Fredonia, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
Geneseo, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
New York
Public
Skyline Conference
D3
New Paltz, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
Oneonta, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
Oswego, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
Potsdam, New York
Public
State University of New York Athletic Conference
D3
Purchase, New York
Public
Skyline Conference
D3
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Washington, District Of Columbia
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Ewing, New Jersey
Public
New Jersey Athletic Conference
D3
Southlake, Texas
Private
Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference (MAC Freedom)
D3
Olivet, Michigan
Private
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
D3
Lexington, Kentucky
Private
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Hartford, Connecticut
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
San Antonio, Texas
Private
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Medford, Massachusetts
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Schenectady, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
New London, Connecticut
Public
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
D3
Kings Point, New York
Public
Skyline Conference
D3
Santa Cruz, California
Public
Coast to Coast Athletic Conference
D3
Chicago, Illinois
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
La Verne, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Lynchburg, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Public
Coast to Coast Athletic Conference
D3
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Public
Little East Conference
D3
Morris, Minnesota
Public
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
D3
Alliance, Ohio
Private
Ohio Athletic Conference
D3
Bradford, Pennsylvania
Public
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
D3
Tacoma, Washington
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Redlands, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Rochester, New York
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
West Hartford, Connecticut
Private
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC)
D3
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Private
Landmark Conference
D3
Houston, Texas
Private
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Clarksville, Arkansas
Private
American Southwest Conference
D3
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Public
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Public
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Public
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Whitewater, Wisconsin
Public
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Public
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Poughkeepsie, New York
Private
Liberty League
D3
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Swannanoa, North Carolina
Private
Coast to Coast Athletic Conference
D3
Washington, Pennsylvania
Private
Presidents' Athletic Conference
D3
Lexington, Virginia
Private
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
D3
Chestertown, Maryland
Private
Centennial Conference
D3
Saint Louis, Missouri
Private
University Athletic Association
D3
Middletown, Connecticut
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Danbury, Connecticut
Public
Little East Conference
D3
New Wilmington, Pennsylvania
Private
Presidents' Athletic Conference
D3
Wheaton, Illinois
Private
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
D3
Norton, Massachusetts
Private
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
D3
Walla Walla, Washington
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Whittier, California
Private
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
D3
Spokane, Washington
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Chester, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Conference
D3
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Private
Landmark Conference (LC)
D3
Salem, Oregon
Private
Northwest Conference
D3
Wayne, New Jersey
Public
New Jersey Athletic Conference
D3
Raleigh, North Carolina
Private
USA South Athletic Conference
D3
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Private
New England Small College Athletic Conference
D3
Wilmington, Ohio
Private
Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)
D3
Springfield, Ohio
Private
North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
D3
Worcester, Massachusetts
Private
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
D3
York, Pennsylvania
Private
Middle Atlantic Conference
D3
York, Nebraska
Private
City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNY)
D3