Men’s College Swimming Scholarships

If you’re looking to secure a men’s college swimming scholarship, you’re in the right place! We know the process can feel challenging, but understanding how these scholarships work and knowing what opportunities are out there can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know: how men’s swimming scholarships are awarded, how many are available and practical tips to help you boost your chances of landing one. With the right approach, you’re one step closer to achieving your goals! Read on a full breakdown of information about swimming scholarships.

NEW NCAA MEN’S SWIMMING SCHOLARSHIP LIMITS

Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, the NCAA may eliminate D1 scholarship limits if a proposed settlement is approved, enabling all sports to distribute scholarships more flexibly among athletes. This change is expected to have a significant impact on college swimming recruiting. More details and the latest updates here.

These changes, if the proposal is approved, will impact men’s swimming recruits in the following ways: 

• D1 men’s swimming programs will be allowed to offer 30 scholarships, up from the current limit of 9.9. 
• D1 men’s swimming will have a maximum roster limit of 30. 
• D1 swimming is already an equivalency sport and will continue to offer both partial and full scholarships to recruits.  

Note: These are the maximum scholarship and roster limits set by the NCAA, but schools aren’t required to meet these maximums.

Can I get a scholarship for swimming?

Yes, there are several men’s college swimming scholarships available to high school student-athletes. To earn a swimming scholarship, student-athletes must show the coach how they can contribute to the team’s overall success at the conference and national level. By thinking beyond their individual times and understanding their role within a team, student-athletes can find the right athletic fit and increase their chances of getting a scholarship.

Additionally, swimmers must be prepared to work hard within every aspect which goes into scholarship selection, like following the NCAA Eligibility Center’s educational guidelines, as well as being proactive about contacting potential colleges to accomplish the goal of receiving a men’s swimming scholarship.

Learn more about NCAA eligibility.

How many swimming scholarships are there?

It’s important to know that the scholarship limits per team reflect the maximum number of scholarships for a fully funded program, but not all programs are fully funded.

In equivalency sports like swimming, need-based and academic aid don’t count against the team’s athletic scholarship limit. This means student-athletes can stack need-based aid and academic scholarships on top of their athletic scholarships to help cover any remaining college costs.

Division 1 Swimming Scholarships

• Total men’s swimming teams: 130
• Maximum scholarships per team: 30 (if NCAA proposed settlement is approved)

In D1 men’s swimming, scholarships are usually split among athletes, but a few top swimmers still get full scholarships each year. Starting in 2025-26, swim teams can offer up to 30 scholarships with a roster of 30 swimmers. This could mean more scholarship opportunities, but it really depends on each school’s budget and what the team needs.

To compete at the highest level, swimmers need times that are competitive with the Futures Championships standards. However, D1 programs differ significantly, so finding a swim scholarship often means choosing a school where your swim times align well with the team’s current swimmers. The faster you swim, the better your chances, but strong GPA and ACT scores are also key. Sometimes, scholarships come down to more than just swimming; coaches want athletes who can handle both classes and swim practices successfully.

Division 2 Swimming Scholarships

• Total men’s swimming teams: 81
• Maximum scholarships per team: 8.1

Like D1, NCAA Division 2 men’s swimming rosters are highly competitive for scholarships. About 16 percent of D2 swimmers are international athletes and this can influence how schools distribute scholarships. Although recruiters may be slightly more flexible with D2 swim times, the competition is still tough. Some D2 swimmers could compete at the D1 level but choose D2 for better scholarship offers or other factors like campus life and academics.

Division 3 Swimming Scholarships

• Total men’s swimming teams: 237
• Maximum scholarships per team: N/A

There are about the same amount of D3 men’s swimming programs as D1 and D2 combined. Swim times are still important for college recruiters and so are educational marks. The higher your GPA and ACT/SAT scores, the more opportunities in the college swim recruiting process may be awarded with academic-related monies to cut overall educational costs, since swimming scholarships are not available at this level.

NAIA Swimming Scholarships

• Total men’s swimming teams: 22
• Maximum scholarships per team: 8

Just like D1 and D2 men’s swimming, NAIA schools can divide scholarship funds as they see fit, if the total doesn’t exceed the NAIA allotment. The average roster size for NAIA teams is 11 swimmers. The qualifying swim times for recruits are similar to D3, but the educational requirements (GPA, ACT/SAT) are less restrictive.

Junior College Swimming Scholarships

• Total men’s swimming teams: 67
• Maximum scholarships per team: 15

Do not discount the junior college route as an entry point to men’s college swimming. Many college swim recruits for NJCAA and CCCAA schools receive full scholarships. If your grades are not meeting the requirements of D1 or D2 level schools, but your swim times would be comparable, this may be the proper choice to make. Depending on your swim success, you could transfer to a NCAA or NAIA university.

Finding the Best Colleges for Swimming Scholarships 

In NCAA D1 the most prominent men’s swimming programs are Texas, California, Indiana, NC State, USC and Stanford.

In NCAA D2, the top scholarship schools include Delta State, Grand Valley, Queens (NC), Indianapolis, Simon Fraser and Lindenwood.

The top NAIA programs are Keiser, Cumberland, West Virginia Tech and Lindsey Wilson.

NCAA D3 institutions do not offer scholarships but do have several academic and other types of scholarships available. For swimmers with ACT/SAT scores and a high GPA, schools such as Denison, Emory, Kenyon, Carnegie-Mellon and Johns Hopkins have outstanding men’s swimming programs.

We’ve compiled the full list of men’s swimming colleges at each division level, which can be sorted by conference, state and college names. View the lists here:

• All colleges
• Division 1
• Division 2
• Division 3

How to Get a Swimming Scholarship

Student-athletes can boost their chances of getting a swim scholarship by finding a swimming program where their unique skills can help the team succeed. Coaches aren’t just looking at individual strengths—they’re also considering how each recruit’s abilities will fit in with the rest of the team.

• Research Programs! By researching programs and seeking opportunities where their specific skills would add value to the team’s overall ability to score points, student-athletes may find their path to a swimming scholarship. Swimmers should learn the best relay techniques to stand out to recruiters. They can do this by doing their homework and pinpointing colleges needing their event strengths.
• Focus on your grades. Outside of the pool, student-athletes should take charge of their grades and make sure they are taking the necessary classes required by the NCAA Eligibility Center, as well as take ACT and SAT tests early and often.
• Create a List of Target Schools. By determining what division levels to target, based on both athletic and academic goals, student-athletes and their families can gain a better sense of swimming scholarship opportunities. For example, a swimmer’s times may put him in the mix for NCAA D1 recruiting, but if he considers NCAA D2 or NAIA programs, he will likely have a better chance of earning a swimming scholarship.

When to Start Your College Swimming Recruiting Process 

The college swimming recruiting process should be top of mind as soon as a student-athlete determines they want to compete at the next level in men’s swimming. In a perfect world, this happens during freshman year of high school, so the family can prepare for recruiting.

Recruiting contact for men’s swimming typically begins during junior year, according to NCAA research. However, the NCAA rules allow recruiting contact to begin on June 15 after the athlete’s sophomore year. Many coaches believe that while the NCAA rules help curb early recruiting for other sports, it actually does the opposite for swimming – since college coaches now are ramping up efforts in between sophomore and junior years, while historically recruiting contact began during junior year, according to the CSCAA.

Swimmers should consider the beginning of communication with coaches as when they should have their initial work done. Leading up to the recruiting activity of junior year, student-athletes and their families should understand the different division levels, a list of target schools and begin contacting any schools they’re interested in.

Read more: How to get recruited and starting the recruiting process.

When Do Colleges Start Recruiting for Swimming? 

Recruiting communication for NCAA D1 and D2 coaches can officially begin for men’s swimming after June 15 of the student-athlete’s sophomore year.

However, this doesn’t mean college coaches are waiting until the summer after sophomore year to begin building their recruiting lists. Coaches use sites like NCSA and Collegeswimming.com to identify and monitor potential prospects as early as freshman year.

Coaches with D1 swimming scholarships available will point to your sophomore swims as key to getting your name out as a potential recruit. Coaches with D2 swimming scholarships (and NAIA and D3 recruiters) are actively involved.

How to Get Recruited for College Swimming

The number one factor in becoming part of the college swimming recruiting process is to become great at your event. Beyond developing your athletic skills, one of the most important things to remember is that recruiting won’t just happen to you because you’re good. Student-athletes and their families can take many steps to get the results they want. Here are some of the main steps along the way:

Get started: First, set your expectations. By researching swim programs at all the division levels and evaluating opportunities where your event times could be valuable to the team, you can create a list of target schools with 5-10 safety schools, 10-20 target schools and 5-10 reach schools.

Attend a skills camp: Attending a swimming camp can help student-athletes gain exposure and take their talent to the next level. A good camp experience will help student-athletes develop their techniques to improve times, as well as provide a well-rounded experience in which they come away with learnings, tips and connections they can apply to their development and recruiting processes.

Contact coaches: One of the best ways to make sure you’re on a coach’s radar is to contact the coach yourself. Here’s our full guide on how to contact coaches.

How to Make a Good Swimming Recruiting Video

Although swimming coaches make their recruiting decisions primarily based on recruits’ event times, swimmers can highlight their technique and showcase their athletic potential with a strong recruiting video.

Here’s how to make your video stand out:

• Use graphic tools like a spot circle or spot shadow to help coaches identify which swimmer to focus on.
• Highlight athletic features that may be valuable to the coach, such as explosiveness—qualities that aren’t visible from event times alone.
• Include skills like lap swimming at full race or competition speed and display your swim times on the screen whenever possible.
• Show your strength and conditioning by including clips from your fitness workouts. This helps showcase your stamina, speed and overall athleticism.

For divers, putting together a diving recruiting video is a great opportunity to connect with and be evaluated by college coaches. NCSA Recruiting Coach and former D3 swimmer and diver and D2 and D3 college coach Dan Allen break advises diving recruits should include the following in their diving skills videos:

• Practice drills and reps—including approach and takeoffs
• Filming from multiple angles and zooming in and out
• A variety of dives—forward, back, reverse, inward, twisting and more

Read more about recruiting videos.

Have More Questions?

Your NCSA Recruiting Coach is here to guide you through the swimming scholarship process. Log in now to schedule a conversation with your coach.

Not a member yet? Start with a free recruiting profile to connect with an NCSA Recruiting Specialist. We’ll help you and your family plan the next steps in your recruiting journey and achieve your scholarship goals.