Thinking about taking your swimming or diving career to the next level? A US athletic scholarship offers an incredible opportunity to combine high-level training with academic excellence, opening doors to some of the best universities in the world, top-tier competition and lifelong connections.
With renowned programs like those at the University of Texas, Stanford, Arizona State University and Florida, the US collegiate scene provides a vibrant and highly competitive environment for aspiring student-athletes. Some of the top performing swimmers at the 2024 Olympics were college athletes, including nine-time gold medallist Katie Ledecky (Stanford) and French sensation Léon Marchand (ASU), who collected four gold medals in his home games. Beyond the pool or platform, a scholarship provides financial support, structured training schedules, and access to state-of-the-art facilities, fostering personal growth and athletic development, while studying for a degree.
Our latest blog addresses the frequently asked questions we receive from prospective student-athletes striving for future success in the States, diving into the details you need to know about navigating the recruitment process, understanding eligibility requirements, and maximizing your chances of securing a scholarship.
How many collegiate swim and dive programs are there in the United States?
There are 630 universities offering women’s swimming and around 500 programs for men. Around 400 programs are spread across NCAA DI, DII and DIII, a further 60 governed by the NAIA and 150 Junior College programs. Not all swim teams have diving but around half of those in the NCAA do.
How is US Collegiate Swim Competition structured?
The collegiate swimming and diving season runs from September to March, featuring dual meets and invitationals against other universities from September to February. In late February or early March, teams compete in their respective Conference Championships, which serve as a crucial lead-up to the National Championships in mid-March. Swimmers and divers earn points based on their finishing positions, determining the men's and women's conference champions. To qualify for Nationals, athletes must achieve automatic qualifying standards set at the beginning of the season. Any remaining slots at Nationals are then filled by invitations extended to the top-ranked athletes in the country
What are the Collegiate diving disciplines?
Three disciplines form the core of collegiate diving competitions: 1m springboard, 3m springboard and 10m platform. Divers are scored by judges based on degree of difficulty and execution to accumulate a total score. Zone qualifying takes place to allow divers to qualify for national championships.
What are the most important factors in recruitment?
Swim & dive coaches may monitor swimmers/divers from age 15-16. Direct communication between swimmers and NCAA coaches can take place from June of the GCSE year (sophomore year.)
Whilst collegiate swimming often takes place in 25-yard pools other junior swim meets globally may utilize a 25m or 50m pool. World Aquatics release tables every year allowing swim times to be matched with world aquatics points regardless of the pool length. These World Aquatics points allow US coaches to compare and consider international student-athletes for their team and FirstPoint USA provide detailed swim data and trajectories when discussing swimmers with coaches.
Coaches are most interested in official swim times and results but will also pay attention to race video looking at pacing strategy, start technique and overall stroke mechanics.
Coaches will request 4 years of school reports/transcripts so their admissions department can review the student athlete’s academic level and likelihood of admission. Stronger academics have more funding opportunities as they can often stack academic and athletic scholarship.
What points level will I require to be considered for recruitment?
Male swimmers with 700 World Aquatics points in 2 or more swim disciplines at age 17 will often attract attention from NCAA DI coaches and the same can be said for females with 650+ points. There are opportunities in Division 2 & 3 for those with 500+ World Aquatics points and swimmers with 350-500 World Aquatics points may be most competitive in Junior College. Young swimmers should keep in mind their trajectory and potential to improve on average 50 points per year. For example, a 15-year-old male swimmer with 580 World Aquatics points could be on a trajectory towards D1 swimming.
Are there scholarships/aid available?
Across NCAA DI and DII there are athletic and academic scholarships available. Those with strong academics can benefit from both sources of funding to significantly reduce the cost of university. Many DIII universities offer merit scholarships rewarding a student’s talent, leadership, and ability to contribute to campus life. In addition, some universities will also offer means tested financial aid to help families close the gap in affordability.
Where are the best programs?
Arizona State are the reigning Men’s NCAA Champions (2024) whilst University of Texas boasts an impressive 15 National titles. Standford have won 11 Women’s NCAA National titles. Keiser University, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are 6-time National Champions. Many NCAA coaches cite Indian River Junior College, Florida as an ideal fit for student athletes preferring 2-year associate degrees in order to transfer to 4-year institutions later. Indian River regularly competes with 4-year institutions in invitationals.
Which current FirstPoint athletes are enjoying success at college in the US?
FirstPoint USA boasts a strong track record when it comes to securing scholarships for our swimmers and divers, and our Director of Olympic Sports Laura Lewis has developed an extensive network of college coaches across the country and at different levels, helping athletes and families find their best fit athletically and academically.
Jake Hutchinson: The European Youth Olympian from England won 4 Gold Medals at his first NAIA National Finals for Keiser University and has broken several school records in his freshman year.
Ruby Tonelli-Smith: Australian swimmer Ruby won Gold in the Medley Relay at her first Conference Championships with NCAA D1 Bryant University in Rhode Island.
Danielle Guerin: The talented diver from New Zealand made Conference finals in her freshman year at NCAA DI University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Ben McLaughlin: Scottish swimmer, who trialled for Team GB ahead of the Paris Olympics, Ben from took Conference Championship medals in the 500-yard and 1650-yard Freestyle for NCAA DI Wagner University.
Stella McCardie: Another Scotland international, Stella secured a scholarship with leading program University of Connecticut (UConn) and has impressed in her early season events.
If you're a talented swimmer or diver with aspirations to further your career with a US athletic scholarship, click here to register your interest with FirstPoint USA today.
