Swimming Scholarships in the United States

More than 600 American universities, with 20 swimmers per team, have swimming programs and offer swimming scholarships to study and compete at the highest level.

Discover how college swimming is organized in the United States, the number of universities with swimming scholarships and the level you need to get a swimming scholarship in the United States.

Are you passionate about the swimming world? Do you study and compete at a great level and you still do not know about the option of getting a  swimming scholarship  at a US university? Don’t worry! Through this article, we will give you more information on how to get a swimming scholarship in the United States and everything that this experience could bring you. 

The United States swimming scholarships are a good option to continue with your athletic future, on a professional, academic, and, of course, personal level, as it will help you grow in all aspects of your life. So, if you do not want to put aside training and want to continue betting on an international education and continue practicing sports at the highest level, this is the path should to choose! If you want to discover how to live this dream in one of the more than 600 universities with swimming programs and be part of the 20 swimmers that make up each university team, do not miss anything we have to tell you.

How many Universities Offer Swimming Scholarships?

In the United States there are two major sports associations or leagues: the NCAA and NAIA. Their main function is to organize the championships and establish the rules and regulations for all participants.The NCAA is the largest of the two and is divided into three divisions: DI, DII and DIII.

NCAA Division I

The largest and most prestigious universities in the United States are within this group. There are 197 DI universities with swimming programs, with enviable sport and academic facilities. Besides being one of the most competitive leagues of the country, DI universities have the largest budgets for sport scholarships, compete at a national level, and, in some cases, are the prelude to professionalism.

NCAA Division II

As a general rule, these universities are smaller than D1. In this division there are 95 universities with swimming programs, and the NCAA DII establishes standards that allow a balanced level of competitiveness, where there are opportunities for all athletes. Although full scholarships are more common in D1, there is a possibility of getting one. But the most common thing for the athletes is to get an sports scholarship and an academic scholarship.

NCAA Division III

Finally, D3 is the last of leagues belonging to the NCAA. Here we find 258 universities with swimming programs, but in this case none or almost no university offers sports scholarships. However, academic and international scholarships can be obtained if certain academic requirements are met.

NAIA

Universities belonging to NAIA tend to be a little smaller and have a  lower budget for sport scholarships. However, there are full scholarships that cover the entire cost of the university. At NAIA there are 26 universities with swimming teams.

Finally, you should know about the Junior and Community Colleges, which are two-year colleges that are much cheaper and allow you to enter four-year universities, partially or totally validating the credits of your career. In many occasions, this option is very good to specialize in your degree or career of interest. In JuCos there are a total of 69 universities with swimming programs. They usually do not offer sports scholarships although they are a very good option for those students who do not have a budget to meet the costs of a university of 4 years.

Level to Get a Swimming Scholarship in the US 

You already know how university swimming is structured in the United States, so now you’re probably wondering what level you need to get a swimming scholarship at a US university.

In the following table you can observe two parameters: Standard A and Standard B. If your marks are between them you will be able to compete in the NCAA championship, but the closer they are to standard A, the greater the possibility of obtaining a scholarship and of a greater amount.

Level for NCAA Div I

These are the Universities with the highest level and, therefore, oriented for the best swimmers. If you are close to the Standard A, you will compete in this division, with a large scholarship since you belong to the group of swimmers most quoted. Those swimmers who have B-marks in some of the events may also have good chances, but those who do not reach these marks may face most of the university cost.

Level for NCAA Div II

If you have Standard A times in DII it is very likely that D1 universities will see you as a good choice for their university and you will have options to get a scholarship that will greatly reduce the costs of the university. If you do not have a marks near these parameters, your options will be in NAIA.

Level for NAIA

As we have already mentioned, NAIA universities are more accessible and in addition, the admission is easier. Without a doubt, this is a great option for those swimmers who have a lower academic level and for those who do not approach the necessary marks for the other divisions.

Finally, we want to highlight how female swimmers have more options to get scholarships thanks to the Federal American Law “Title IX”, since there are 125 more universities with female than male swimming programs, allocating more budget in NCAA DI to female swimming than males swimming.
If you a swimmer and want to get an athletic scholarship in an American University, you should create your Mooxye Profile and start taking the first steps!

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