Elite 50: Ranking the Nation’s Top Men’s Swimming Programs
In STACK’s swimming rankings, we take you beyond wins and losses to reveal what truly makes a men’s swimming program great. To come up with our list of the top 10 men’s swimming programs, we consider a variety of factors—not just a team’s record, but also academic rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Academic Progress Rates. The result is a list of schools we’d recommend to any swimmer seeking an elite athletic program and a strong education. Learn more about how we arrived at our rankings through the Elite 50 guide, and browse through STACK’s rankings for 20 other sports at the bottom of this page.
STACK’s Top Men’s Swimming Programs
| College | Score | ’12 U.S. News Rank | APR [Out of 1,000] | National Ranking ‘11/’10/’09 | STACK Factor |
| 1. Stanford | 100 | 5 | 985 | 3/4/3 | 192 |
| 2. Texas | 91.38 | 45 | 985 | 2/1/2 | 144 |
| 3. Cal | 88.89 | 21 | 966 | 1/2/4 | 120 |
| 4. Virginia | 80.90 | 25 | 990 | 8/10/9 | 132 |
| 5. Florida | 77.61 | 58 | 951 | 5/5/5 | 144 |
| 6. Michigan | 76.39 | 28 | 977 | 9/7/7 | 96 |
| 7. USC | 75.51 | 23 | 985 | 7/11/15 | 108 |
| 8. Ohio State | 71.59 | 55 | 985 | 11/9/14 | 132 |
| 9. Arizona | 69.50 | 124 | 981 | 4/3/6 | 108 |
| 10. North Carolina | 68.10 | 29 | 997 | 14/15/NR | 144 |
- Cal Men’s Swimming
Inside the Rankings: Cal Men’s Swimming
Although the Cal men’s swimming team put together several impressive seasons, a national championship eluded them for 31 years. Anchored by strong relay performances, the Golden Bears finally ended their drought last season, defeating defending champion Texas.
Beyond their success in the pool, Cal swimmers have created a team culture that forges everlasting bonds of brotherhood. More than 66 swimming and diving alumni—from as far back as 1975, including 11-time Olympic medalist Matt Biondi—came out to support the team on their route to the national title. And don’t think they sat and watched idly. The crowd produced a tremendous uproar, which elevated the energy of every swimmer on the squad.
Check out the rest of STACK’s college rankings:
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Elite 50: Ranking the Nation’s Top Men’s Swimming Programs
In STACK’s swimming rankings, we take you beyond wins and losses to reveal what truly makes a men’s swimming program great. To come up with our list of the top 10 men’s swimming programs, we consider a variety of factors—not just a team’s record, but also academic rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Academic Progress Rates. The result is a list of schools we’d recommend to any swimmer seeking an elite athletic program and a strong education. Learn more about how we arrived at our rankings through the Elite 50 guide, and browse through STACK’s rankings for 20 other sports at the bottom of this page.
STACK’s Top Men’s Swimming Programs
| College | Score | ’12 U.S. News Rank | APR [Out of 1,000] | National Ranking ‘11/’10/’09 | STACK Factor |
| 1. Stanford | 100 | 5 | 985 | 3/4/3 | 192 |
| 2. Texas | 91.38 | 45 | 985 | 2/1/2 | 144 |
| 3. Cal | 88.89 | 21 | 966 | 1/2/4 | 120 |
| 4. Virginia | 80.90 | 25 | 990 | 8/10/9 | 132 |
| 5. Florida | 77.61 | 58 | 951 | 5/5/5 | 144 |
| 6. Michigan | 76.39 | 28 | 977 | 9/7/7 | 96 |
| 7. USC | 75.51 | 23 | 985 | 7/11/15 | 108 |
| 8. Ohio State | 71.59 | 55 | 985 | 11/9/14 | 132 |
| 9. Arizona | 69.50 | 124 | 981 | 4/3/6 | 108 |
| 10. North Carolina | 68.10 | 29 | 997 | 14/15/NR | 144 |
- Cal Men’s Swimming
Inside the Rankings: Cal Men’s Swimming
Although the Cal men’s swimming team put together several impressive seasons, a national championship eluded them for 31 years. Anchored by strong relay performances, the Golden Bears finally ended their drought last season, defeating defending champion Texas.
Beyond their success in the pool, Cal swimmers have created a team culture that forges everlasting bonds of brotherhood. More than 66 swimming and diving alumni—from as far back as 1975, including 11-time Olympic medalist Matt Biondi—came out to support the team on their route to the national title. And don’t think they sat and watched idly. The crowd produced a tremendous uproar, which elevated the energy of every swimmer on the squad.
Check out the rest of STACK’s college rankings: