Swimming at a US college
The NCAA and the other US college paths in facts and figures: scholarships, the times of the championships, and the rules and dates that apply to a New Zealand swimmer.
† Counted in full scholarships - tuition and fees, food and housing - which a coach may split: 8.1 may be 2 full, 6 halves, 10 quarters and 3 fifths among 21 swimmers, or any other way. Division I colleges under the House settlement have no such limit, only a roster of 30; the NAIA’s is 8 a team.
* Swimmers are those who raced at a meet in Swimming New Zealand’s results; club members who did not race are not counted.
Which colleges give swimming scholarships?
Division I and II colleges and the NAIA’s do; Division III gives none. A Division I team may carry 30 swimmers and divers with no limit on scholarships among them; a Division II team may give 8.1 full scholarships’ worth, split as its coach chooses.
A full scholarship covers tuition and fees, food and housing. Division II and the NAIA count their limits in full scholarships, and a coach may split them: 8.1 may be 2 full, 6 halves, 10 quarters and 3 fifths among 21 swimmers. Teams and swimmers (with divers) are of 2024-25, the latest count, men / women.
US college swimming and diving, 2024-25
| Path | Teams (men / women) | Scholarships a team |
|---|---|---|
| Division I | 133 / 1953,940 / 5,858 swimmers | No limitin a roster of 30 |
| Division II | 77 / 1001,777 / 2,147 swimmers | 8.1full scholarships’ worth |
| Division III | 232 / 2514,414 / 4,993 swimmers | None |
| NAIA | — | 8full scholarships’ worth |
| NJCAA (2-year) | — | By divisionnjcaa.org |
Source: NCAA Division I, II and III Manuals 2026-27 · NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report (Sep 2025) · NAIA Handbook 2025-26 · checked 17 Oct 2026
What times make the championships?
A Division II woman needs 51.91 over 100 yards freestyle for the “B” standard (49.44 for the “A”): 57.94 in a 25 m pool by its conversion.
The standards for the 2027 championships, in 25-yard pools; under each, the slowest 25 m time that converts to it as that championship converts. Times from 50 m pools are not used for Division I or II selection. A time under the faster standard (“A”) earns a place; the places left go to the fastest swimmers under the slower one.
NCAA Division II, women: 2026-27 standards in 25-yard pools, under each the 25 m time that converts to it
| Event | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 50 Freestyle | 22.4825 m 25.10 | 23.6025 m 26.35 |
| 100 Freestyle | 49.4425 m 55.18 | 51.9125 m 57.94 |
| 200 Freestyle | 1:46.9925 m 1:59.41 | 1:52.3425 m 2:05.39 |
| 500 Freestyle400 m in 25 m | 4:49.2825 m 4:13.09 | 5:03.7425 m 4:25.74 |
| 1000 Freestyle800 m in 25 m | 9:52.7825 m 8:38.62 | 10:22.4225 m 9:04.55 |
| 1650 Freestyle1500 m in 25 m | 16:31.1725 m 16:28.21 | 17:20.7325 m 17:17.62 |
| 100 Backstroke | 53.4925 m 59.70 | 56.1625 m 1:02.68 |
| 200 Backstroke | 1:57.0025 m 2:10.59 | 2:02.8525 m 2:17.12 |
| 100 Breaststroke | 1:01.0325 m 1:08.12 | 1:04.0825 m 1:11.52 |
| 200 Breaststroke | 2:12.9025 m 2:28.33 | 2:19.5425 m 2:35.74 |
| 100 Butterfly | 53.3725 m 59.57 | 56.0425 m 1:02.55 |
| 200 Butterfly | 1:58.8125 m 2:12.61 | 2:04.7525 m 2:19.24 |
| 200 Individual Medley | 1:59.3925 m 2:13.25 | 2:05.3625 m 2:19.92 |
| 400 Individual Medley | 4:16.3325 m 4:46.09 | 4:29.1425 m 5:00.39 |
Source: NCAA Division II 2026-27 standards, women · NCAA Division II 2026-27 standards, men · checked 17 Oct 2026
How many New Zealand swimmers swim at that level?
126 New Zealand swimmers - 77 women and 49 men - swam a 25 m time in 2026 so far that converts under a Division II “B” standard; 60 of them were 15 to 18, and 7 swam under a Division I standard.
Each swimmer’s best 25 m time in 2026 so far in each event the standards have, converted to 25 yards as that championship converts, beside the 2026-27 standards; a swimmer counts once a level. A count of times, not of swimmers recruited or eligible.
New Zealand swimmers under each standard, in 2026 so far
| Standard (2026-27) | Women | Men | Aged 15 to 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division I | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Division II “A” | 17 | 5 | 5 |
| Division II “B” | 77 | 49 | 60 |
| Division III “A” | 16 | 4 | 5 |
| Division III “B” | 71 | 51 | 58 |
| NAIA qualifying | 63 | 31 | 39 |
| NAIA provisional | 278 | 163 | 271 |
Source: Swimming New Zealand results, 1 Jan to 10 Nov 2026 · NCAA and NAIA 2026-27 standards
What does it take at school?
For Divisions I and II, 16 core courses with a GPA of at least 2.3 (Division I) or 2.2 (Division II), and proof of graduation; no SAT or ACT. Division III colleges set their own.
The NCAA reads a New Zealand school by its country profile (September 2026):
- Proof of graduation: NCEA Level 2 (the end of Year 12) or Level 3 (the end of Year 13), as a certificate or the NZQA Record of Achievement showing the level; an IGCSE with five passes also counts. NCEA Level 1 does not.
- Years 9 and 10 come from the school’s transcripts, Years 11 to 13 only from the Record of Achievement, which NZQA sends to the NCAA on request (prs@nzqa.govt.nz, with the NCAA reference number).
- Grades: Excellence counts as an A (4 points), Merit as a B (3), Achieved as a C (2). 12 NCEA credits or more in a subject make one US course unit (9-11 credits 0.75, 8 credits 0.67, 6-7 credits 0.5).
- The 10/7 rule - ten courses before the last school year - does not apply to students with only international results.
What each path asks of school results
| Path | School results |
|---|---|
| Division I | 16 core courses, GPA 2.3 of 4.0; no SAT or ACT4 English, 3 maths, 2 science, 1 more of English, maths or science, 2 social science, 4 other |
| Division II | 16 core courses, GPA 2.2 of 4.0; no SAT or ACT3 English, 2 maths, 2 science, 3 more, 2 social science, 4 other |
| Division III | The college’s own standard |
| NAIA | GPA 2.3or two of: ACT 18 or SAT 970, GPA 2.0, the top half of the class |
Source: NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete 2026-27 · NCAA New Zealand profile · NZQA · NAIA Eligibility Center · checked 17 Oct 2026
When may a coach get in touch?
A Division I coach may write from 15 June after Year 11 and meet a swimmer from 1 August of Year 12; a written scholarship offer may come from the first day of Year 13. Division II coaches may write at any time.
The NCAA’s Division I rules for swimming and diving, 2026-27, set on a New Zealand school.
- Year 9 onEvery school year counts: Years 9 and 10 from the school’s transcripts, Years 11 to 13 from the NZQA Record of Achievement.NCAA New Zealand profile
- 15 June after Year 11Division I coaches may email, text, call and send material, and a swimmer may reply; Division II coaches may at any time.Division I Manual 13.4.1, 13.1.3; Division II Manual 13.1.3.1
- 1 August, Year 12Division I coaches may meet a swimmer in person off campus; official visits may start - one to a college, two nights at most.Division I Manual 13.1.1.1, 13.6.2, 13.6.4
- End of Year 12NCEA Level 2 is accepted as proof of graduation (Level 3 at the end of Year 13); Level 1 is not.NCAA New Zealand profile
- Year 13, the first day of classesA Division I college may make a written offer of a scholarship; signing opens on the second Wednesday in November.Division I Manual 13.02.13.1
- At collegeFive years to compete, from the first full-time enrolment at any college or the academic year after the 19th birthday, whichever comes first.Division I Bylaw 12.6
The NCAA writes its dates for US school years (15 June after the “sophomore” year, 1 August of the “junior”); Year 11 is the age of a US sophomore - our reading by age. Its rules give a Southern Hemisphere date only for the written offer.
Source: NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27 · Division II Manual 2026-27 · checked 17 Oct 2026
How long may a swimmer compete?
Five years in Divisions I and II, counted from the first full-time enrolment at any college - a New Zealand university too - or the academic year after the 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
The age-based rule: Division I from 1 August 2026, Division II from 5 August 2026.
- There are no waivers; the only exceptions are pregnancy, active military service and a religious mission, when the athlete does not compete.
- Swimmers starting in the northern autumn of 2026, and those already at college, take the better of the old rule (four seasons in five years) and the new one; from 2027 the new one alone. Season limits, redshirts and delayed-enrolment waivers are gone.
- Someone turning 19 between 1 September and 31 December counts from the following northern autumn.
Source: NCAA, age-based eligibility · Division I Bylaw 12.6 · Division II Bylaw 14.4.3 · checked 17 Oct 2026
What does a student visa take?
An F-1 visa: a Form I-20 from the college, the SEVIS fee of US$350 and the visa fee of US$185, and an interview at the US Consulate General in Auckland.
The US government’s rules for students, as of October 2026.
- Entry no more than 30 days before the start date on the I-20; the visa may be issued up to 365 days before.
- Since 15 September 2026 a student is admitted for a fixed period - the length of the programme on the I-20, four years at most - with 30 days to leave after it (60 until then).
- No change of college in the first academic year without an exception from the SEVP: “Student athletes are subject to the same rules that govern all F-1 students.”
- Work: on campus up to 20 hours a week in term, full time in the breaks; off campus only through CPT (after a year), OPT or hardship approved by USCIS. No official guidance on NIL (name, image and likeness) income for F-1 students was found.
- A visa integrity fee of at least US$250 is in law since 2025, but not yet charged by any notice we found; the embassy’s page does not list it.
Source: US Embassy New Zealand · Study in the States (DHS) · ICE, SEVIS fee · 22 CFR 22.1 · checked 17 Oct 2026
What does a US college cost?
Listed tuition and fees averaged US$19,534 a year at public four-year colleges for students from out of state and US$33,665 at private non-profit ones in 2024-25, before any scholarship.
Averages of what colleges list for first-year full-time students, not weighted by enrolment; every college’s own in College Navigator.
- A scholarship is free of US tax only for tuition, required fees, books and equipment; the rest - room, board, travel - is taxable, and for F-1 students 14% is withheld.
- Each college’s costs: College Navigator (NCES), latest year 2024-25.
- Free advice: EducationUSA at the US Consulate General in Auckland and the US Embassy in Wellington, newzealand@educationusa.org; not on visas.
Source: NCES IPEDS 2024-25 · IRS Publications 970 and 515 · US Embassy New Zealand · checked 17 Oct 2026
Where are the official answers?
With the bodies themselves: every fact on this page comes from one of these, read on 17 October 2026.
Rules change: the NCAA publishes its new standards each June and its new manuals and guide each August.
- NCAA Eligibility Center - registration, the academic and amateur certification
- NCAA, international students - with the New Zealand profile
- NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete - 2026-27
- NZQA: study in the USA - the Record of Achievement for the NCAA
- NAIA Eligibility Center - PlayNAIA
- NJCAA - two-year colleges
- EducationUSA New Zealand - free advising, Auckland and Wellington
- US Embassy New Zealand: visas - the F-1 visa and the interview
- Study in the States - the US government’s rules for students