Swimming

In the US Universities offer the opportunity for Swimmers to combine their degree with elite level training and competition.

Apply now

about

America is the leading powerhouse for Swimming, mainly because of the funding the sport receives. By swimming at a college level for international students, you get the necessary tools and support to enhance your talent.

Key facts

01

Over 650 Universities offer scholarships for Swimming across multiple divisions, making it relevant for all levels of Swimmer.

02

All divisions offer scholarships to student-athletes for a variety of reasons (Academic ability, athletic ability or for being international to hit diversity quotas).

03

A coach is given a scholarship budget from the athletic director, they will them distribute this throughout the team as they see fit.

04

You will train and compete all year round, however the main swim season runs from September to March, hosting all major events.

05

A “conference” is made up of 9-15 Universities, there are between 11-20 conferences in each division, and 7 divisions across 3 governing bodies (NCAA D1,2,3 NAIA D1,2 and NJCAA, CCCAA)

06

Each conference has its own championship, there are also regionals and nationals athletes and teams can qualify for.

What events receive scholarship?

A chart with various swimming event descriptions in blue text inside rounded rectangles, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, medley, relay, and diving events with different distances.
Diagram of swim race categories including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, individual medley, relay, diving, and platform diving, with distances labeled from 50 yards to 1650 yards.
Students in a classroom listening to a teacher at the front. Some students use laptops. The classroom is wooden with curved seating arrangements.

What student life looks like

A good amount of the day is fixed around studying and practising, but there is a good window to relax and live life as a normal University student.

One benefit with the US is your academic advisor: they help schedule your lectures, so they work around your training and when you like to eat.

An example student-athlete schedule

Simple black clock icon showing a traditional round clock face with hour and minute hands.
A black clock icon showing the time as 10:10.
A black icon of a clock with a circular face and short hands.
An icon of a black clock with a minimalist design on a white background.
Silhouette of a clock with a round face and hands showing the time.
A simple black clock icon showing the time at 3:00.
A simple, black clock icon with minimalistic design.
A simple line drawing of a clock showing the time as 3:00.
A simple black outline of a clock showing the time as 10:10.
A simple black clock icon showing 3:00.

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

8:00-9:00am

Physiotherapy

Breakfast

Lecture 1

Lecture 2

Training session

Lunch

Lecture 3

S&C or recovery

Dinner

Study or down time

A typical yearly schedule

Calendar icon
Icon of a calendar with a grid of dates
A digital calendar icon with a grid layout.
Icon of a calendar with a grid of days.
Calendar icon with a grid layout and a small checkmark on one date.
Calendar icon with grid of days.
A simple black calendar icon with a grid representing days.
A simple black icon of a calendar.
A calendar icon with a grid of days and two small circles representing dates.
A digital calendar icon with a grid layout and a small square at the top indicating the current date.

Aug 15th

Jun 15th - Aug 15th

Term starts

Sep - Nov

Training and competition

Dec 10th

Exams & end of semester

Christmas Break

Fly home

Jan 8th

Start of Semester Two

Jan 15th - Mar 8th

Training and competition

Mar 30th - May 15th

Studies and training

May 20th

Final exams schools

June 10th

Studies and training

Summer break

Facilities

Facilities in the US are outstanding across all divisions and governing bodies. 

They will include everything from locker rooms, athletic training rooms (physio department), sports performance centres and all the equipment you will ever need.

Take a look below at some examples.

free assessment

Thoughts from Head of Olympic Sports, Nathan Gillis.

“My time as a college athlete in the US was truly transformative. The support and investment from coaches, nutritionists, S&C coaches, sports psychologists, physios, and academic advisors makes US Universities all-encompassing performance programs.

The easiest comparison to understand how good these Universities are, is they are similar, sometimes better than Elite UK soccer academies, or high-level Olympic performance centres in the wealthier nations. I don’t have any doubt in my mind, if it wasn’t for the US, I would never have competed and reached international level.”

Unlock the door to your student-athlete journey

Access to your free assessment today

free assessment
View fullsize A rising Big Ten programme combining elite facilities, Olympic-level coaching, and access to one of the strongest conferences in NCAA track & field 🇺🇸🐢 This week, we’re spotlighting the University of Maryland. Competing in NCAA Divisio
View fullsize
View fullsize One of the biggest challenges for international athletes isn’t performances or academics... It’s understanding the terminology. From Redshirts and Walk-Ons to Dead Periods and the Transfer Portal, the U.S. system has its own language.
View fullsize
View fullsize Got questions about U.S. sports scholarships? 🇺🇸 You’re not alone. From scholarships and eligibility to recruitment timelines and coach communication, these are some of the questions we get asked most often. 📌 Save this for future referen
View fullsize

keep up to date

@nathanolympicsports