Swimming Scholarships
Fueling your ambition
Collegiate swimming in the US
The US has been one of the world’s leading swimming nations for decades and a host of world-class swimmers have developed their talents at an american college.
The combination of swimming and education is a unique opportunity to develop athletically, academically and personally after completing your secondary education.
Taking into account your sporting and academic level, we work every day to reduce the costs associated with such a stay. We do this through Sport Scholarships and in swimming there are a lot of these available.
College swimming in the US
What is important to get a scholarship?
To get a good Sport Scholarship for your swimming skills, you must of course be… an elite swimmer! This is where your swimming times really matter. That said, there are different ways to be a good swimmer. Some college coaches see great value in a swimmer who is skilled in a specific event (e.g. 200m freestyle). Other coaches will have a preference for more complete swimmers who are skilled in multiple events and distances.
Other factors – such as your academic level – may also influence the size of the Scholarship you can get.
Your swimming results
The faster you swim, the more chance you have of winning a large Scholarship.
Your discipline
Are you mainly a backstroke swimmer?
Are you good in many different disciplines?
These questions have an impact on your opportunities.
Continuous development
The fact that you have continuously improved your times during your youth improves your chances.
Good grades
No matter how fast you swim, your grades will always have an impact on the amount of opportunities you have.
"A scholarship is not just a financial award; its a recognition of your hard work and dedication." "
Swimming Scholarships
Why Collegiate Swimming in the US?
There is no better combination of elite swimming and higher education than at a College.
College sports in the US
Meet one of our clients
Listen to Alexanders talk with Oliver about his first year at Wingate University and what it’s been like switching to the american college system from Danmak in our NSSA College Podcast below.
Oliver went to Wingate University
We started working with Oliver last year during his gap year.
Oliver has always been an accomplished swimmer, but first and foremost wanted to come to the US to experience and be challenged.
During the process, Oliver had several offers from different universities from the United States.
In addition to the level and size of the offer, Oliver prioritized the geographical location of the school and the warm weather.
After talking with the coaching staff and getting a good impression of the program, Oliver accepted a scholarship to Wingate University.
He left in the summer of 2022 and will work towards a full education in the US.
Championship and personal bests
Throughout his first six months at Wingate, Oliver has put in a lot of effort both physically and technically.
So much so that he had a BIG part in the swimming team’s first title in their conference.
The big part of the victory came through personal bests in the 100 Fly, 200 Fly, 100 Free and 200 Free on the same weekend.
Lane lengths in the US
The US is one of the few countries in the world that does not have lanes built according to the metric system, which means that they also swim on lanes measured in yards instead of the 25 and 50 meter lanes we know. The standard length of a pool for official College and High School tournaments is 25 yards.
We therefore distinguish between 3 different lengths when assessing your times.
Indicative swimming times for girls
The times below are indicative recruitment times for women across the sport federations and divisions that facilitate collegiate swimming in the United States.
You can click on the different categories below and see the times required in the different disciplines.
| Event | SCY | SCM | LCM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | > 0:21.70 | > 0:24.63 | > 0:24.19 |
| 100 Free | > 0:47.30 | > 0:53.50 | > 0:52.59 |
| 200 Free | > 1:43.20 | > 1:54.34 | > 1:54.34 |
| 400/500 Free | > 4:36.30 | > 4:08.47 | > 3:59.63 |
| 1500/1650 Free | > 15:53.50 | > 16:08.02 | > 15:41.26 |
| 100 Butterfly | > 0:51.00 | > 0:57.49 | > 0:56.66 |
| 200 Butterfly | > 1:53.50 | > 2:07.38 | > 2:06.09 |
| 100 Back | > 0:52.00 | > 0:58.99 | > 0:57.21 |
| 200 Back | > 1:57.50 | > 2:05.99 | > 2:02.76 |
| 100 Breast | > 0:58.80 | > 1:06.81 | > 1:05.38 |
| 200 Breast | > 2:06.90 | > 2:22.90 | > 2:21.10 |
| 200 IM | > 1:54.30 | > 2:10.33 | > 2:06.87 |
| 400 IM | > 4:04.10 | > 4:38.65 | > 4:30.96 |
| Event | Time (SCY) | Time (LCM) | Time (SCM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | 0:23.50-0:24.50 | 0:26.67-0:27.80 | 0:26.20-0:27.31 |
| 100 Free | 0:50.90-0:53.10 | 0:57.57-1:00.06 | 0:56.59-0:59.04 |
| 200 Free | 1:49.70-1:53.80 | 2:04.09-2:08.73 | 2:01.55-2:06.09 |
| 500 Free | 4:53.10-5:05.10 | 4:23.57-4:34.37 | 4:14.20-4:24.61 |
| 1650 Free | 16:46.20-17:25.70 | 17:01.52-17:41.62 | 16:33.28-17:12.28 |
| 100 Butterfly | 0:56.10-0:58.20 | 1:03.24-1:05.61 | 1:02.32-1:04.65 |
| 200 Butterfly | 2:02.70-2:08.90 | 2:17.71-2:24.66 | 2:16.31-2:23.20 |
| 100 Back | 0:56.10-0:59.00 | 1:04.26-1:07.58 | 1:02.32-1:05.54 |
| 200 Back | 2:01.30-2:07.20 | 2:18.31-2:25.03 | 2:14.76-2:21.31 |
| 100 Breast | 1:03.70-1:06.90 | 1:12.38-1:16.02 | 1:10.83-1:14.39 |
| 200 Breast | 2:19.80-2:24.70 | 2:37.43-2:42.95 | 2:35.45-2:40.90 |
| 200 IM | 2:03.10-2:09.30 | 2:20.36-2:27.43 | 2:16.64-2:23.52 |
| 400 IM | 4:23.30-4:33.40 | 5:00.57-5:12.10 | 4:52.26-5:03.47 |
| Event | Time (SCY) | Time (LCM) | Time (SCM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | 0:23.90-0:24.10 | 0:27.12-0:27.35 | 0:26.64-0:26.87 |
| 100 Free | 0:51.90-0:52.10 | 0:58.71-0:58.93 | 0:57.71-0:57.93 |
| 200 Free | 1:50.90-1:52.60 | 2:05.45-2:07.37 | 2:02.88-2:04.76 |
| 500 Free | 4:59.90-5:03.50 | 4:29.69-4:32.93 | 4:20.10-4:23.22 |
| 1650 Free | 16:59.90-17:14.40 | 17:15.43-17:30.15 | 16:46.81-17:01.12 |
| 100 Butterfly | 0:56.50-0:57.50 | 1:03.69-1:04.82 | 1:02.77-1:03.88 |
| 200 Butterfly | 2:03.90-2:05.00 | 2:19.05-2:20.29 | 2:17.65-2:18.87 |
| 100 Back | 0:57.10-1:06.00 | 1:05.40-1:15.60 | 1:03.43-1:13.32 |
| 200 Back | 2:03.50-2:05.00 | 2:20.82-2:22.53 | 2:17.20-2:18.87 |
| 100 Breast | 1:04.90-1:06.00 | 1:13.75-1:15.00 | 1:12.16-1:13.39 |
| 200 Breast | 2:21.50-2:22.70 | 2:39.34-2:40.69 | 2:37.34-2:38.67 |
| 200 IM | 2:05.00-2:08.40 | 2:22.53-2:26.40 | 2:18.75-2:22.52 |
| 400 IM | 4:27.50-4:30.70 | 5:05.36-5:09.01 | 4:56.92-5:00.47 |
| Event | Time (SCY) | Time (LCM) | Time (SCM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | 0:24.50-0:27.90 | 0:27.80-0:31.66 | 0:27.31-0:31.10 |
| 100 Free | 0:53.10-1:00.90 | 1:00.06-1:08.89 | 0:59.04-1:07.71 |
| 200 Free | 1:53.80-2:09.90 | 2:08.73-2:26.94 | 2:06.09-2:23.93 |
| 500 Free | 5:05.10-5:59.90 | 4:34.37-5:23.65 | 4:24.61-5:12.14 |
| 1650 Free | 17:25.70-19:59.90 | 17:41.62-20:18.17 | 17:12.28-19:44.50 |
| 100 Butterfly | 0:58.20-1:04.90 | 1:05.61-1:13.16 | 1:04.65-1:12.10 |
| 200 Butterfly | 2:08.90-2:24.90 | 2:24.66-2:42.62 | 2:23.20-2:40.98 |
| 100 Back | 0:59.00-1:05.90 | 1:07.58-1:15.48 | 1:05.54-1:13.21 |
| 200 Back | 2:07.20-2:24.90 | 2:25.03-2:45.22 | 2:21.31-2:40.98 |
| 100 Breast | 1:06.90-1:14.90 | 1:16.02-1:25.11 | 1:14.39-1:23.28 |
| 200 Breast | 2:24.70-2:24.90 | 2:42.95-3:00.06 | 2:40.90-2:57.80 |
| 200 IM | 2:09.30-2:24.90 | 2:27.43-2:45.22 | 2:23.52-2:40.83 |
| 400 IM | 4:33.40-5:09.90 | 5:12.10-5:53.76 | 5:03.47-5:43.98 |
Indicative swimming times for boys
The times below are
indicative recruitment times
for boys across the sport federations and divisions that facilitate collegiate swimming in the United States.
You can click on the different categories below and see the times required in the different disciplines.
| Event | Time (SCY) | Time (LCM) | Time (SCM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | 0:19.90 | 0:22.87 | 0:22.26 |
| 100 Free | 0:43.80 | 0:50.17 | 0:48.66 |
| 200 Free | 1:36.80 | 1:50.05 | 1:46.70 |
| 500 Free | 4:23.30 | 3:56.14 | 3:51.16 |
| 1650 Free | 15:26.10 | 15:49.84 | 15:14.21 |
| 100 Butterfly | 0:47.40 | 0:53.98 | 0:52.80 |
| 200 Butterfly | 1:46.70 | 2:01.80 | 1:58.85 |
| 100 Back | 1:45.00 | 0:55.78 | 0:52.99 |
| 200 Back | 0:54.30 | 2:00.82 | 1:56.55 |
| 100 Breast | 0:54.30 | 1:02.70 | 1:00.27 |
| 200 Breast | 1:58.40 | 2:16.40 | 2:11.42 |
| 200 IM | 1:46.80 | 2:03.18 | 1:58.65 |
| 400 IM | 3:52.50 | 4:28.78 | 4:18.30 |
| Event | Time (SCY) | Time (LCM) | Time (SCM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | 0:20.50-0:20.90 | 0:23.56-0:24.02 | 0:22.93-0:23.38 |
| 100 Free | 0:44.90-0:45.40 | 0:51.43-0:52.00 | 0:49.88-0:50.43 |
| 200 Free | 1:38.50-1:39.80 | 1:52.57-1:54.05 | 1:49.14-1:50.58 |
| 500 Free | 4:27.90-4:31.50 | 4:00.26-4:03.49 | 3:55.20-3:58.36 |
| 1650 Free | 15:36.90-15:46.90 | 16:00.92-16:11.17 | 15:24.87-15:34.74 |
| 100 Butterfly | 0:48.90-0:49.90 | 0:55.69-0:56.83 | 0:54.47-0:55.58 |
| 200 Butterfly | 1:49.90-1:52.10 | 2:05.45-2:07.96 | 2:02.42-2:04.87 |
| 100 Back | 0:49.00-0:50.80 | 0:57.30-0:59.41 | 0:54.43-0:56.43 |
| 200 Back | 1:48.50-1:50.60 | 2:04.85-2:07.27 | 2:00.43-2:02.76 |
| 100 Breast | 0:55.90-0:57.40 | 1:04.54-1:06.28 | 1:02.04-1:03.71 |
| 200 Breast | 2:02.50-2:05.70 | 2:21.12-2:24.81 | 2:15.97-2:19.52 |
| 200 IM | 1:49.50-1:51.50 | 2:05.29-2:08.60 | 2:01.65-2:03.87 |
| 400 IM | 3:55.90-4:00.20 | 4:32.71-4:37.68 | 4:22.08-4:26.85 |
| Event | Time (SCY) | Time (LCM) | Time (SCM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | 0:21.10-0:21.40 | 0:24.25-0:24.59 | 0:23.60-0:23.94 |
| 100 Free | 0:45.90-0:46.50 | 0:52.57-0:53.26 | 0:50.99-0:51.66 |
| 200 Free | 1:40.90-1:41.80 | 1:55.31-1:56.34 | 1:51.80-1:52.79 |
| 500 Free | 4:35.50-4:37.10 | 4:07.08-4:08.52 | 4:01.87-4:03.28 |
| 1650 Free | 15:55.90-16:05.00 | 16:20.41-16:29.74 | 15:43.63-15:52.61 |
| 100 Butterfly | 0:50.50-0:51.10 | 0:57.51-0:58.20 | 0:56.25-0:56.92 |
| 200 Butterfly | 1:52.90-1:53.70 | 2:08.88-2:09.79 | 2:05.76-2:06.65 |
| 100 Back | 0:51.50-0:52.10 | 1:00.23-1:00.93 | 0:57.21-0:57.88 |
| 200 Back | 1:51.90-1:52.80 | 2:08.76-2:09.80 | 2:04.20-2:05.20 |
| 100 Breast | 0:58.10-0:58.70 | 1:07.09-1:07.78 | 1:04.49-1:05.15 |
| 200 Breast | 2:07.50-2:09.60 | 2:26.88-2:29.30 | 2:21.52-2:23.85 |
| 200 IM | 1:53.50-1:55.10 | 2:10.91-2:12.75 | 2:06.09-2:07.87 |
| 400 IM | 4:04.90-4:07.60 | 4:43.12-4:46.24 | 4:32.08-4:35.08 |
| Event | Time (SCY) | Time (LCM) | Time (SCM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Free | 0:21.70-0:23.90 | 0:24.94-0:27.47 | 0:24.28-0:26.74 |
| 100 Free | 0:47.80-0:50.90 | 0:54.75-0:58.30 | 0:53.10-0:56.54 |
| 200 Free | 1:43.80-1:51.90 | 1:58.62-2:07.88 | 1:55.01-2:03.98 |
| 500 Free | 4:42.80-5:09.90 | 4:13.63-4:37.93 | 4:08.28-4:32.08 |
| 1650 Free | 16:24.40-17:59.90 | 16:49.64-18:27.58 | 16:11.76-17:46.04 |
| 100 Butterfly | 0:52.10-0:55.90 | 0:59.33-1:03.66 | 0:58.03-1:02.27 |
| 200 Butterfly | 1:55.10-2:09.90 | 2:11.39-2:28.28 | 2:08.21-2:24.70 |
| 100 Back | 0:53.40-0:56.90 | 1:02.45-1:06.54 | 0:59.32-1:03.21 |
| 200 Back | 1:54.90-2:09.90 | 2:12.22-2:29.48 | 2:07.53-2:24.18 |
| 100 Breast | 0:59.80-1:04.90 | 1:09.05-1:14.94 | 1:06.37-1:12.03 |
| 200 Breast | 2:08.70-2:19.90 | 2:29.42-2:41.17 | 2:23.96-2:35.28 |
| 200 IM | 1:57.10-2:09.90 | 2:15.06-2:29.82 | 2:10.09-2:24.31 |
| 400 IM | 4:11.20-4:29.90 | 4:50.40-5:12.02 | 4:39.08-4:59.85 |
Professional opportunities after college
Many world-class swimmers have developed their talents in college in the US.
In 2020, 20 different NCAA colleges were represented on the US Olympic swimming team at the Tokyo Olympics. (20!)
Future College swimmer?
Do you qualify for a scholarship at a US university? Fill in our Free Evaluation and we will evaluate your chances and get back to you as soon as possible!
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