By Will Baxley on SwimSwam
The NCAA keeps a public base of data on international students. This article will break down the swimming & diving parameters, including the top countries of origin, the percentage in the sport, and growth trends over time.
Countries Of Origin
Listed below are the top 10 countries for D1 and D2 men and women for the 2021-22 season. The NCAA doesn’t provide data for D3. Unsurprisingly, many top countries of origin are geographically close to and/or diplomatically aligned with the U.S. The countries also typically have English as an official language or a high percentage of English speakers.
There are more international women in NCAA swimming than international men, consistent with more total roster spots in women’s swimming than in men’s.
Division 1 Men
| CANADA | 43 |
| POLAND | 25 |
| SPAIN | 24 |
| SWEDEN | 22 |
| ISRAEL | 21 |
| SOUTH AFRICA | 21 |
| BRAZIL | 20 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 19 |
| AUSTRALIA | 17 |
| MEXICO | 17 |
Division 1 Women
| CANADA | 132 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 65 |
| MEXICO | 40 |
| SOUTH AFRICA | 34 |
| ITALY | 32 |
| SPAIN | 31 |
| AUSTRALIA | 30 |
| GERMANY | 27 |
| SWEDEN | 24 |
| HUNGARY | 21 |
| POLAND | 21 |
Division 2 Men
| BRAZIL | 31 |
| GERMANY | 22 |
| SPAIN | 15 |
| CANADA | 14 |
| POLAND | 14 |
| SOUTH AFRICA | 14 |
| ITALY | 12 |
| SWEDEN | 11 |
| EGYPT | 8 |
| BAHAMAS | 7 |
| CROATIA | 7 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 7 |
Division 2 Women
| CANADA | 35 |
| GERMANY | 23 |
| SOUTH AFRICA | 17 |
| BRAZIL | 16 |
| SPAIN | 14 |
| MEXICO | 10 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 10 |
| SWEDEN | 9 |
| AUSTRALIA | 7 |
| HUNGARY | 7 |
| ISRAEL | 7 |
Percentage of Total Athletes
The table below shows the percentage of total athletes in each division and gender that are international. In Division 1, swimming & diving falls in the middle of the pack compared to other sports, while in Division 2 international swimmers are on the higher end percentage-wise. Tennis is the only sport in which a majority of athletes are international.
| Division and Gender | Percentage of International Athletes (2022) |
| Men’s Division 1 | 15% |
| Women’s Division 1 | 15% |
| Men’s Division 2 | 15% |
| Women’s Division 2 | 11% |
International Participation Over Time
The webpage also shows parameters in international student-athlete trends over time from 2017-2022. Apart from women’s division 1 swimming, the number of international swimmers did not significantly grow or shrink.
| 2017 International First-Years | 2022 International First-Years | % Change | |
| Men’s D1 | 99 | 95 | -3% |
| Women’s D1 | 157 | 175 | 11% |
| Men’s D2 | 72 | 72 | 0% |
| Women’s D2 | 67 | 69 | 3% |
International student policy in the U.S. has been a topic in political news this month. Several top universities advised their international students to return to the country before president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in case of new travel or immigration restrictions.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Where Do International NCAA Swimmers Come From?