Swimming recruiting standards are the most objective in all of college sports. There are no subjective evaluations, no film breakdowns, no coach opinions about "upside." Your swimmer's times — verified, in short course yards — determine which division level they can realistically target. A coach can look at a time, compare it to their roster and recruiting class, and make a decision in seconds. That clarity is an advantage for families, but only if you know what the benchmarks actually are.
Most recruiting sites say times need to be "competitive" without defining what that means at each level. This article provides specific SCY time ranges by event and division — D1 power conference, D1 mid-major, D2, and D3 — so your family can assess fit honestly rather than guessing optimistically.
How swimming recruiting standards work
Swimming recruiting operates on a single currency: time. Unlike team sports where coaches evaluate film, game IQ, and intangibles, swimming coaches evaluate performance data. Your swimmer's best times — in their primary events, verified at sanctioned meets — are the first, second, and third most important element of their recruiting profile.
SCY is the standard. NCAA competition uses short course yards (SCY), and coaches recruit in SCY times. If your swimmer's best times are in long course meters (LCM) from summer competition, coaches will convert them — but presenting SCY times directly removes a step and shows you understand how recruiting works. Most recruiting conversations reference SCY exclusively.
SwimCloud is the verification layer. College coaches search SwimCloud the way baseball scouts search Perfect Game profiles. Every USA Swimming-sanctioned meet result feeds into SwimCloud automatically, creating a verified competition history that coaches can search by event, time, graduation year, and location. If your swimmer doesn't have a SwimCloud profile, coaches may never find them. If they do have one, their times are doing recruiting work 24/7 — even when you're not sending emails.
Meet context matters. A time swum at Futures or Junior Nationals carries more weight than the same time at a low-level dual meet. Coaches know which meets produce fast times from strong competition and which produce fast times from weak fields. The time is the time, but where it was swum adds context.
Time progression is a recruiting signal. A junior whose 200 free has dropped from 1:48 to 1:42 in 12 months is more interesting than a senior sitting at 1:41 who hasn't improved in a year. Coaches recruit trajectories — they're projecting what your swimmer will do after two years of college training. Include time progressions in every coach communication. For how to present that data effectively, see our guide on how to email a swimming college coach.
Freestyle event recruiting standards by division
Freestyle events are the backbone of every college swimming roster. The times below represent approximate ranges where coaches begin serious recruiting conversations at each level. Within D1, "power conference" refers to programs in the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC, and Big 12; "mid-major" covers programs in conferences like the AAC, A-10, CAA, and similar.
Men's freestyle (SCY):
| Event | D1 Power Conference | D1 Mid-major | D2 | D3 |
|---|
| 50 Free | 19.5–20.5 | 20.5–21.5 | 21.5–22.5 | 22.0–23.5 |
| 100 Free | 43.5–46.0 | 46.0–48.0 | 48.0–50.0 | 49.0–52.0 |
| 200 Free | 1:35–1:40 | 1:40–1:44 | 1:44–1:49 | 1:47–1:53 |
| 500 Free | 4:20–4:32 | 4:32–4:48 | 4:48–5:05 | 4:58–5:20 |
| 1000 Free | 9:00–9:25 | 9:25–10:00 | 10:00–10:35 | 10:20–11:00 |
| 1650 Free | 15:00–15:40 | 15:40–16:30 | 16:30–17:20 | 17:00–18:15 |
Women's freestyle (SCY):
| Event | D1 Power Conference | D1 Mid-major | D2 | D3 |
|---|
| 50 Free | 22.5–23.5 | 23.5–24.5 | 24.5–25.5 | 25.0–26.5 |
| 100 Free | 49.0–51.0 | 51.0–53.5 | 53.5–56.0 | 55.0–58.0 |
| 200 Free | 1:47–1:51 | 1:51–1:56 | 1:56–2:02 | 2:00–2:07 |
| 500 Free | 4:48–5:00 | 5:00–5:15 | 5:15–5:35 | 5:30–5:50 |
| 1000 Free | 9:55–10:20 | 10:20–10:55 | 10:55–11:30 | 11:20–12:00 |
| 1650 Free | 16:20–17:00 | 17:00–17:50 | 17:50–18:45 | 18:30–19:30 |
Distance swimmers have a structural advantage in recruiting. The 1000 and 1650 are events that many programs struggle to fill with depth. A swimmer whose 500/1000/1650 times are in range for a program — even at the lower end — may receive more recruiting attention than a sprinter at the same relative level, simply because distance spots are harder to recruit. Coaches also value distance swimmers who can score points in multiple events (500 and 1650, or 200 and 500) because they provide lineup flexibility.
Stroke event recruiting standards by division
Stroke specialists — backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly — are recruited with the same times-first approach as freestylers, but the talent pool is narrower in each stroke. This creates opportunities for swimmers who may not be fast enough in freestyle to draw interest but who are competitive in a specific stroke.
Men's stroke events (SCY):
| Event | D1 Power Conference | D1 Mid-major | D2 | D3 |
|---|
| 100 Back | 47.0–49.5 | 49.5–52.0 | 52.0–55.0 | 54.0–57.5 |
| 200 Back | 1:42–1:47 | 1:47–1:53 | 1:53–1:59 | 1:57–2:05 |
| 100 Breast | 53.0–56.0 | 56.0–59.0 | 59.0–1:02 | 1:01–1:05 |
| 200 Breast | 1:56–2:02 | 2:02–2:09 | 2:09–2:16 | 2:14–2:22 |
| 100 Fly | 47.0–49.5 | 49.5–52.0 | 52.0–55.0 | 54.0–57.0 |
| 200 Fly | 1:44–1:49 | 1:49–1:55 | 1:55–2:02 | 2:00–2:08 |
Women's stroke events (SCY):
| Event | D1 Power Conference | D1 Mid-major | D2 | D3 |
|---|
| 100 Back | 53.5–56.0 | 56.0–59.0 | 59.0–1:02 | 1:01–1:05 |
| 200 Back | 1:56–2:02 | 2:02–2:08 | 2:08–2:15 | 2:13–2:22 |
| 100 Breast | 1:01–1:04 | 1:04–1:08 | 1:08–1:12 | 1:10–1:15 |
| 200 Breast | 2:13–2:20 | 2:20–2:28 | 2:28–2:36 | 2:34–2:43 |
| 100 Fly | 53.5–56.0 | 56.0–59.0 | 59.0–1:02 | 1:01–1:05 |
| 200 Fly | 1:58–2:04 | 2:04–2:11 | 2:11–2:19 | 2:17–2:25 |
Breaststroke is the hardest stroke to recruit. Quality breaststrokers are scarce at every division level, which gives breaststroke specialists slightly more leverage than swimmers in other strokes at equivalent competitive levels. A breaststroker whose times are at the lower end of a D1 mid-major range may still draw genuine interest because programs have fewer options to choose from.
Butterfly and backstroke versatility adds value. A swimmer who can race both the 100 fly and the 200 IM, or both backstroke events and the 200 free, provides relay and lineup flexibility that coaches value highly. If your swimmer has competitive times in multiple stroke events, present them all — coaches build rosters around versatile athletes.
IM and diving recruiting standards by division
The individual medley is the versatility event — and coaches use it as a signal of overall swimming ability. IM swimmers who can also contribute in one or two individual stroke events are among the most valuable recruits at every level.
IM recruiting standards (SCY):
| Event | D1 Power Conference | D1 Mid-major | D2 | D3 |
|---|
| Men's 200 IM | 1:46–1:51 | 1:51–1:57 | 1:57–2:04 | 2:02–2:10 |
| Men's 400 IM | 3:50–4:02 | 4:02–4:18 | 4:18–4:35 | 4:30–4:50 |
| Women's 200 IM | 2:00–2:06 | 2:06–2:13 | 2:13–2:21 | 2:19–2:28 |
| Women's 400 IM | 4:18–4:32 | 4:32–4:48 | 4:48–5:05 | 5:00–5:20 |
Diving recruiting operates differently from swimming. Diving doesn't have the same objective time-based evaluation — scores vary by judging panel and competition format, making direct comparisons less reliable. College diving coaches evaluate primarily through video of training sessions and meets, focusing on technique, degree of difficulty, and consistency.
Diving and swimming share a single scholarship budget (there is no separate diving allocation), which means divers compete for a small slice of the overall pool. The practical standards for diving recruiting:
- D1 diving: Regional or zone qualifying scores, success at Junior Olympics or Futures diving, a list of dives including at least one in each category with competitive degree of difficulty
- D2 diving: State-level competition results, solid technique video showing 1-meter and 3-meter (if applicable), and a developing list with reasonable degree of difficulty
- D3 diving: Competitive high school diving, willingness to develop, and strong technique fundamentals on basic dives
For how diving scholarships fit within the swimming allocation, see our swimming athletic scholarships guide.
How to benchmark your swimmer's times against recruiting thresholds
The tables above give you the ranges. Here's how to use them practically.
Step 1: Identify your swimmer's primary events.
Most swimmers are recruited for two to four events. A distance freestyler might be recruited for the 500, 1000, and 1650. A sprint backstroker might be recruited for the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM. Focus on the events where your swimmer's times are strongest relative to the division benchmarks — those are the events that determine their recruiting level.
Step 2: Compare SCY times to the division ranges.
Be honest. If your swimmer's best events fall in the D2 range, their realistic target list should center on D2 programs with selective D1 mid-majors as reaches. If their times are D3-level, targeting D1 programs wastes everyone's time. The ranges overlap between divisions intentionally — a swimmer at the high end of D2 may draw interest from lower-tier D1 programs, and a swimmer at the high end of D3 may be competitive at some D2 schools.
Step 3: Factor in time progression.
A sophomore with D2 times who has been dropping consistently may project into D1 range by senior year. Coaches recruit trajectories. If your swimmer's times have improved significantly over the past 12–18 months, target one level above where their current times sit — but be transparent about where the times are now versus where you project them to go.
Step 4: Check program-specific standards.
Many D1 and D2 programs publish event-specific recruiting standards on their athletics website. Search "[school name] swimming recruiting standards" or check the team's recruiting questionnaire page. Published standards are always more accurate than general ranges. For another time-based sport that uses the same approach, see how track and field recruiting standards work across divisions.
Step 5: Build a realistic target list.
Create a list of 15–25 programs where your swimmer's times are genuinely competitive. Include a mix: a few reach programs where times are at the lower end of the range, a core group where times match well, and several programs where your swimmer would be a strong addition. Then send targeted emails to each — the swimming recruiting timeline covers when to start and how the contact calendar works.
The bottom line
Swimming recruiting standards are real numbers with real consequences. Your swimmer's SCY times determine which doors open and which don't — and coaches can verify every time on SwimCloud in seconds. That transparency is an advantage if your family uses it honestly: assess where the times fall, target the right division level, and invest your recruiting energy in programs where the fit is genuine.
The families who navigate this well are the ones who know the numbers, track the progression, and match the target list to reality. A swimmer with strong D2 times who targets 20 well-matched D2 programs and five realistic D1 mid-majors will have a better recruiting outcome than one with the same times who emails 30 Power Five programs and hears nothing back.
For the full recruiting timeline — when coaches evaluate, when contact periods open, and how scholarship conversations unfold — see the swimming recruiting timeline. For the financial picture — including how the 9.9 men's and 14.0 women's equivalency limits affect individual scholarship offers — the swimming athletic scholarships guide covers the math. And when you're ready to present your swimmer's times to coaches, the swimming coach email guide covers the format, subject line, and follow-up strategy that gets responses.