D1 swimming · Big Ten

Northwestern University Women's Swimming

Evanston, IL

Competition level

Roster event summaries

Current 2025-26 roster percentiles. Recorded times are event-specific roster facts, not coach-issued recruiting cuts.

EventRecorded timesTop quarterRoster medianLower-quarter line
500 Free84:47.734:57.795:01.74
200 Free151:48.081:50.011:51.51
100 Breast61:00.561:02.021:03.36
50 Free1522.7623.4624.30
100 Back1053.9955.2256.12
1000 Free59:59.9110:04.3710:05.75
200 Breast72:13.562:16.662:20.18
200 IM82:02.172:04.872:06.71
100 Fly1453.8855.6857.22
200 Fly81:59.452:00.282:06.95
100 Free1349.7050.2950.81
200 Back51:55.771:59.822:00.00

Short-course yards. Events with fewer than four current swimmers with a recorded time are omitted from this summary.

Program identity

Division

D1

Conference

Big Ten

Type

Private · City

Roster health

Roster

34

Seniors

6

Intl

21%

Academics and cost

Acceptance

8%

6-yr grad

97%

Tuition

$68.3K

Academics

Northwestern is among the most selective schools in the country, with admit rates around 8%.

US News: #7 National

Selectivity

Very Selective

SAT range

1510–1570

ACT range

33–35

Median earnings

$77K

Strongest programs

Communications & MediaSocial SciencesBusiness

How program rankings work

Next steps

Continue the research

Use the team facts on this page as the starting point, then compare the same event, conference, and academic priorities.

Frequently asked questions

How competitive is Northwestern's swim program?

Championship results for Northwestern aren't available yet for the 2025–26 season.

What times do I need to make Northwestern's swim team?

Roster times vary by event, but a swimmer aiming for Northwestern's roster typically needs to be near or below 500 Free (5:01.74), 200 Free (1:51.51), 400 IM (4:18.58) — the top 75% of the current roster. Use the roster event-times table above to compare the full current team by event.

Does Northwestern recruit internationally?

Yes. 20.6% of Northwestern's current roster is international (7 of 34 swimmers from outside the USA). The program has swimmers from Australia, Greece, Russia, Brazil, and Bulgaria.

What's the academic profile at Northwestern?

Northwestern's acceptance rate is 8%, the school is ranked #7 National by US News, the 6-year graduation rate is 97%, median earnings 6 years after graduation are $77K.

How many swimmers does Northwestern send to NCAAs?

Championship results for Northwestern aren't available yet for the 2025–26 season.