by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 6 schools for Men’s Lacrosse (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
University of Notre Dame tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division I). Located in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 97% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $71,376 in revenue per athlete, against $71,376 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $34,391 per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Ann Arbor, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $5,537 in revenue per athlete, against $60,229 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $28,650 per athlete.
Marquette University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Milwaukee, WI. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 74% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,933, compared with $42,933 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,770 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Men's Lacrosse (Division I), at #4. Located in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Ohio State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 989, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $70,326, compared with $70,326 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cleveland State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Lacrosse (Division I). This public school is set in Cleveland, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,157, with expenses of about $13,359 per participant. The school awards about $8,645 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Detroit Mercy placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Detroit, MI. University of Detroit Mercy records an NCAA APR of 957, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $17,272 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,272 per participant. The school awards about $11,135 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
See our data sources and methodologies.