by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 38 schools for Men’s Lacrosse (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Denison University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Granville, OH, Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,476 per participant, compared with $9,476 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University is one of the top schools for Men's Lacrosse (Division III), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bloomington, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,738, compared with $5,738 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
DePauw University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Greencastle, IN, DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,605 per participant, with expenses of about $7,605 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio Northern University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ada, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,326, against $8,326 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Calvin University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,921 per participant, compared with $5,921 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
John Carroll University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in University Heights, OH, John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,679 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,679 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lawrence University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Appleton, WI, Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,327 per participant, compared with $7,327 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Kalamazoo College placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,219, compared with $5,219 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Kenyon College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,098 in revenue per athlete, against $4,098 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,795 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,795 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
The College of Wooster landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Wooster, OH, The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,526 per participant, compared with $5,430 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oberlin College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Oberlin, OH. Team revenue averages $4,261 per participant, against $4,261 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hope College placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Holland, MI. Team revenue averages $3,023 per participant, against $3,023 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Milwaukee School of Engineering did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,073, with expenses of about $5,073 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Earlham College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Richmond, IN, Earlham College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,626 per participant, against $9,626 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,856, against $3,906 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville did well this year, earning the #17 position. Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit school based in Steubenville, OH. The program generates about $3,293 in revenue per athlete, against $2,729 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Baldwin Wallace University did well this year, earning the #18 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Berea, OH. The program generates about $5,768 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,768 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Elmhurst University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elmhurst, IL. The program generates about $6,469 in revenue per athlete, against $6,469 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lake Forest College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lake Forest, IL. Team revenue averages $3,424 per participant, with expenses of about $3,424 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hanover College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, IN. Team revenue averages $6,940 per participant, compared with $6,940 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Otterbein University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Westerville, OH. The program generates about $4,791 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,714 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Alma College came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Located in Alma, MI, Alma College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,575, against $6,575 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio Wesleyan University placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Delaware, OH, Ohio Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,761, with expenses of about $6,761 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Capital University placed #25 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse (Division III). Capital University is a private not-for-profit school based in Columbus, OH. Team revenue averages $4,804 per participant, compared with $4,804 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.