by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 23 programs for Men’s Lacrosse by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Denison University this year for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Granville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,476, compared with $9,476 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Cleveland State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Cleveland State University is a public school based in Cleveland, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,157, compared with $13,359 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,645 per athlete.
Ohio Northern University is one of the top schools for Men's Lacrosse, at #3. Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ada, OH. The program generates about $8,326 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,326 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
John Carroll University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Lacrosse. Based in University Heights, OH, John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,679 in revenue per athlete, against $6,679 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kenyon College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. Located in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,098 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,098 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
The College of Wooster did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Wooster, OH, The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,526, against $5,430 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oberlin College placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Oberlin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,261, compared with $4,261 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. Based in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $70,326, against $70,326 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Steubenville, OH. Team revenue averages $3,293 per participant, with expenses of about $2,729 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Walsh University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Canton, OH. The program generates about $12,198 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,180 per participant. The school awards about $5,087 in athletic aid per athlete.
Baldwin Wallace University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Berea, OH. Team revenue averages $5,768 per participant, with expenses of about $5,768 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #12 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Delaware, OH. The program generates about $6,761 in revenue per athlete, against $6,761 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Otterbein University landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Westerville, OH, Otterbein University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,791 in revenue per athlete, against $3,714 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Malone University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. Located in Canton, OH, Malone University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,653 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,653 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,372 per athlete.
Capital University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Columbus, OH, Capital University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,804 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,804 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mount Union did well this year, earning the #16 position. University of Mount Union is a private not-for-profit school based in Alliance, OH. Team revenue averages $5,220 per participant, against $5,220 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Tiffin University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Tiffin, OH, Tiffin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,401 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,401 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,785 per athlete.
Lake Erie College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. Based in Painesville, OH, Lake Erie College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,536 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,536 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,781 per athlete.
Wittenberg University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. Wittenberg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,973, against $4,973 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Muskingum University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. Based in New Concord, OH, Muskingum University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,333, compared with $5,333 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Marietta College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Based in Marietta, OH, Marietta College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,904, compared with $3,907 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hiram College ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. Hiram College is a private not-for-profit school based in Hiram, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,122, with expenses of about $4,122 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Heidelberg University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Heidelberg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tiffin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,450, against $5,450 in expenses. The school awards about $0 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.