by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 49 programs for Men’s Lacrosse by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Use the shortcuts below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Villanova University this year for Men's Lacrosse. Based in Villanova, PA, Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution. Villanova University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $42,853 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $42,853 per participant. The school awards about $25,480 in athletic aid per athlete.
Swarthmore College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Swarthmore, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,200, compared with $5,388 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in University Park, PA, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 999, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 84%. Team revenue averages $26,012 per participant, against $49,748 in expenses. The school awards about $25,170 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lehigh University is one of the top schools for Men's Lacrosse, at #4. Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bethlehem, PA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $38,673 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $38,673 per participant. The school awards about $19,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lafayette College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Lacrosse. Located in Easton, PA, Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution. Lafayette College records an NCAA APR of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. The program generates about $37,682 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $37,682 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,987 per athlete.
Gettysburg College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Gettysburg, PA. Team revenue averages $7,624 per participant, with expenses of about $7,624 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,885 per participant, against $6,366 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Dickinson College did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Carlisle, PA. Team revenue averages $5,883 per participant, with expenses of about $4,906 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Muhlenberg College landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Allentown, PA, Muhlenberg College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,254 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,254 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Haverford College landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Haverford, PA, Haverford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,565, with expenses of about $4,511 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Scranton did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Scranton, PA, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,516, compared with $5,516 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Messiah University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mechanicsburg, PA. The program generates about $5,038 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,062 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bucknell University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lewisburg, PA. Bucknell University records an NCAA APR of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. The program generates about $34,026 in revenue per athlete, compared with $34,026 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,655.
Ursinus College placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Collegeville, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,541, compared with $5,541 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pennsylvania ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. Team revenue averages $25,306 per participant, with expenses of about $25,306 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Robert Morris University placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Lacrosse. Robert Morris University is a private not-for-profit school based in Moon Township, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,804, compared with $17,804 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,083 per athlete.
Seton Hill University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Greensburg, PA, Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,433 per participant, with expenses of about $13,433 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,657 per athlete.
Elizabethtown College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elizabethtown, PA. Team revenue averages $3,379 per participant, with expenses of about $3,379 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Moravian University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. Based in Bethlehem, PA, Moravian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,706, against $3,819 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,199 per participant, compared with $4,122 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Allegheny College landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,253 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,253 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
DeSales University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,725 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,257 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drexel University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 972, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Team revenue averages $31,452 per participant, with expenses of about $31,452 per participant. The school awards about $25,843 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Vincent College landed the #24 spot this year. Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit school based in Latrobe, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,658, against $4,658 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Holy Family University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Lacrosse. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Holy Family University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,744 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,517 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,523 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.