by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 446 schools for Women’s Lacrosse 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:
Middlebury College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Middlebury, VT. The program generates about $15,390 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,390 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bowdoin College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Brunswick, ME. Team revenue averages $14,082 per participant, with expenses of about $12,990 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Chicago ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Chicago, IL, University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,269 per participant, with expenses of about $10,269 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tufts University is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse, at #4. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit school based in Medford, MA. The program generates about $11,426 in revenue per athlete, against $11,426 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Colby College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waterville, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,548, with expenses of about $13,548 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,548, compared with $12,548 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Swarthmore College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Swarthmore, PA. The program generates about $12,278 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,975 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Vanderbilt University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $83,265 per participant, with expenses of about $83,265 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,235.
Stanford University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $85,239 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $85,239 per participant. The school awards about $42,012 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clemson University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997. Team revenue averages $97,221 per participant, against $97,221 in expenses. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Notre Dame came in at #11 in this year's ranking. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school based in Notre Dame, IN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $81,924 per participant, with expenses of about $81,924 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,391.
Williams College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,645 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,645 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwestern University landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Northwestern University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 94% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,002, against $75,776 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $53,919 per athlete.
Bates College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Lewiston, ME, Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,171 per participant, compared with $9,868 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado College placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,481 per participant, compared with $17,637 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,478 per athlete.
Hamilton College landed the #16 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, NY. Team revenue averages $9,546 per participant, compared with $9,546 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Southern California landed the #17 spot this year. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school based in Los Angeles, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 998, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 96%. Team revenue averages $73,294 per participant, against $73,294 in expenses. The school awards about $40,006 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,009 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,292 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
University of South Florida placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Tampa, FL, University of South Florida is a public institution. University of South Florida records an NCAA APR of 1000. The program generates about $49,475 in revenue per athlete, against $49,475 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,287.
Boston College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $114,421 in revenue per athlete, against $114,421 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,391 per athlete.
Wellesley College placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA. Team revenue averages $7,779 per participant, compared with $7,779 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Washington and Lee University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,769, against $6,633 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Boston University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Boston University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 97%. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $57,565 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $57,565 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.
University of Maryland-College Park came in at #24 in this year's ranking. University of Maryland-College Park is a public school based in College Park, MD. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,222, against $63,584 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $30,606.
Johns Hopkins University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997. The federal graduation rate stands at 87%. Team revenue averages $54,524 per participant, compared with $54,524 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,612 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
Explore the rest of the top 20% below:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 52 | Gettysburg College | Gettysburg, PA |
| 53 | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO |
| 54 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
| 55 | University of California-Davis | Davis, CA |
| 56 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA |
| 57 | Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 58 | Union College | Schenectady, NY |
| 59 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 60 | Loyola University Maryland | Baltimore, MD |
| 61 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 62 | University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley, CA |
| 63 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 64 | Duke University | Durham, NC |
| 65 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 67 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
These colleges narrowly missed the top tiers:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 68 | DePauw University | Greencastle, IN |
| 69 | Haverford College | Haverford, PA |
| 70 | Rockhurst University | Kansas City, MO |
| 71 | American University | Washington, DC |
| 72 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 73 | Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT |
| 74 | Elizabethtown College | Elizabethtown, PA |
| 75 | Monmouth University | West Long Branch, NJ |
| 76 | Dickinson College | Carlisle, PA |
| 77 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 78 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 79 | Adelphi University | Garden City, NY |
| 80 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | University Park, PA |
| 81 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 82 | Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 83 | Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 84 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
| 85 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg, VA |
| 86 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 87 | Rollins College | Winter Park, FL |
| 88 | University of Scranton | Scranton, PA |
| 89 | Oberlin College | Oberlin, OH |
| 90 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Amherst, MA |
*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.