by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 6 programs for Women’s Lacrosse (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Stanford University this year for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $85,239 per participant, with expenses of about $85,239 per participant. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
University of Southern California ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $73,294 per participant, against $73,294 in expenses. The school awards about $40,006 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Berkeley came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). University of California-Berkeley is a public school based in Berkeley, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 97% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,091, compared with $48,091 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,267.
San Diego State University is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse (Division I), at #4. Located in San Diego, CA, San Diego State University is a public institution. San Diego State University records an NCAA APR of 998, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $48,538 in revenue per athlete, compared with $39,127 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,450.
University of California-Davis earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Davis, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 999, alongside a GSR of 97%. Its federal graduation rate is 94%. Team revenue averages $31,834 per participant, compared with $31,834 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,267 per athlete.
University of Oregon came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Eugene, OR, University of Oregon is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 72%. Team revenue averages $5,624 per participant, compared with $66,136 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $22,739 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.