by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 14 schools for Women’s Lacrosse (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
University of Notre Dame earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Located in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $81,924 per participant, compared with $81,924 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,391 per athlete.
Northwestern University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Evanston, IL. 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. The school awards about $53,919 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus landed the #3 spot for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). This public school is set in Columbus, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $53,938 per participant, with expenses of about $53,938 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 97%. Team revenue averages $6,424 per participant, against $70,677 in expenses. The school awards about $28,650 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Cincinnati, OH, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 84%. The program generates about $37,020 in revenue per athlete, against $37,020 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,882.
Marquette University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Marquette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Milwaukee, WI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 87% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,910, with expenses of about $39,910 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,770.
Xavier University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. Xavier University records an NCAA APR of 983. Team revenue averages $24,762 per participant, against $24,762 in expenses. The school awards about $20,280 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, and a 0% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $28,157 in revenue per athlete, against $28,157 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,547.
Butler University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Located in Indianapolis, IN, Butler University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $25,555 per participant, against $25,575 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,113 per athlete.
Kent State University at Kent placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Kent, OH, Kent State University at Kent is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 998, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,380, compared with $21,380 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,976.
University of Detroit Mercy placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Detroit, MI. University of Detroit Mercy records an NCAA APR of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $23,612 per participant, against $23,611 in expenses. The school awards about $11,135 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Michigan University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Mount Pleasant, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,476, compared with $18,476 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,123.
Youngstown State University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Youngstown State University is a public school based in Youngstown, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 984. Team revenue averages $18,585 per participant, against $18,585 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,634.
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Akron, OH, University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,723, compared with $12,723 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,189 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.