by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 8 colleges for Women’s Lacrosse (Division I) 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.
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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Boston College, our #1 college for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Located in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $114,421, with expenses of about $114,421 per participant. Athletic aid averages $29,391 per athlete.
Boston University landed the #2 spot for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 97%. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,565, with expenses of about $57,565 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.
College of the Holy Cross ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. Team revenue averages $38,617 per participant, compared with $38,617 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,801 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst landed the #4 spot for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,764, compared with $38,764 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,175 per athlete.
Harvard University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $37,720 per participant, against $37,720 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Merrimack College did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Andover, MA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,400, against $29,400 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). University of Massachusetts-Lowell is a public school based in Lowell, MA. University of Massachusetts-Lowell records an NCAA APR of 998, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. About 68% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,975, with expenses of about $29,975 per participant. The school awards about $11,361 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stonehill College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Stonehill College records an NCAA APR of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,822, against $24,822 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,278.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.