by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 10 schools for Women’s Lacrosse (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
No school ranked higher than Duke University this year for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. Duke University records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 97%. About 93% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $63,718 per participant, compared with $77,183 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse (Division I), at #2. Located in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 93% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $46,274 per participant, with expenses of about $63,854 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,771 per athlete.
Elon University is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse (Division I), at #3. Based in Elon, NC, Elon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $33,793 in revenue per athlete, compared with $33,793 spent per athlete. The school awards about $25,795 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public school based in Charlotte, NC. University of North Carolina at Charlotte records an NCAA APR of 1000. The program generates about $34,837 in revenue per athlete, against $34,970 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,522.
High Point University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in High Point, NC. High Point University records an NCAA APR of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,891, with expenses of about $35,508 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,469.
East Carolina University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). East Carolina University is a public school based in Greenville, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 66%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,584, with expenses of about $34,106 per participant. The school awards about $12,584 in athletic aid per athlete.
Campbell University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Campbell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buies Creek, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $29,304 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,304 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,433.
Davidson College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Davidson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Davidson, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 93%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,150, compared with $20,465 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,830 in athletic aid per athlete.
Queens University of Charlotte came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school based in Charlotte, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,026, with expenses of about $25,026 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,282 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boiling Springs, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. The program generates about $17,805 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,805 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,936.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.