by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 11 schools 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than University of Virginia-Main Campus this year for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Located in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 97%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,552, compared with $60,552 spent per athlete. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Richmond earned the #2 place for student athletes. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school based in University of Richmond, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,507, compared with $53,507 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
James Madison University landed the #3 spot for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). James Madison University is a public school based in Harrisonburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. The program generates about $49,161 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,161 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,945 per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public school based in Blacksburg, VA. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,915, compared with $67,891 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $29,706 per athlete.
William & Mary ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 93%. The program generates about $32,904 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,595 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Virginia Commonwealth University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Based in Richmond, VA, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 87% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $40,315 per participant, with expenses of about $40,315 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,187 per athlete.
Liberty University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Lynchburg, VA, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. The program generates about $45,642 in revenue per athlete, against $45,642 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,589 per athlete.
Old Dominion University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $27,408 per participant, compared with $27,408 spent per athlete. The school awards about $24,728 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Mason University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Located in Fairfax, VA, George Mason University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,997, against $38,997 in expenses. The school awards about $11,956 in athletic aid per athlete.
Longwood University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division I). Longwood University is a public school based in Farmville, VA. Longwood University records an NCAA APR of 982, alongside a GSR of 83%. About 63% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,550, compared with $23,205 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,569 per athlete.
Radford University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $11,650 per participant, compared with $11,650 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,467.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.