by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 27 colleges for Women’s Lacrosse (Division III) 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:
Leading the list is Hamilton College, our #1 college for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,546 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,546 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vassar College is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse (Division III), at #2. Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,540 per participant, with expenses of about $8,540 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Union College is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse (Division III), at #3. Located in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,293 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,637 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,499 per athlete.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Troy, NY, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,527 in revenue per athlete, against $6,810 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,263.
University of Rochester is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse (Division III), at #5. Located in Rochester, NY, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,737 per participant, with expenses of about $5,699 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ithaca College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,684 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,684 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. John Fisher University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Rochester, NY, St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,441 per participant, against $7,260 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Skidmore College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Skidmore College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Team revenue averages $5,755 per participant, with expenses of about $5,755 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Rochester, NY, Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,183 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,284 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,070 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Geneva, NY, Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,836, against $13,836 in expenses. The school awards about $50 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Lawrence University landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Canton, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,070, against $5,070 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
Clarkson University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Potsdam, NY, Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,387 in revenue per athlete, against $5,420 in expenses. The school awards about $4,842 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bard College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Bard College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Team revenue averages $7,278 per participant, against $7,278 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
State University of New York at New Paltz ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in New Paltz, NY, State University of New York at New Paltz is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,998, against $7,064 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Nazareth University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Rochester, NY, Nazareth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,923, compared with $5,124 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
State University of New York at Cortland ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). This public school is set in Cortland, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,783, with expenses of about $5,783 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Alfred University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Alfred, NY. The program generates about $7,716 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,558 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Russell Sage College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Russell Sage College is a private not-for-profit school based in Troy, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,001, compared with $4,966 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Farmingdale State College placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). This public school is set in Farmingdale, NY. Team revenue averages $5,073 per participant, against $4,990 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Manhattanville University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Purchase, NY, Manhattanville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,237 per participant, against $6,238 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Mount Saint Vincent did well this year, earning the #21 position. University of Mount Saint Vincent is a private not-for-profit school based in Bronx, NY. Team revenue averages $5,055 per participant, compared with $4,922 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at Oswego landed the #22 spot this year. State University of New York at Oswego is a public school based in Oswego, NY. Team revenue averages $4,165 per participant, compared with $4,205 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hartwick College did well this year, earning the #23 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Oneonta, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,769, with expenses of about $7,769 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Elmira College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Elmira, NY, Elmira College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,002, against $3,002 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Keuka College placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Keuka Park, NY, Keuka College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,993, compared with $5,993 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.