by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 37 schools for Women’s Lacrosse (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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 Swarthmore College, our #1 college for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Swarthmore, PA, Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,278, compared with $11,975 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,009, with expenses of about $12,292 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Gettysburg College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,144, with expenses of about $8,144 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Haverford College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Haverford, PA. Team revenue averages $6,254 per participant, compared with $6,244 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Dickinson College landed the #5 spot for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. Team revenue averages $6,543 per participant, with expenses of about $6,129 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elizabethtown College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit school based in Elizabethtown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,172, compared with $8,172 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Scranton came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Scranton, PA, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,388 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,388 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Muhlenberg College did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Allentown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,440, against $6,440 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Moravian University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bethlehem, PA. The program generates about $8,498 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,069 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Messiah University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Mechanicsburg, PA, Messiah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,107 in revenue per athlete, against $5,637 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annville, PA. The program generates about $6,499 in revenue per athlete, against $6,471 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Allegheny College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,691 in revenue per athlete, against $10,691 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Vincent College landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Latrobe, PA, Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,746 in revenue per athlete, against $6,746 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
DeSales University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,123, against $7,932 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Huntingdon, PA, Juniata College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,919, with expenses of about $7,361 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Susquehanna University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Selinsgrove, PA. The program generates about $5,412 in revenue per athlete, against $5,412 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Arcadia University placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Glenside, PA, Arcadia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,334 per participant, with expenses of about $8,334 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ursinus College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Collegeville, PA. Team revenue averages $4,661 per participant, with expenses of about $4,661 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Misericordia University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Located in Dallas, PA, Misericordia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,093 per participant, against $5,093 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Marywood University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Scranton, PA, Marywood University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,696 per participant, against $4,194 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Widener University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Chester, PA, Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,929, against $5,524 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Chatham University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, Chatham University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,444 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,444 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lycoming College landed the #23 spot this year. Based in Williamsport, PA, Lycoming College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,598, against $6,339 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Eastern University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Davids, PA, Eastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,424 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,116 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alvernia University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse (Division III). Based in Reading, PA, Alvernia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,366, with expenses of about $6,248 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.