by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 21 colleges for Women’s Lacrosse 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Stanford University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $85,239 per participant, against $85,239 in expenses. The school awards about $42,012 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whitman College is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse, at #2. Whitman College is a private not-for-profit school based in Walla Walla, WA. The program generates about $11,110 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,063 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Occidental College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit school based in Los Angeles, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,259, against $8,331 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Southern California is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Los Angeles, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 96%. The program generates about $73,294 in revenue per athlete, compared with $73,294 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $40,006 per athlete.
Dominican University of California is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse, at #5. Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit school based in San Rafael, CA. The program generates about $16,461 in revenue per athlete, against $16,461 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,270 per athlete.
Chapman University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Orange, CA. The program generates about $8,150 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,150 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of California-Davis placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. This public school is set in Davis, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 999, alongside a GSR of 97%. About 94% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $31,834 in revenue per athlete, against $31,834 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,267 per athlete.
University of California-Berkeley ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Berkeley, CA, University of California-Berkeley is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 97%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,091, with expenses of about $48,091 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,267 per athlete.
California Lutheran University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,332, with expenses of about $9,332 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,243, compared with $12,243 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Willamette University landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, OR. Team revenue averages $9,839 per participant, compared with $9,839 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
San Diego State University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. This public school is set in San Diego, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $48,538 in revenue per athlete, compared with $39,127 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,450 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,235 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,235 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Fox University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,483 per participant, against $9,239 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Redlands did well this year, earning the #15 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Redlands, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,260, against $5,944 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Whitworth University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Spokane, WA, Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,098 per participant, compared with $9,512 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Oregon ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Eugene, OR, University of Oregon is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 72%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,624, against $66,136 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,739 per athlete.
Linfield University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in McMinnville, OR, Linfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,346, against $8,806 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Irvine came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in Irvine, CA, Concordia University-Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,190, with expenses of about $9,190 per participant. The school awards about $7,027 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Puget Sound landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $6,051 in revenue per athlete, against $6,051 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whittier College did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Whittier, CA, Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,941 per participant, compared with $7,941 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.