by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 12 programs for Women’s Lacrosse 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Stanford University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $85,239 in revenue per athlete, compared with $85,239 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
Occidental College is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse, at #2. Located in Los Angeles, CA, Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,259, with expenses of about $8,331 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Southern California earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 998, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 96%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,294, against $73,294 in expenses. The school awards about $40,006 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,150, compared with $8,150 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of California-Davis landed the #5 spot for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Davis, CA, University of California-Davis is a public institution. University of California-Davis records an NCAA APR of 999, alongside a GSR of 97%. The federal graduation rate stands at 94%. The program generates about $31,834 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,834 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,267.
Dominican University of California did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in San Rafael, CA, Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,461, compared with $16,461 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,270 per athlete.
University of California-Berkeley placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. University of California-Berkeley is a public school based in Berkeley, CA. University of California-Berkeley records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 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 came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,332 in revenue per athlete, against $9,332 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
San Diego State University landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in San Diego, CA. San Diego State University records an NCAA APR of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 89%. Team revenue averages $48,538 per participant, against $39,127 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,450 per athlete.
University of Redlands landed the #10 spot this year. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school based in Redlands, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,260, compared with $5,944 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Concordia University-Irvine landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Irvine, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,190, against $9,190 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,027 per athlete.
Whittier College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Whittier, CA, Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,941 per participant, with expenses of about $7,941 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.