by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 11 colleges for Women’s Lacrosse 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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Explore the leading programs below:
University of Chicago earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Lacrosse. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,269, with expenses of about $10,269 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Northwestern University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Evanston, IL. Northwestern University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 94%. The program generates about $40,002 in revenue per athlete, compared with $75,776 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $53,919 per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,743 per participant, with expenses of about $8,743 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #4 spot for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,729 per participant, against $5,729 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lewis University landed the #5 spot for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Romeoville, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,981, with expenses of about $19,981 per participant. The school awards about $9,669 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Naperville, IL. The program generates about $8,541 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,946 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lake Forest College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,298, against $6,298 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elmhurst University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Elmhurst, IL, Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,118, with expenses of about $7,705 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
McKendree University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lebanon, IL. The program generates about $23,695 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,695 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,695 in athletic aid per athlete.
Quincy University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Quincy, IL, Quincy University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,542 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,090 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,507 per athlete.
Aurora University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Aurora, IL. Team revenue averages $7,991 per participant, compared with $7,991 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.