by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 52 programs for Women’s Lacrosse by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
No school ranked higher than Hamilton College this year for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,546 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,546 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Vassar College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,540 per participant, against $8,540 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Syracuse University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Syracuse, NY. Syracuse University records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,201, compared with $78,468 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $33,068.
Union College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. This private not-for-profit school is set in Schenectady, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,293, with expenses of about $6,637 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,499 per athlete.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is one of the top schools for Women's Lacrosse, at #5. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school based in Troy, NY. Team revenue averages $7,527 per participant, against $6,810 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,263.
Marist University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Poughkeepsie, NY, Marist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $28,087 in revenue per athlete, compared with $28,087 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,661 per athlete.
University of Rochester came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $5,737 in revenue per athlete, against $5,699 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Colgate University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Hamilton, NY, Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution. Colgate University records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,551, against $42,551 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,658 per athlete.
Hofstra University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hempstead, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,280, with expenses of about $47,280 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,514.
Skidmore College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Saratoga Springs, NY, Skidmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,755 per participant, compared with $5,755 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Adelphi University landed the #11 spot this year. Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit school based in Garden City, NY. The program generates about $24,815 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,815 per participant. The school awards about $7,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,684, against $8,684 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St. John Fisher University landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. Team revenue averages $8,441 per participant, compared with $7,260 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Le Moyne College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Le Moyne College is a private not-for-profit school based in Syracuse, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 97%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $29,474 per participant, with expenses of about $29,499 per participant. The school awards about $9,944 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Albany landed the #15 spot this year. University at Albany is a public school based in Albany, NY. 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 74%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,413, with expenses of about $21,323 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,856 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #16 position. 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, with expenses of about $10,284 per participant. The school awards about $3,070 in athletic aid per athlete.
Binghamton University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Vestal, NY, Binghamton University is a public institution. Binghamton University records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $31,203 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,125 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,522.
Hobart William Smith Colleges ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Geneva, NY, Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,836, with expenses of about $13,836 per participant. Athletic aid averages $50 per athlete.
Niagara University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Niagara University is a private not-for-profit school based in Niagara University, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,942, against $28,942 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,462.
St Lawrence University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,070 in revenue per athlete, against $5,070 in expenses. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
Canisius University landed the #21 spot this year. Canisius University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buffalo, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 87%. Team revenue averages $20,041 per participant, compared with $20,041 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,300 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clarkson University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Potsdam, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,387, against $5,420 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,842.
Molloy University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Lacrosse. Based in Rockville Centre, NY, Molloy University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,121, compared with $10,446 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,589 per athlete.
Iona University landed the #24 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Rochelle, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $16,229 per participant, with expenses of about $16,229 per participant. The school awards about $10,814 in athletic aid per athlete.
Manhattan University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Lacrosse. Manhattan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Riverdale, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 72%. The program generates about $17,933 in revenue per athlete, against $17,035 in expenses. The school awards about $14,484 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.