Best Lacrosse Colleges In 2023 (D1, D2, D3, NAIA, MCLA)

Men’s lacrosse is a team sport played by over 400 colleges and universities in the United States. Lacrosse is a game played on a field with 10 players on each team: a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders, and three attackmen. By becoming a collegiate student athlete, you will learn hard work, discipline, and responsibility. With lacrosse programs emerging all of the country, there are several levels of competition they separate into: D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and MCLA. Division I schools are typically the largest and most prestigious institutions that offer the most athletic scholarships. Division II schools are typically smaller and they offer fewer athletic scholarships. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships but have highly competitive lacrosse programs. NAIA and MCLA are alternative college lacrosse leagues outside of the NCAA that offer players opportunities to continue playing lacrosse at the collegiate level. In this article, we will break down the best lacrosse colleges for all levels of competition.

Best Lacrosse Colleges For Men’s Lacrosse

Division 1 Lacrosse Colleges (Top 20)

University of Virginia
University of Maryland
Yale University
Cornell University
Georgetown University
University of North Carolina
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton University
University of Notre Dame
Rutgers University
Duke University
Army West Point
Navy (US Naval Academy)
Harvard University
Brown University
Boston University
University of Michigan
Syracuse University
Johns Hopkins University
Air Force (US Air Force Academy)
Stony Brook University

Division 2 Lacrosse Colleges (Top 10)

University of Tampa
Limeston University
Mercy College
Le Moyne College
Adelphi University
Colorado Mesa University
University of Indianapolis
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Wingate University
Rollins College

Division 3 Lacrosse Colleges (Top 20)

Rochester Institute of Technology
Salisbury
York
Dickinson
Norwich
Christopher Newport
Bowdoin
Tufts
Union
MIT
John Caroll
Stockton
Umass-Boston
Saint Johns Fisher
Cabrini
Denison
Albion
Grove City
Lynchburg
Hope College

Best NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Programs (Top 10)

Reinhardt University
Indiana Tech
University of Cumberlands
Aquinas College
Tennessee Wesleyan
St. Ambrose
Benedictine
Keiser
Siena Heights
Webber International

Top 10 MCLA Lacrosse Teams

University of South Carolina
Georgia Tech
Brigham Young University
Virginia Teach
Clemson University
Liberty University
University of Minnesota
Concordia University
USC
University of Florida

College Lacrosse Programs In Emerging Areas

Lacrosse programs are rapidly emerging in different pockets of the U.S. At the collegiate level, lacrosse is growing quickly in Florida, California, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Lacrosse Colleges In Florida

D1 Lacrosse Programs In Florida

Jacksonville University

D2 Lacrosse programs In Florida

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Flagler College – St. Augustine
Florida Southern College
Florida Tech
Lynn University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Rollins College
Saint Leo University
University of Tampa

NAIA Lacrosse Programs In Florida

Keiser University
Webber International University

MCLA Lacrosse Programs In Florida

Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Polytechnic University
Florida State University
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of North Florida
University of South Florida

Lacrosse Colleges In California

ncaa men's lacrosse programs in california

There are no D1 lacrosse programs in California and there are no D2 lacrosse programs in California.

D3 Colleges In California

Whittier College

NAIA Lacrosse Colleges In California

Westcliff University

MCLA Lacrosse Colleges In California

California Polytechnic State University
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
California State University, Fullerton
California State University San Marcos
San Jose State University
University of California
UCLA
University of San Diego

Lacrosse Colleges In Georgia

D1 Colleges In Georgia

Mercer University

D2 Colleges In Georgia

Emmanuel College – Georgia
Shorter University
Young Harris College

D3 Colleges In Georgia

Berry College
LaGrange College
Oglethorpe University
Piedmont University

NAIA Lacrosse Colleges In Georgia

Point University
Reinhardt University
Savannah College of Art & Design

MCLA Lacrosse Colleges In Georgia

University of Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern

Lacrosse Colleges In North Carolina

D1 Lacrosse Colleges In North Carolina

Duke University
High Point University
University of North Carolina

D2 Colleges In North Carolina

Barton College
Belmont Abbey College
Catawba College
Chowan University
Lees-McRae College
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Mars Hill University
Queens University of Charlotte
University of Mount Olive
Wingate University

D3 Colleges In North Carolina

Brevard College
Greensboro College
Guilford College
Methodist University
Pfeiffer University
Warren Wilson College
William Peace University

NAIA Colleges In North Carolina

Montreat College
St. Andrews University

MCLA Colleges In North Carolina

Coastal Carolina University
East Carolina University
University of South Carolina

FAQ

ncaa men's lacrosse college student athletes

How Many Colleges Compete In Lacrosse Today?

There are over 580 colleges that compete in men’s lacrosse today. The NCAA is home to 397 men’s lacrosse teams. The NAIA is home to 33 men’s lacrosse teams. The MCLA is home to over 150 men’s lacrosse teams.

What Are The Levels Of Competition In College Lacrosse?

In college lacrosse, there are different divisions in the NCAA and other leagues outside the NCAA that provide student athletes the ability to play lacrosse at the college level. Let’s break down the differences between these levels of competition 👇.

Division 1 Lacrosse

Division 1 lacrosse is the highest level of college lacrosse in the United States, and it is governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). D1 lacrosse teams are typically composed of the best and most competitive players in the country, and they compete in a variety of conferences and leagues across the country. Division 1 lacrosse programs often have large budgets and offer athletic scholarships to their players.

Division 2 Lacrosse

Division 2 lacrosse is the second-highest level of college lacrosse in the United States. Like D1, it is also governed by the NCAA and features a high level of competition. However, D2 programs may have smaller budgets and offer fewer athletic scholarships than D1 programs. D2 lacrosse teams are typically composed of players who are still highly skilled and competitive, but may not have the same level of experience or talent as those in Division 1.

Division 3 Lacrosse

Division 3 lacrosse is the third and lowest level of NCAA-governed college lacrosse in the United States. D3 programs do not offer athletic scholarships, and they have smaller budgets and less competitive teams than those in D1 and D2. However, D3 programs still provide opportunities for student athletes to compete at the collegiate level and to develop their skills on and off the field.

NAIA Lacrosse

NAIA lacrosse is a college lacrosse league that is not governed by the NCAA. It is organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which is a smaller organization that consists of smaller colleges and universities. NAIA programs may not have the same level of competition or resources as NCAA programs, but they still provide opportunities for student athletes to compete and to pursue their athletic and academic goals.

MCLA Lacrosse

MCLA lacrosse, or Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association, is a college lacrosse league that is not affiliated with the NCAA. MCLA programs are typically composed of club teams from colleges and universities that do not have varsity lacrosse programs. MCLA teams may not have the same level of competition or resources as NCAA teams, but they still provide opportunities for students to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. MCLA teams include big name schools like Clemson, Texas, Stanford, West Virginia, and Boston College.