What Colleges Offer Lacrosse Scholarships? A List by Division

You can pursue lacrosse athletic aid at Division I and Division II schools, as well as eligible NAIA and junior college programs. Maryland, Syracuse and Duke are men's Division I examples; Northwestern, Boston College and Maryland are women's examples. Division III and Ivy League teams do not award athletic scholarships. Your practical test is whether a specific team has aid available for you, and what the school costs after all aid. NCAA Division I rules distinguish scholarship eligibility from an individual offer.

Division I men's lacrosse programs

Division I men's teams are scholarship-eligible, not scholarship guarantees.

Programs to put on your initial list include Maryland, Syracuse and Duke. Each publishes a men's lacrosse roster. Those rosters verify that the teams exist; they do not tell you which athletes receive aid or whether money remains for your recruiting class.

Division I scholarship rules changed effective July 1, 2025. The NCAA removed sport-specific scholarship limits for schools operating under the settlement's opt-in rules and established roster limits instead; those schools may offer scholarships to rostered athletes but are not required to fund every spot. The NCAA's rule announcement explains the framework, while the coach is the person to ask about the team's actual budget and openings.

A place on the roster is not a dollar amount. If a coach discusses a spot, ask separately whether you are being considered for athletic aid, what it would cover and when an offer could be made. For more detail on the difference between an offer and a full award, read what a full-ride lacrosse scholarship might cover before comparing schools.

Division I women's lacrosse programs

Build a separate list for women's teams.

Division I examples include Northwestern, Boston College and Maryland. Each school maintains a women's lacrosse program. Seeing a school on this list gives you a team to research, not evidence of an available scholarship for your position or graduation year.

The Division I rule change applies to women's programs too. At schools covered by the settlement's roster rules, the NCAA no longer sets a sport-specific scholarship limit; the school decides how much aid to fund and whom to recruit within the applicable rules. The NCAA explanation describes that change, but it cannot tell you what Northwestern, Boston College or Maryland would offer you.

Check the current team page first. Then ask the coach whether the program recruits your position, whether it expects to have athletic aid for your class and whether an invitation to join could be made without aid. Those are separate decisions, even when the school can award lacrosse scholarships.

Division II lacrosse programs

Division II can offer lacrosse athletic scholarships, usually divided among players.

For men, the NCAA's 2026 Division II championship selections verify Adelphi and Tampa as program examples. For women, the 2026 Division II selections include Adelphi and Pace. These are examples of teams in the division, not a published list of scholarship recipients or available awards.

Under the NCAA's current Division II scholarship model, the men's lacrosse limit is 10.8 scholarship equivalencies per team and the women's limit is 9.9. An equivalency is a measure of total athletic aid across a team, not a promise that any one athlete receives a full scholarship. A coach can divide available funds among multiple players, and a team may fund less than the permitted maximum.

That distinction makes the offer more useful than the division label. Ask what portion comes from athletics, whether academic or need-based aid can be added, and what must happen for each award to continue. The division-by-division scholarship limits guide gives you context, but your financial aid letter determines the amount offered to you.

NAIA and junior college options

NAIA and junior college teams deserve a school-by-school aid check.

Some NAIA lacrosse programs may make athletics-related aid available. Before adding one to your shortlist, verify that it fields a current men's or women's varsity team and ask whether athletic aid is available for incoming players. A team roster alone does not establish its funding or your likely award. Ask the coach about the program's plans for your recruiting class, then have the financial aid office explain the school's current aid policy and estimate your costs.

At the junior college level, Harford Community College's men's roster provides a team to investigate. Do not assume that the existence of a junior college team establishes its scholarship rules or budget. NJCAA divisions and school policies matter, so use the NJCAA's resources and ask Harford, or any other college you consider, whether its particular lacrosse team awards athletic aid for your entry year.

Confirm the team before discussing money. A school's athletics homepage may list sports that differ by gender, and funding can differ even when both teams exist. Get the coach's answer about the current roster and athletic aid, then have the financial aid office explain how that aid would appear in your package.

Schools without athletic lacrosse scholarships

Division III and Ivy League lacrosse do not award athletic scholarships.

The NCAA states that Division III schools do not offer athletics scholarships, although merit-based and need-based aid may be available. The Ivy League states that its schools offer neither athletic nor academic scholarships; their financial aid offices determine need-based packages. That Ivy League policy matters even though Ivy teams compete in Division I.

Do not cross a school off solely because its lacrosse coach cannot award athletic dollars. Compare its complete aid offer with the offer from a scholarship-eligible team, using the same estimate of tuition, housing and other costs. If you are considering Division III, how Division III lacrosse aid works helps you keep nonathletic aid distinct from a recruiting promise.

How to check what a school can offer you

Check the team, the aid and the remaining bill in that order.

First, open the school's current athletics page and verify a varsity team for your sport and the division or association in which it competes. Next, check the governing body's current scholarship rules, because rules can change. Then ask the coach about your recruiting class, roster opportunity and actual athletic-aid availability. Finally, request a school-specific cost estimate from financial aid rather than treating a coach's general scholarship discussion as a final package.

Use the same questions at every stop. Team status. Your recruiting fit. Athletic aid offered. Other grants or scholarships. Costs left for your family. If you want a prompt list for the conversation, use these questions to ask a college lacrosse coach and record the answers beside each school's name.

Ask the coach: Is athletic aid available to incoming players in my class, and am I being considered for it? Is the amount discussed for one academic year, and what conditions affect renewal? Can you connect me with the financial aid office to confirm how athletic, academic and need-based awards fit together? At an Ivy League or Division III school, direct aid questions to the financial aid office, since the coach cannot turn a roster offer into an athletic scholarship.

Make one comparison sheet for each written offer. List the school's estimated total cost, grants and scholarships you do not repay, any loans, and what remains. Keep a coach's verbal discussion in a separate column until the school confirms the numbers. A lower-priced offer with no athletic scholarship may cost you less than a partial athletic award elsewhere.

Recheck the details before you commit. A program list tells you where lacrosse is played; a conversation tells you whether aid may be available; the school's written financial aid information tells you what you can actually compare.