Recruiting research
What Schools Offer Lacrosse Scholarships? A Region-by-Region Shortlist for Men and Women
A lacrosse roster tells you where to investigate. The school’s aid policy and your written offer tell you what you can afford.
NCAA Division I and II lacrosse programs can offer athletic aid, and NAIA schools may offer it under their institutional policies. Division III programs and Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships. Start with verified varsity programs in your region, then ask each coach about available aid and compare the financial aid office’s actual offer.
You can pursue lacrosse athletic aid at NCAA Division I and II programs and at NAIA schools that offer it. Division III and Ivy League lacrosse teams do not award athletic scholarships, though other aid may be available. Use the schools below as a starting list, not a promise of money, and compare written aid offers before you choose. NCAA scholarship guidance Ivy League aid policy
Key takeaways
- Find the right team
- Check men’s and women’s varsity programs separately. A school may sponsor one without sponsoring the other.
- Label the aid pathway
- Division I and II programs can award athletic aid. Division III and Ivy League programs cannot.
- Get an individual answer
- A team’s existence does not establish that its coach has aid available for your recruiting class.
- Compare what you pay
- Use each school’s written offer to compare net price, not just the athletic scholarship line.
Use this shortlist by region
The division label tells you what kind of aid conversation to have. NCAA Division II uses an equivalency model in which coaches may divide athletic scholarship funds among players. Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships, while Ivy League schools award financial aid based on need rather than athletics. Those rules establish a pathway, not a scholarship offer to every recruit. NCAA Division II scholarship guidance NCAA Division III membership guidance Ivy League aid policy
This is a regional shortlist of programs to investigate, not a complete college directory. The linked athletics pages verify the listed teams or their appearances on varsity schedules. They do not verify an available scholarship for you. For a broader search by division, use the division-by-division college list, then check each school’s current athletics and financial aid pages.
Do not rely on an old Division I scholarship-limit chart to predict your offer. NCAA rules changed following the House settlement: participating Division I schools no longer have sport-specific scholarship limits and instead operate under roster limits. Institutional funding and recruiting decisions still determine what a coach can offer. NCAA roster-rule update
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic schools
You can compare athletic-aid pathways with two clear alternatives in this region. Syracuse, Maryland, and Johns Hopkins have verified men’s and women’s teams; Wesleyan has both teams but follows the Division III no-athletic-scholarship rule. Penn’s women’s team gives you an Ivy League option where the aid conversation is about financial need. NCAA Division III membership guidance Ivy League aid policy
| School | Verified varsity programs | Athletic-aid pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University | Men’s and women’s lacrosse | NCAA Division I. Ask each coach whether athletic aid is available for your class. |
| University of Maryland | Men’s and women’s lacrosse | NCAA Division I. Athletic aid is possible; your offer depends on the program and school. |
| Johns Hopkins University | Men’s and women’s lacrosse | NCAA Division I lacrosse. Confirm athletic-aid availability with the program. |
| Wesleyan University | Men’s and women’s lacrosse | NCAA Division III. No athletic scholarships; investigate other institutional aid. |
| University of Pennsylvania | Women’s lacrosse, listed on Maryland’s varsity schedule | Ivy League. No athletic scholarships; request a need-based aid estimate. |
Keep those aid labels separate. An Ivy League coach may request a need-based estimate for a prospect, but the financial aid office determines the package. At a Division III school, investigate admission and financial aid without describing a possible grant as a lacrosse scholarship. The Division III lacrosse aid guide explains that distinction. Ivy League aid policy NCAA Division III membership guidance
Southeast schools
You have both athletic-aid and non-athletic-aid options in the Southeast. Duke and Jacksonville field men’s and women’s lacrosse teams in Division I. Rhodes fields both in Division III, where an athletic scholarship is not an option. Check the team for your sport before contacting a coach. Duke men’s roster Jacksonville women’s schedule Rhodes men’s roster NCAA Division III membership guidance
| School | Verified varsity programs | Athletic-aid pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Duke University | Men’s and women’s lacrosse | NCAA Division I. Ask about your position, roster opportunity, and athletic aid. |
| Jacksonville University | Men’s and women’s lacrosse | NCAA Division I. Athletic aid is a possible pathway, not a guaranteed award. |
| Rhodes College | Men’s and women’s lacrosse | NCAA Division III. No athletic scholarships; compare other grants and scholarships. |
If you want another athletic-aid pathway, investigate NAIA programs as well as NCAA schools. The NAIA says member institutions determine individual aid packages under their policies, so you must verify both the varsity team and the school’s offer. Do not treat NAIA membership itself as proof that a particular recruit receives lacrosse money. NAIA financial aid guidance NAIA prospective-student guidance
Midwest schools
Start with the sport that matches your search. Maryland’s men’s varsity schedule verifies matchups with Ohio State and Michigan; Rhodes’s women’s schedule verifies matchups with DePauw and John Carroll. An opponent’s schedule is a useful lead, but open that school’s current roster and recruiting information before you contact its staff. Maryland men’s schedule Rhodes women’s schedule
| School | Verified varsity program | Athletic-aid pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State University | Men’s lacrosse, shown on Maryland’s schedule | NCAA Division I. Ask whether athletic aid is available for your recruiting class. |
| University of Michigan | Men’s lacrosse, shown on Maryland’s schedule | NCAA Division I. Confirm roster needs and aid with the coach. |
| DePauw University | Women’s lacrosse, shown on Rhodes’s schedule | NCAA Division III. No athletic scholarships; investigate other aid. |
| John Carroll University | Women’s lacrosse, shown on Rhodes’s schedule | NCAA Division III. No athletic scholarships; investigate other aid. |
A geographically close school with no athletic scholarship can still deserve a cost comparison. Ask its financial aid office for an estimate and compare that result with any Division I offer you receive. The athletic-aid line alone does not tell you which school costs less. For Division II schools elsewhere on your list, ask how the program distributes its available aid; NCAA guidance says coaches may divide scholarship funds among multiple players. Federal Student Aid offer-comparison guidance NCAA Division II scholarship guidance
West and other regional options
The verified western leads here are women’s programs. Oregon and USC appear on Maryland’s women’s varsity schedule, while Stanford appears in Duke women’s lacrosse coverage. All three provide Division I athletic-aid pathways to investigate, but none establishes that an award is available to you. Maryland women’s schedule Duke women’s lacrosse NCAA scholarship guidance
| School | Verified varsity program | Athletic-aid pathway |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oregon | Women’s lacrosse, shown on Maryland’s schedule | NCAA Division I. Confirm current roster and available athletic aid. |
| University of Southern California | Women’s lacrosse, shown on Maryland’s schedule | NCAA Division I. Ask the coach and financial aid office for individual details. |
| Stanford University | Women’s lacrosse, shown in Duke’s team coverage | NCAA Division I. Investigate athletic aid and your complete aid package. |
If you are searching for men’s lacrosse in the West, widen your radius rather than assuming the women’s options above have corresponding men’s teams. Add verified programs from other regions that fit your academic and travel preferences. Men’s players can begin with Duke, Jacksonville, Syracuse, Maryland, and Johns Hopkins on this list; women’s players can use both the western leads and the programs in earlier sections. Duke men’s roster Syracuse men’s roster
Confirm the offer and compare cost
Your written aid offer matters more than a program label. First, check the current varsity roster for your sport and position. Second, ask the coach whether the program is recruiting your class and whether athletic aid is available. Third, ask the financial aid office to identify grants, scholarships, loans, and costs in its offer. Use these questions for a college lacrosse coach to make the conversation specific. NCAA scholarship guidance Federal Student Aid offer-comparison guidance
Ask what the coach can confirm now and what requires a formal financial aid decision. Available funds. Your likely roster role. The year or years covered by an offer. Any conditions for renewal. If a coach discusses a possible amount, request the school’s written terms before building your budget around it. Rules and institutional policies can change, so check current NCAA guidance and school documents rather than relying on an old scholarship-limit summary. NCAA roster-rule update
Compare the same annual measure at every school: cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. Federal Student Aid calls that your net price and advises families to compare it rather than sticker price. Keep loans separate because they must be repaid. You can use the U.S. Department of Education’s net price calculator center for an early estimate, then replace estimates with each school’s actual offer. Federal Student Aid offer-comparison guidance
If you plan to compete at an NCAA Division I or II school, check the NCAA Eligibility Center’s account guidance while you work through recruiting. For an NAIA or junior college option, ask that school which eligibility process and aid rules apply. Neither an open roster spot nor an eligibility account is a scholarship commitment; your decision still rests on the school’s written offer and the amount your family must pay.
Sources
- NCAA scholarships and financial aid
- NCAA Division I roster-rule update
- NCAA Division II athletics scholarships
- NCAA Division III member schools
- Ivy League prospective athlete information
- NAIA financial aid
- Maryland 2026 men’s lacrosse schedule
- Maryland 2026 women’s lacrosse schedule
- Rhodes 2026 women’s lacrosse schedule
- Federal Student Aid guide to evaluating aid offers
Common questions
Related reading
What Colleges Offer Lacrosse Scholarships? A List by Division
A school can field a lacrosse team without offering you an athletic scholarship. Use this division-by-division list to build a shortlist, then verify each team's aid and your total cost.
Can you get a full ride scholarship for lacrosse?
Rare. Lacrosse splits limited money across a big roster, so most offers are partial.
How Many Lacrosse Players Get Scholarships?
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