Your Complete Guide to Women’s Lacrosse Scholarships

Thinking about competing in women’s lacrosse at the college level? There are plenty of opportunities across NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO programs – but figuring out how to fund your journey is key. Women’s lacrosse scholarships vary by division, with some offering full rides, partial support or only academic aid.

In this guide, we’ll explain how women’s lacrosse scholarships work, how many are available at each level, and share tips to help you stand out and boost your chances of securing one. We’re here to guide you every step of the way, helping you achieve your college lacrosse dreams.

NEW NCAA WOMEN’S LACROSSE scholarship limits

Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, the NCAA will eliminate D1 scholarship limits if a proposed settlement is approved, enabling all sports to distribute scholarships more flexibly among athletes. This change is expected to have a significant impact on women’s lacrosse recruiting. More details and the latest updates here.

These proposed changes would impact women’s lacrosse players in the following ways:

• D1 women’s lacrosse programs will be allowed to offer 38 scholarships, up from the current limit of 12.
• D1 women’s lacrosse will have a maximum roster limit of 38.
• D1 lacrosse is already an equivalency sport and will continue to offer both partial and full scholarships to recruits. 

Note: These are the maximum scholarship and roster limits set by the NCAA, but schools aren’t required to meet these maximums.

Number of women’s college lacrosse scholarships by division level

Scholarship limit per team: The NCAA limits the number of scholarships that a program can award each year by setting a scholarship limit per team. Though, not all programs reach the total maximum number of scholarships listed above because not all programs are fully funded. Ivy League schools are the only D1 programs that do not award athletic scholarships and instead provide qualified students with academic scholarships.

Equivalency scholarship: Equivalency sports, like lacrosse, are given a pool of scholarship money that college coaches can divide up amongst recruits and current roster players. With such a small lacrosse scholarship budget, full rides are rare. Instead, student-athletes typically receive partial scholarships.

The NCAA D1 Council now allows student-athletes to get need-based aid and academic scholarships without it counting against athletic scholarship limits in sports like lacrosse. This allows athletes to qualify for more financial help, which is especially helpful at private schools with higher costs.

How to get a lacrosse scholarship

College coaches generally prioritize positions that have the largest impact on the game and directly affect scoring. For women’s lacrosse, that position is the goalie. Following goalies, college coaches will award scholarships to their top recruits. Regardless of the position a student-athlete plays, they can better their chances of receiving a scholarship with these tips.

1. Prioritize academics: Because lacrosse is an equivalency sport, coaches typically award partial scholarships, rather than full rides. Student-athletes can increase their financial aid opportunities by maintaining good enough grades to qualify for an academic scholarship. Partial athletic scholarships can be combined with academic scholarships to cover college costs.
2. Research: Not all lacrosse programs offer athletic scholarships. While the NCAA Division 1 and 2 levels, as well as the NAIA, offer athletic scholarships, not all lacrosse programs are fully funded. This lack of funding impacts the total amount of scholarship money each college program is able to award.
3. Remain open-minded: The reality is very few student-athletes receive Division 1 athletic scholarships. Student-athletes who are concerned about covering the cost of college cannot overlook programs like those at the NAIA level. While it may not be as prestigious and well known as the NCAA, the NAIA offers great opportunities for lacrosse college scholarships.
4. Look into alternatives: Student-athletes should think beyond athletic scholarships to cover the cost of college. The federal government, states and schools offer grants, work study and other alternatives to help students pay for college.

What are my chances of getting a lacrosse scholarship? 

Nearly 6,000 student-athletes compete at the NCAA D1 and D2 levels, where the best lacrosse scholarship opportunities are available. Starting in the 2025-26 season, a new rule will increase the D1 scholarship limit from 12 to 38, potentially creating more opportunities for women’s lacrosse players. However, the impact will depend on how schools apply the new rule, their program’s funding, and team needs. Regardless, building relationships with coaches and consistently showcasing your skills remains the key to improving your chances.

How many women’s college lacrosse scholarships are there?

• Total # of women’s lacrosse teams: 562
• D1 women’s lacrosse scholarships: 12
  • If the NCAA settlement is approved, D1 women’s lacrosse will be allowed to offer 38 scholarships starting in the 2025-26 school year.
• D2 women’s lacrosse scholarships: 9.9
• JUCO women’s lacrosse scholarships: 20

The figures above represent the maximum number of scholarships allowed per program under the NCAA and NJCAA. Unfortunately, not all women’s lacrosse programs are fully funded, which means some programs have fewer than the maximum limit to offer student-athletes each year.

How much scholarship money do women’s lacrosse players get?

Scholarship money varies from program to program, as not all lacrosse programs receive the same funding. We have no way to truly know how many women’s lacrosse scholarships are available at any collegiate level. As an equivalency sport, college coaches have the freedom to award their scholarship budget however they would like, which means they can offer a few athletes a large sum of money or many athletes a smaller sum of money.

To cover the cost of college, lacrosse athletes often turn to alternative forms of financial aid, such as federal and state grants. Student-athletes can research other forms of financial aid to find opportunities that they qualify to receive.

D1 women’s lacrosse scholarships

• Total # of D1 women’s lacrosse teams: 124
• Maximum scholarships available per team: 12 (If the NCAA settlement is approved, D1 women’s lacrosse will be allowed to offer 38 scholarships starting in the 2025-26 school year.)

How many scholarships for D1 women’s lacrosse? Currently, D1 women’s lacrosse programs can award 12 scholarships. But if the new NCAA settlement is approved, D1 women’s lacrosse will be allowed to offer a maximum of 38 scholarships starting in the 2025-26 school year.

Fully funded Division 1 women’s college lacrosse programs offer the most scholarships, though this does not mean these programs offer full rides. Because lacrosse is an equivalency sport, these scholarships are generally awarded as partial scholarships.

Division 2 women’s lacrosse scholarships

• Total # of D2 women’s lacrosse teams: 113
• Maximum scholarships available per team: 9.9

Division 2 programs award partial scholarships that can cover tuition, books, room and board and other fees. Like D1 schools, not all lacrosse programs are fully funded, which means some programs will have less than the 9.9 maximum scholarship limit. D2 lacrosse scholarships are generally awarded as partial scholarships, which means student-athletes will need to rely on alternative forms of financial aid to cover costs.

Division 3 women’s lacrosse scholarships

• Total # of D3 women’s lacrosse teams: 282
• Maximum scholarships available per team: 0

Athletic scholarships are not available at the Division 3 level. Instead, Division 3 schools are known for awarding academic scholarships to student-athletes who excel in the classroom. Division 3 schools often offer better financial aid packages, with a reported 82 percent of student-athletes receiving some form of financial aid at the Division 3 level.

NAIA women’s lacrosse scholarships

• Total # of NAIA women’s lacrosse teams: 37
• Maximum scholarships available per team: 0

Unlike the NCAA, there are no scholarship limits set by the NAIA, but student-athletes will find that, like the NCAA, the number of scholarships per program varies depending on how the coach chooses to award money. As a partner of the NAIA, NCSA believes student-athletes can expect to see similar scholarship opportunities as they would at the NCAA level.

JUCO women’s lacrosse scholarships

• Total # of JUCO women’s lacrosse teams: 20
• Maximum scholarships available per team: 20

 The NJCAA allows each women’s lacrosse program a maximum of 20 full-ride scholarships. Like the NCAA and NAIA, coaches choose how to divide the money amongst the team. Student-athletes attending a junior college with plans to transfer to a four-year NCAA college might face stricter GPA and standardized test score requirements when applying for a transfer.

Colleges that offer lacrosse scholarships

Below is a look at the top NCAA colleges for women’s lacrosse scholarships. Student-athletes interested in these top programs should evaluate their skillset against those of the athletes on the current roster and research what tournaments and showcases these coaches attend to look for recruits.

NCAA D1: UNC, University of Virginia, Duke, University of Florida, University of California, University of Michigan, College of William & Mary, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland

NCAA D2: Bentley, Rollins, Grand Valley State, Regis, Le Moyne, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Assumption, Florida Southern, Molloy, Lewis

NCAA D3: Amherst, Middlebury, Tufts, Williams, MIT, Washington & Lee, Wesleyan, Colby, University of Chicago, Bowdoin  

Do Lacrosse Players Get Full Scholarships?

Full-ride scholarships are rare in women’s lacrosse, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of options! Since lacrosse is an “equivalency sport,” coaches often spread scholarship funds across multiple athletes to help as many players as possible. By combining a partial athletic scholarship with academic scholarships, grants, and other financial aid, you can build a strong financial package that covers a significant portion of your college costs—getting you closer to that “full-ride” experience.

To get financial aid, student-athletes must meet academic requirements set by the NCAA. 

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