The 1981 NCAA Division I field hockey tournament was the first annual single-elimination tournament hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national champion of women's collegiate field hockey among its Division I members in the United States, the culmination of the 1981 NCAA Division I field hockey season.
Connecticut won the first championship, defeating the Massachusetts in the final, 4–1.
The tournament finals were played at Memorial Stadium at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut from November 14–22.