by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 313 schools for Men’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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No school ranked higher than Vanderbilt University this year for Men's Cross Country. Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $45,800 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,800 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
Stanford University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #2. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,868, compared with $32,868 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
Washington and Lee University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,840 in revenue per athlete, against $8,840 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot for Men's Cross Country. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Pasadena, CA. The program generates about $8,884 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,884 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Colby College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #5. Located in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,052, with expenses of about $6,052 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Richmond came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Richmond records an NCAA APR of 1000. The program generates about $13,101 in revenue per athlete, against $13,101 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,609.
Elon University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Elon, NC, Elon University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Team revenue averages $17,004 per participant, against $17,004 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,795.
University of Dayton did well this year, earning the #8 position. University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit school based in Dayton, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. The program generates about $17,855 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,714 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,913 per athlete.
Fairfield University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Team revenue averages $12,213 per participant, with expenses of about $12,213 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,587 per athlete.
Middlebury College landed the #10 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Middlebury, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,977, against $4,977 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Temple University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Temple University is a public school based in Philadelphia, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 992. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,158, against $49,158 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,567.
University of San Francisco came in at #12 in this year's ranking. University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school based in San Francisco, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Team revenue averages $16,442 per participant, compared with $16,442 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $31,788.
University of San Diego landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Team revenue averages $7,913 per participant, compared with $7,913 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,537 per athlete.
Colorado School of Mines did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines is a public institution. The program generates about $6,361 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,361 per participant. The school awards about $7,984 in athletic aid per athlete.
Case Western Reserve University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,360 per participant, against $4,360 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pepperdine University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Based in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990. The program generates about $14,649 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,649 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,861.
Williams College did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,803 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,803 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 996. The program generates about $24,367 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,367 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
Colorado College ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Located in Colorado Springs, CO, Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,932 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,108 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,478.
Santa Clara University placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit school based in Santa Clara, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981. The program generates about $51,913 in revenue per athlete, against $51,913 in expenses. The school awards about $19,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,136, against $4,136 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hamilton College landed the #22 spot this year. Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Clinton, NY. Team revenue averages $4,043 per participant, against $4,043 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Amherst, MA. The program generates about $3,321 in revenue per athlete, against $3,321 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mercer University landed the #24 spot this year. Mercer University is a private not-for-profit school based in Macon, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 995. Team revenue averages $22,005 per participant, compared with $22,005 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,898.
Yeshiva University landed the #25 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. The program generates about $4,591 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,591 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
These schools also stood out this year:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of California-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 52 | College of Charleston | Charleston, SC |
| 53 | Connecticut College | New London, CT |
| 54 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
| 55 | State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz, NY |
| 56 | Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI |
| 57 | Niagara University | Niagara University, NY |
| 58 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 59 | Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR |
| 60 | St Lawrence University | Canton, NY |
| 61 | Berry College | Mount Berry, GA |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.