by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 11 programs for Men’s Cross Country (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual scores each program on 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998. The program generates about $32,868 in revenue per athlete, compared with $32,868 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
University of San Francisco landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division I). University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school based in San Francisco, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Team revenue averages $16,442 per participant, compared with $16,442 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $31,788 per athlete.
Pepperdine University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division I), at #3. Located in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,649, against $14,649 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,861 per athlete.
Santa Clara University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Santa Clara, CA, Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 981. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,913, compared with $51,913 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of San Diego ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit school based in San Diego, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. The program generates about $7,913 in revenue per athlete, against $7,913 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,537.
University of California-Irvine came in at #6 in this year's ranking. University of California-Irvine is a public school based in Irvine, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,283, compared with $1,283 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,955 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Nevada-Reno did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Reno, NV. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989. Team revenue averages $21,294 per participant, compared with $14,668 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,799 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's College of California came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit school based in Moraga, CA. Saint Mary's College of California records an NCAA APR of 991. Team revenue averages $14,110 per participant, with expenses of about $14,110 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,999 per athlete.
California Baptist University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Riverside, CA, California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 962. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,870, compared with $16,134 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,790 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. University of California-Santa Barbara records an NCAA APR of 988. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,823, with expenses of about $7,823 per participant. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Portland State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Portland, OR, Portland State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987. Team revenue averages $8,467 per participant, against $8,467 in expenses. The school awards about $13,026 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.