by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 9 schools 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998. The program generates about $32,868 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $32,868 per participant. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
University of San Francisco came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in San Francisco, CA, University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,442, with expenses of about $16,442 per participant. Athletic aid averages $31,788 per athlete.
Santa Clara University landed the #3 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. Santa Clara University records an NCAA APR of 981. The program generates about $51,913 in revenue per athlete, compared with $51,913 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pepperdine University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Malibu, CA. Pepperdine University records an NCAA APR of 990. Team revenue averages $14,649 per participant, with expenses of about $14,649 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,861.
University of San Diego earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,913, with expenses of about $7,913 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,537.
University of California-Irvine did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Irvine, CA, University of California-Irvine is a public institution. University of California-Irvine records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $1,283 per participant, against $1,283 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,955 per athlete.
Saint Mary's College of California placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit school based in Moraga, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 991. Team revenue averages $14,110 per participant, against $14,110 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,999.
California Baptist University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Riverside, CA, California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 962. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,870, against $16,134 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $23,790 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Santa Barbara, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,823, against $7,823 in expenses. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.