by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 8 schools for Men’s Cross Country (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
University of Dayton earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Dayton, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,855, with expenses of about $19,714 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,913 per athlete.
University of Toledo landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Toledo, OH, University of Toledo is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990. Team revenue averages $26,760 per participant, against $26,760 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,660.
Ohio University-Main Campus earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Athens, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. The program generates about $10,703 in revenue per athlete, against $10,703 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,284 per athlete.
Central Michigan University landed the #4 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Central Michigan University is a public school based in Mount Pleasant, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,074, compared with $11,074 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,123 per athlete.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division I), at #5. This public school is set in Bowling Green, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 981. The program generates about $4,965 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,698 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,840 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Evansville came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Evansville, IN, University of Evansville is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 973. The program generates about $6,908 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,908 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,525 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Green Bay, WI. The team's NCAA APR score is 989. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,382, compared with $12,382 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,741 in athletic aid per athlete.
Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Fort Wayne, IN, Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. The program generates about $8,459 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,461 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,345.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
See our data sources and methodologies.