by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 24 colleges 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 weighs 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:
Vanderbilt University 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 Nashville, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,800, against $45,800 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,235.
Elon University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). 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, with expenses of about $17,004 per participant. Athletic aid averages $25,795 per athlete.
University of Richmond is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division I), at #3. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school based in University of Richmond, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. Team revenue averages $13,101 per participant, against $13,101 in expenses. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mercer University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Mercer University is a private not-for-profit school based in Macon, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 995. The program generates about $22,005 in revenue per athlete, compared with $22,005 spent per athlete. The school awards about $23,898 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stetson University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in DeLand, FL, Stetson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Stetson University records an NCAA APR of 993. The program generates about $27,795 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $27,795 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,035.
Florida Atlantic University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Boca Raton, FL, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution. The program generates about $9,389 in revenue per athlete, against $9,389 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,971.
Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Fort Myers, FL, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 949. Team revenue averages $30,197 per participant, compared with $30,197 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,812 per athlete.
Tennessee Technological University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). This public school is set in Cookeville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 980. The program generates about $27,817 in revenue per athlete, compared with $27,817 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,453 per athlete.
College of Charleston landed the #9 spot this year. College of Charleston is a public school based in Charleston, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. The program generates about $9,565 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,565 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,551 per athlete.
Hampton University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 938. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $59,849, against $70,209 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,394.
University of North Alabama landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Florence, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. The program generates about $12,433 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,433 per participant. The school awards about $13,402 in athletic aid per athlete.
Jacksonville State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Jacksonville, AL, Jacksonville State University is a public institution. Jacksonville State University records an NCAA APR of 988. Team revenue averages $13,490 per participant, against $13,490 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,761.
Murray State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Murray, KY, Murray State University is a public institution. Murray State University records an NCAA APR of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,569, against $9,545 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,774 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Chattanooga, TN, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986. The program generates about $13,249 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,249 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,025.
Radford University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. Radford University records an NCAA APR of 1000. The program generates about $13,678 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,678 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,467.
Jacksonville University placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,971 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,971 per participant. The school awards about $14,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Alabama placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). University of South Alabama is a public school based in Mobile, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 964. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,484, against $7,484 in expenses. The school awards about $15,705 in athletic aid per athlete.
Austin Peay State University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Clarksville, TN, Austin Peay State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986. Team revenue averages $10,028 per participant, compared with $10,028 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,483 in athletic aid per athlete.
Presbyterian College did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Presbyterian College records an NCAA APR of 974. The program generates about $8,372 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,372 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,454 per athlete.
East Tennessee State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). East Tennessee State University is a public school based in Johnson City, TN. East Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $7,802 per participant, with expenses of about $7,802 per participant. The school awards about $11,444 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boiling Springs, NC. Gardner-Webb University records an NCAA APR of 949. Team revenue averages $6,188 per participant, against $6,188 in expenses. The school awards about $14,936 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Carolina Central University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division I). North Carolina Central University is a public school based in Durham, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 938. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,447, against $11,447 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,804 per athlete.
Bethune-Cookman University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Daytona Beach, FL, Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,326, compared with $8,326 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,940 per athlete.
University of New Orleans landed the #24 spot this year. Based in New Orleans, LA, University of New Orleans is a public institution. University of New Orleans records an NCAA APR of 960. The program generates about $6,908 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,908 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,626.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.