by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 5 schools for Men’s Cross Country (Division I) 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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Leading the list is Florida Atlantic University, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Boca Raton, FL, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,389, compared with $9,389 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,971 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stetson University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Stetson University is a private not-for-profit school based in DeLand, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,795, against $27,795 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,035.
Florida Gulf Coast University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Fort Myers, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 949. Team revenue averages $30,197 per participant, compared with $30,197 spent per athlete. The school awards about $18,812 in athletic aid per athlete.
Jacksonville University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division I), at #4. Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,971 per participant, compared with $3,971 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,287 per athlete.
Bethune-Cookman University landed the #5 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Daytona Beach, FL, Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. The program generates about $8,326 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,326 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,940.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.