by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 5 programs 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:
Our analysis found Vanderbilt University to be the best college for Men's Cross Country (Division I) in Tennessee. 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.
Tennessee Technological University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division I), at #2. Tennessee Technological University is a public school based in Cookeville, TN. Tennessee Technological University records an NCAA APR of 980. Team revenue averages $27,817 per participant, against $27,817 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,453.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). This public school is set in Chattanooga, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 986. The program generates about $13,249 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,249 per participant. The school awards about $13,025 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Tennessee State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. The program generates about $7,802 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,802 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
Austin Peay State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division I). Austin Peay State University is a public school based in Clarksville, TN. Austin Peay State University records an NCAA APR of 986. Team revenue averages $10,028 per participant, against $10,028 in expenses. The school awards about $13,483 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.