by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 86 schools for Men’s Cross Country (Division II) 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Thomas Jefferson University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,879 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,879 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,341 per athlete.
Union University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,526, with expenses of about $14,809 per participant. The school awards about $17,895 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gannon University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,808 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,808 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,313.
Colorado School of Mines earned the #4 place for student athletes. Colorado School of Mines is a public school based in Golden, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,361, against $6,361 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,984.
Rockhurst University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,267, against $5,267 in expenses. The school awards about $8,130 in athletic aid per athlete.
Michigan Technological University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). This public school is set in Houghton, MI. Team revenue averages $5,588 per participant, against $5,670 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,159 per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,589 per participant, with expenses of about $14,904 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
University of West Florida landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Pensacola, FL, University of West Florida is a public institution. Team revenue averages $13,875 per participant, with expenses of about $13,936 per participant. The school awards about $7,536 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Greenville University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tigerville, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,879, with expenses of about $25,159 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,158.
Saint Michael's College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Colchester, VT, Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,533 in revenue per athlete, against $10,533 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,634 per athlete.
Palm Beach Atlantic University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,844 per participant, compared with $11,805 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,383 per athlete.
Newman University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Wichita, KS. Team revenue averages $18,762 per participant, compared with $18,762 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,192 per athlete.
Adelphi University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Garden City, NY, Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,659 per participant, compared with $4,659 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mercyhurst University landed the #14 spot this year. Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Erie, PA. Mercyhurst University records an NCAA APR of 960. Team revenue averages $18,388 per participant, compared with $18,388 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,194.
Cedarville University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedarville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,778, against $4,778 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,791.
Texas A & M International University did well this year, earning the #16 position. This public school is set in Laredo, TX. Team revenue averages $20,086 per participant, with expenses of about $20,086 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,327.
D'Youville University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Buffalo, NY. The program generates about $8,735 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,735 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,393.
Molloy University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Rockville Centre, NY, Molloy University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,467 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,191 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,589 per athlete.
Pace University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. Team revenue averages $4,366 per participant, compared with $3,590 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,466 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Crookston, MN, University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public institution. Team revenue averages $17,191 per participant, compared with $17,191 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,101 per athlete.
Southern Nazarene University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Bethany, OK, Southern Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,079 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,894 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,122.
San Francisco State University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in San Francisco, CA. The program generates about $18,881 in revenue per athlete, against $18,881 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,480.
University of California-Merced placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution. Team revenue averages $7,944 per participant, with expenses of about $7,944 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $1,179.
Trevecca Nazarene University did well this year, earning the #24 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,947, against $7,708 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,766 per athlete.
California State University-Chico landed the #25 spot this year. California State University-Chico is a public school based in Chico, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,577, with expenses of about $6,114 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,367.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
