by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 5 programs for Men’s Cross Country (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than California State University-Los Angeles this year for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Los Angeles, CA, California State University-Los Angeles is a public institution. Team revenue averages $10,769 per participant, against $10,769 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,687 per athlete.
University of California-Merced landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution. The program generates about $7,944 in revenue per athlete, against $7,944 in expenses. The school awards about $1,179 in athletic aid per athlete.
San Francisco State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in San Francisco, CA, San Francisco State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $18,881 per participant, against $18,881 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,480 per athlete.
California State University-Chico came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division II). This public school is set in Chico, CA. The program generates about $7,577 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,114 per participant. The school awards about $2,367 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Arcata, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,897, with expenses of about $11,716 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,418.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
