by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 42 colleges for Men’s Cross Country (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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 Union University to be the best college for Men's Cross Country (Division II) in the Southeast Region. Based in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,526 per participant, with expenses of about $14,809 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,895 per athlete.
University of West Florida is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division II), at #2. University of West Florida is a public school based in Pensacola, FL. Team revenue averages $13,875 per participant, compared with $13,936 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,536.
North Greenville University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division II). North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tigerville, SC. The program generates about $25,879 in revenue per athlete, compared with $25,159 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Palm Beach Atlantic University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Based in West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,844, against $11,805 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,383 per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,589 per participant, against $14,904 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,947, against $7,708 in expenses. The school awards about $5,766 in athletic aid per athlete.
Barton College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilson, NC. Team revenue averages $4,848 per participant, against $4,848 in expenses. The school awards about $6,654 in athletic aid per athlete.
Converse University landed the #8 spot this year. Converse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spartanburg, SC. The program generates about $12,464 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,040 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,241 in athletic aid per athlete.
Erskine College landed the #9 spot this year. Erskine College is a private not-for-profit school based in Due West, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,285, compared with $14,406 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Auburn University at Montgomery did well this year, earning the #10 position. This public school is set in Montgomery, AL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,477, against $16,477 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,718.
Clark Atlanta University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit school based in Atlanta, GA. Team revenue averages $6,700 per participant, against $8,797 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,630.
Barry University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Miami, FL, Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,770 in revenue per athlete, against $15,770 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,733 per athlete.
Winston-Salem State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Winston-Salem State University is a public school based in Winston-Salem, NC. Team revenue averages $7,256 per participant, compared with $7,256 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,441.
University of South Carolina Aiken came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Aiken, SC. The program generates about $12,345 in revenue per athlete, against $9,365 in expenses. The school awards about $8,318 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,721 per participant, against $3,721 in expenses. The school awards about $10,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
Claflin University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Orangeburg, SC, Claflin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,674 per participant, compared with $10,674 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,337.
Valdosta State University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Valdosta, GA, Valdosta State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,548 per participant, compared with $9,548 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,542 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith landed the #18 spot this year. University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public school based in Fort Smith, AR. Team revenue averages $11,766 per participant, compared with $11,766 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,102 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Leo University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). Saint Leo University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Leo, FL. The program generates about $1,126 in revenue per athlete, against $1,026 in expenses. The school awards about $5,812 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fairmont State University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division II). This public school is set in Fairmont, WV. The program generates about $4,104 in revenue per athlete, against $3,807 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,874 per athlete.
Shepherd University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Shepherd University is a public school based in Shepherdstown, WV. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,199, compared with $3,199 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,796 per athlete.
Fayetteville State University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division II). This public school is set in Fayetteville, NC. The program generates about $17,274 in revenue per athlete, against $17,274 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,674.
Tuskegee University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Based in Tuskegee, AL, Tuskegee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,929 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,929 per participant. The school awards about $3,470 in athletic aid per athlete.
Columbus State University landed the #24 spot this year. Based in Columbus, GA, Columbus State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $5,480 per participant, compared with $5,480 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,670.
University of South Carolina Beaufort came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in Bluffton, SC, University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,322, compared with $7,104 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,478 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.