by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 5 colleges for Men’s Cross Country (Division II) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Rockhurst University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,267 per participant, with expenses of about $5,267 per participant. The school awards about $8,130 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newman University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division II) in Plains States. Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wichita, KS. The program generates about $18,762 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,762 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,192 per athlete.
Winona State University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division II) in Plains States, at #3. Based in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $3,244 per participant, with expenses of about $3,244 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,907.
University of Minnesota-Crookston came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division II) in Plains States. Located 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.
Southwest Baptist University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Bolivar, MO, Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,806 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,806 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,015.
*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.