by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 10 programs for Men’s Cross Country (Division III) 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than California Institute of Technology this year for Men's Cross Country (Division III). California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Pasadena, CA. Team revenue averages $8,884 per participant, with expenses of about $8,884 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Chapman University landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Orange, CA. The program generates about $4,136 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,136 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Lutheran University landed the #3 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Thousand Oaks, CA. Team revenue averages $3,212 per participant, against $3,212 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College landed the #4 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,646 in revenue per athlete, against $4,646 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Redlands landed the #5 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school based in Redlands, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,471, compared with $7,957 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Willamette University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, OR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,321, against $3,321 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tacoma, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,883, with expenses of about $5,883 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Linfield University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Linfield University is a private not-for-profit school based in McMinnville, OR. Team revenue averages $10,378 per participant, with expenses of about $7,366 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of La Verne came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,569 per participant, compared with $3,680 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whitworth University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Spokane, WA, Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,583 per participant, compared with $2,474 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.