by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 33 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? Use the shortcuts below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Case Western Reserve University, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,360 in revenue per athlete, against $4,360 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kalamazoo College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,886, with expenses of about $3,886 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kenyon College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,906 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,906 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Calvin University landed the #4 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $4,196 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,126 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oberlin College earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Oberlin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,187, with expenses of about $3,187 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This public school is set in La Crosse, WI. Team revenue averages $4,308 per participant, with expenses of about $4,707 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Terre Haute, IN, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,686, compared with $1,478 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,179 in revenue per athlete, against $2,179 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public school based in Eau Claire, WI. Team revenue averages $3,854 per participant, compared with $3,231 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,919, compared with $1,376 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Earlham College did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Richmond, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,671, compared with $5,671 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Knox College landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,300 in revenue per athlete, against $6,046 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Mequon, WI, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,404 per participant, against $5,098 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lake Forest College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lake Forest, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,482, with expenses of about $2,482 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ohio Northern University landed the #15 spot this year. Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ada, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $887, against $887 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). North Central College is a private not-for-profit school based in Naperville, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,992, with expenses of about $1,281 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hanover College landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, IN. The program generates about $4,546 in revenue per athlete, against $4,546 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Aurora University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Aurora, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,666, with expenses of about $5,666 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trine University did well this year, earning the #19 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Angola, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,854, with expenses of about $1,861 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Concordia University-Chicago came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in River Forest, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,281, with expenses of about $6,138 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wisconsin Lutheran College placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit school based in Milwaukee, WI. Team revenue averages $3,106 per participant, compared with $3,052 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ripon College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in Ripon, WI, Ripon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,537, with expenses of about $3,537 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maranatha Baptist University landed the #23 spot this year. Located in Watertown, WI, Maranatha Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,495 per participant, against $1,296 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Whitewater, WI, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public institution. The program generates about $1,422 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,370 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Stout landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Menomonie, WI, University of Wisconsin-Stout is a public institution. Team revenue averages $2,551 per participant, compared with $2,551 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.