by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 23 colleges for Men’s Cross Country (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Leading the list is Franklin and Marshall College, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. The program generates about $3,774 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,969 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Dickinson College landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,938 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,838 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Latrobe, PA. Team revenue averages $4,326 per participant, compared with $4,326 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Huntingdon, PA, Juniata College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,788, compared with $5,754 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
DeSales University landed the #5 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,817 per participant, compared with $4,689 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Scranton ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Scranton, PA, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,583 per participant, with expenses of about $1,583 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chatham University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. Team revenue averages $5,547 per participant, with expenses of about $5,547 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lebanon Valley College landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Annville, PA. Team revenue averages $1,893 per participant, compared with $1,893 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lancaster Bible College landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $3,390 per participant, against $2,466 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Widener University landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Chester, PA, Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,118 per participant, compared with $3,028 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wilkes University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Team revenue averages $2,822 per participant, with expenses of about $2,822 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lycoming College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamsport, PA. The program generates about $3,664 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,800 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Waynesburg University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waynesburg, PA. The program generates about $2,626 in revenue per athlete, against $2,626 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Immaculata University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Immaculata University is a private not-for-profit school based in Immaculata, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,126, compared with $1,126 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Pennsylvania College of Technology landed the #15 spot this year. Pennsylvania College of Technology is a public school based in Williamsport, PA. Team revenue averages $1,667 per participant, with expenses of about $1,667 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Neumann University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Aston, PA, Neumann University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,814, against $2,814 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Delaware Valley University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Doylestown, PA, Delaware Valley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,740 per participant, against $2,740 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
La Roche University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, La Roche University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,242 per participant, compared with $1,242 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Valley Forge placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Phoenixville, PA, University of Valley Forge is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,212 in revenue per athlete, against $996 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Mount Aloysius College did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Cresson, PA, Mount Aloysius College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,516, with expenses of about $1,516 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Albright College did well this year, earning the #21 position. Albright College is a private not-for-profit school based in Reading, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,275, compared with $1,275 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg landed the #22 spot this year. Located in Greensburg, PA, University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg is a public institution. Team revenue averages $961 per participant, with expenses of about $961 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.