by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 33 colleges for Men’s Cross Country (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual weighs 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Colby College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,052 per participant, with expenses of about $6,052 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Middlebury College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division III), at #2. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit school based in Middlebury, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,977, with expenses of about $4,977 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Williams College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,803 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,803 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Amherst College landed the #4 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,321, against $3,321 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,904, compared with $1,904 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Salve Regina University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Newport, RI, Salve Regina University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,508, compared with $5,439 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Connecticut College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in New London, CT. The program generates about $2,873 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,873 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wentworth Institute of Technology came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. The program generates about $3,981 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,373 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emerson College landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. The program generates about $2,466 in revenue per athlete, against $2,340 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Endicott College landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,996 per participant, compared with $2,996 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western New England University landed the #11 spot this year. Western New England University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MA. Team revenue averages $5,200 per participant, with expenses of about $2,564 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gordon College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,506 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,971 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roger Williams University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, RI. The program generates about $2,525 in revenue per athlete, against $2,354 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Buzzards Bay, MA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public institution. Team revenue averages $853 per participant, compared with $810 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Hartford ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in West Hartford, CT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,218, against $1,746 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $587.
Worcester State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Worcester State University is a public school based in Worcester, MA. The program generates about $4,372 in revenue per athlete, against $4,364 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of New England landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Biddeford, ME. Team revenue averages $3,570 per participant, against $3,474 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Nichols College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Nichols College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dudley, MA. Team revenue averages $2,715 per participant, with expenses of about $2,857 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Husson University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Husson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bangor, ME. The program generates about $4,565 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,565 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Norwich University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, VT. Team revenue averages $2,001 per participant, with expenses of about $2,001 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maine Maritime Academy placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Castine, ME, Maine Maritime Academy is a public institution. Team revenue averages $1,485 per participant, with expenses of about $1,485 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Thomas College did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Waterville, ME, Thomas College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,165, compared with $5,165 spent per athlete. The school awards about $244 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in North Dartmouth, MA, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,073, with expenses of about $3,144 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fitchburg State University landed the #24 spot this year. This public school is set in Fitchburg, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,683, with expenses of about $1,635 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Framingham State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Framingham State University is a public school based in Framingham, MA. The program generates about $2,922 in revenue per athlete, against $2,692 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.