by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 16 colleges for Men’s Cross Country (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
No school ranked higher than Williams College this year for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamstown, MA. Team revenue averages $3,803 per participant, with expenses of about $3,803 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Amherst College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division III), at #2. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. Team revenue averages $3,321 per participant, with expenses of about $3,321 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. The program generates about $1,904 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,904 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wentworth Institute of Technology came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,981, against $4,373 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Emerson College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Emerson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. The program generates about $2,466 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,340 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Endicott College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,996 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,996 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western New England University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Springfield, MA, Western New England University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,200 per participant, compared with $2,564 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gordon College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wenham, MA. The program generates about $3,506 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,971 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Worcester State University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Worcester, MA, Worcester State University is a public institution. The program generates about $4,372 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,364 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy ranked #10 on our 2026 list 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, against $810 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Nichols College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Nichols College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dudley, MA. The program generates about $2,715 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,857 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth came in at #12 in this year's ranking. University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public school based in North Dartmouth, MA. The program generates about $4,073 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,144 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Framingham State University landed the #13 spot this year. Framingham State University is a public school based in Framingham, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,922, compared with $2,692 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Fitchburg State University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Fitchburg State University is a public school based in Fitchburg, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,683, compared with $1,635 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Curry College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Curry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Milton, MA. Team revenue averages $1,769 per participant, compared with $1,769 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dean College landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Franklin, MA, Dean College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,900, against $1,886 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*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.