by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 12 programs for Men’s Cross Country (Division III) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Grinnell College, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA. The program generates about $2,272 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,272 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Olaf College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,937 per participant, with expenses of about $2,733 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Cornell College landed the #3 spot for Men's Cross Country (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,028 per participant, compared with $2,519 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,344, against $5,344 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loras College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division III) in Plains States, at #5. Loras College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA. Team revenue averages $3,148 per participant, compared with $3,148 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Webster University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III) in Plains States. Webster University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. Team revenue averages $6,001 per participant, with expenses of about $5,469 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Martin Luther College landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Ulm, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,419, against $1,419 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College landed the #8 spot this year. Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mankato, MN. Team revenue averages $3,636 per participant, compared with $3,702 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,030 per participant, with expenses of about $4,030 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wartburg College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,927 in revenue per athlete, against $1,927 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Coe College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,606 per participant, compared with $2,606 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Dubuque came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Dubuque, IA, University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,447, with expenses of about $3,422 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.