by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 5 colleges for Men’s Cross Country 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.
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Leading the list is Willamette University, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country. Based in Salem, OR, Willamette University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,321, compared with $3,321 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country. Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit school based in Portland, OR. Team revenue averages $4,646 per participant, compared with $4,646 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Linfield University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Located in McMinnville, OR, Linfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,378 per participant, with expenses of about $7,366 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Portland State University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #4. This public school is set in Portland, OR. The team's NCAA APR score is 987. The program generates about $8,467 in revenue per athlete, against $8,467 in expenses. The school awards about $13,026 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Oregon University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #5. Based in Monmouth, OR, Western Oregon University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,050 per participant, against $9,050 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,713.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.