by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 9 schools for Men’s Cross Country 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Illinois Institute of Technology this year for Men's Cross Country. Located in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,179 per participant, against $2,179 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Knox College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Galesburg, IL. Team revenue averages $8,300 per participant, compared with $6,046 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Forest College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Located in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,482 in revenue per athlete, against $2,482 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
North Central College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. North Central College is a private not-for-profit school based in Naperville, IL. Team revenue averages $1,992 per participant, compared with $1,281 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Concordia University-Chicago landed the #5 spot for Men's Cross Country. Concordia University-Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in River Forest, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,281, against $6,138 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Aurora University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Aurora, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,666, with expenses of about $5,666 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Millikin University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Based in Decatur, IL, Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,271, against $2,271 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rockford University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Rockford, IL, Rockford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,140, compared with $6,140 spent per athlete. 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. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.