by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 12 schools for Men’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Case Western Reserve University to be the best college for Men's Cross Country in Ohio. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,360, compared with $4,360 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Dayton landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country. Based in Dayton, OH, University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Dayton records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $17,855 per participant, compared with $19,714 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,913.
Ohio University-Main Campus earned the #3 place for student athletes. Ohio University-Main Campus is a public school based in Athens, OH. Ohio University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,703, with expenses of about $10,703 per participant. The school awards about $17,284 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kenyon College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,906 per participant, against $2,906 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oberlin College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,187, against $3,187 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Toledo did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Toledo, OH, University of Toledo is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990. Team revenue averages $26,760 per participant, with expenses of about $26,760 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,660.
Cedarville University landed the #7 spot this year. Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedarville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,778, compared with $4,778 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,791 per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,919, against $1,376 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981. Team revenue averages $4,965 per participant, against $7,698 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,840 per athlete.
Ohio Northern University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $887 per participant, against $887 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Shawnee State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Portsmouth, OH, Shawnee State University is a public institution. The program generates about $9,605 in revenue per athlete, against $9,317 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,174.
Muskingum University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Concord, OH. Team revenue averages $759 per participant, compared with $759 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.