by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 11 programs 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than University of Wisconsin-La Crosse this year for Men's Cross Country. This public school is set in La Crosse, WI. The program generates about $4,308 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,707 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Eau Claire, WI, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,854, with expenses of about $3,231 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin earned the #3 place for student athletes. Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit school based in Mequon, WI. Team revenue averages $5,404 per participant, compared with $5,098 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Located in Green Bay, WI, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,382, with expenses of about $12,382 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,741.
Maranatha Baptist University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Maranatha Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Watertown, WI. Team revenue averages $1,495 per participant, with expenses of about $1,296 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wisconsin Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Milwaukee, WI, Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,106 per participant, with expenses of about $3,052 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Whitewater, WI, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,422, compared with $1,370 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ripon College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Ripon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ripon, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,537, against $3,537 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is a public school based in Stevens Point, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,668, with expenses of about $1,611 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Stout placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This public school is set in Menomonie, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,551, compared with $2,551 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Superior came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Superior, WI, University of Wisconsin-Superior is a public institution. The program generates about $2,233 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,233 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. 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.