by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 17 colleges 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Williams College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,803 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,803 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,321 per participant, with expenses of about $3,321 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #3. Based in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,904 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,904 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #4. Based in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996. Team revenue averages $24,367 per participant, compared with $24,367 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
Emerson College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,466, against $2,340 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wentworth Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,981 per participant, against $4,373 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Endicott College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,996 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,996 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Western New England University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Western New England University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MA. The program generates about $5,200 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,564 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gordon College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Based in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,506 per participant, compared with $2,971 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Worcester State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Located in Worcester, MA, Worcester State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,372, with expenses of about $4,364 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public school based in Buzzards Bay, MA. The program generates about $853 in revenue per athlete, compared with $810 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nichols College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Nichols College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dudley, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,715, compared with $2,857 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth did well this year, earning the #13 position. This public school is set in North Dartmouth, MA. Team revenue averages $4,073 per participant, compared with $3,144 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Framingham State University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This public school is set in Framingham, MA. Team revenue averages $2,922 per participant, compared with $2,692 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fitchburg State University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Fitchburg, MA, Fitchburg State University is a public institution. The program generates about $1,683 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,635 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Curry College placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Milton, MA, Curry College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,769, with expenses of about $1,769 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dean College landed the #17 spot this year. Dean College is a private not-for-profit school based in Franklin, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,900, against $1,886 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.