by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 9 programs for Men’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual weighs 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:
Leading the list is Florida Atlantic University, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country. Based in Boca Raton, FL, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution. The program generates about $9,389 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,389 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,971 per athlete.
Stetson University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in DeLand, FL, Stetson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993. Team revenue averages $27,795 per participant, with expenses of about $27,795 per participant. The school awards about $17,035 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida Gulf Coast University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #3. Located in Fort Myers, FL, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 949. Team revenue averages $30,197 per participant, compared with $30,197 spent per athlete. The school awards about $18,812 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Florida earned the #4 place for student athletes. University of West Florida is a public school based in Pensacola, FL. Team revenue averages $13,875 per participant, with expenses of about $13,936 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,536.
Palm Beach Atlantic University landed the #5 spot for Men's Cross Country. Based in West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,844 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,805 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,383.
Jacksonville University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,971 per participant, compared with $3,971 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,287.
Barry University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Miami, FL, Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,770 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,770 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,733 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bethune-Cookman University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Daytona Beach, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,326, against $8,326 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,940 per athlete.
Saint Leo University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Saint Leo, FL, Saint Leo University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,126 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,026 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,812 per athlete.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.