by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 9 schools for Men’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Leading the list is Mercer University, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country. Based in Macon, GA, Mercer University is a private not-for-profit institution. Mercer University records an NCAA APR of 995. The program generates about $22,005 in revenue per athlete, against $22,005 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,898.
Berry College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Berry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Berry, GA. Team revenue averages $4,130 per participant, with expenses of about $3,965 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Clark Atlanta University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #3. Based in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,700 in revenue per athlete, against $8,797 in expenses. The school awards about $11,630 in athletic aid per athlete.
Covenant College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lookout Mountain, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,526, against $2,537 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Valdosta State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Valdosta, GA, Valdosta State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,548, compared with $9,548 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,542.
Columbus State University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Columbus, GA, Columbus State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $5,480 per participant, against $5,480 in expenses. The school awards about $4,670 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Valley State University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This public school is set in Fort Valley, GA. Team revenue averages $3,846 per participant, with expenses of about $3,846 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,378 per athlete.
Clayton State University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Morrow, GA, Clayton State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,200, compared with $3,987 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,906.
Georgia Southwestern State University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Americus, GA, Georgia Southwestern State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $2,298 per participant, against $2,298 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,453 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.