by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 10 colleges for Men’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
College of Charleston earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Located in Charleston, SC, College of Charleston is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. The program generates about $9,565 in revenue per athlete, against $9,565 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,551.
North Greenville University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #2. Located in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,879, compared with $25,159 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,158 per athlete.
Converse University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Located in Spartanburg, SC, Converse University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,464 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,040 per participant. The school awards about $7,241 in athletic aid per athlete.
Erskine College landed the #4 spot for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Due West, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,285, with expenses of about $14,406 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,924.
University of South Carolina Aiken is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #5. Based in Aiken, SC, University of South Carolina Aiken is a public institution. The program generates about $12,345 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,365 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,318.
Presbyterian College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 974. Team revenue averages $8,372 per participant, against $8,372 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,454.
Claflin University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Orangeburg, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,674, with expenses of about $10,674 per participant. The school awards about $4,337 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Beaufort came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Bluffton, SC. The program generates about $7,322 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,104 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,478.
Coker University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hartsville, SC. The program generates about $6,435 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,435 per participant. The school awards about $6,938 in athletic aid per athlete.
Benedict College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Benedict College is a private not-for-profit school based in Columbia, SC. Team revenue averages $21,097 per participant, with expenses of about $1,629 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,098.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
See our data sources and methodologies.