by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 10 programs for Men’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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:
Vanderbilt University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,800, against $45,800 in expenses. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Union University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Team revenue averages $14,526 per participant, with expenses of about $14,809 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Based in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 980. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,817, with expenses of about $27,817 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,453 per athlete.
East Tennessee State University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #4. Located in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,802, against $7,802 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Based in Chattanooga, TN, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public institution. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga records an NCAA APR of 986. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,249, with expenses of about $13,249 per participant. The school awards about $13,025 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Team revenue averages $7,947 per participant, compared with $7,708 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
Austin Peay State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. This public school is set in Clarksville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986. Team revenue averages $10,028 per participant, with expenses of about $10,028 per participant. The school awards about $13,483 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Based in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,721 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,721 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,904 per athlete.
Tusculum University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greeneville, TN. Team revenue averages $7,898 per participant, compared with $7,881 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,457.
Lane College did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jackson, TN. Team revenue averages $2,966 per participant, compared with $2,966 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,306.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.