by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 10 schools 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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Leading the list is Washington and Lee University, our #1 college for Men's Cross Country. Based in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,840 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,840 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Richmond is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #2. Based in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Richmond records an NCAA APR of 1000. The program generates about $13,101 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,101 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christopher Newport University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $5,725 per participant, compared with $5,725 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Radford University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Located in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,678, against $13,678 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,467.
Hampton University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Located in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 938. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $59,849, against $70,209 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,394 per athlete.
Roanoke College landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,137, with expenses of about $3,137 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Mary Baldwin University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Staunton, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,457, with expenses of about $4,457 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Regent University landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Virginia Beach, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,724, with expenses of about $4,724 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Mennonite University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Harrisonburg, VA. The program generates about $3,225 in revenue per athlete, against $3,225 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Virginia Union University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Virginia Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Richmond, VA. The program generates about $1,700 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,670 per participant. The school awards about $5,465 in athletic aid 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.