by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 15 programs for Men’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
University of Tulsa earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tulsa, OK. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980. The program generates about $17,453 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,453 per participant. Athletic aid averages $34,797 per athlete.
University of Dallas landed the #2 spot for Men's Cross Country. Located in Irving, TX, University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,707, compared with $5,707 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Texas A & M International University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Laredo, TX, Texas A & M International University is a public institution. The program generates about $20,086 in revenue per athlete, against $20,086 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,327.
Prairie View A & M University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Based in Prairie View, TX, Prairie View A & M University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986. Team revenue averages $14,077 per participant, against $14,077 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,400.
Texas Lutheran University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #5. Texas Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Seguin, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,314, against $5,215 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Southern Nazarene University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. Southern Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bethany, OK. Team revenue averages $16,079 per participant, compared with $15,894 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,122 per athlete.
LeTourneau University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Longview, TX, LeTourneau University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,968, with expenses of about $2,968 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Belton, TX, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,475 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,475 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
New Mexico State University-Main Campus landed the #9 spot this year. New Mexico State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Las Cruces, NM. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 976. Team revenue averages $15,390 per participant, against $15,390 in expenses. The school awards about $17,921 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Texas at Tyler did well this year, earning the #10 position. This public school is set in Tyler, TX. The program generates about $12,441 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,441 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,209 per athlete.
Hardin-Simmons University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Abilene, TX, Hardin-Simmons University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,070 per participant, with expenses of about $4,144 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western New Mexico University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Western New Mexico University is a public school based in Silver City, NM. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,932, against $6,883 in expenses. The school awards about $9,177 in athletic aid per athlete.
New Mexico Highlands University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country. New Mexico Highlands University is a public school based in Las Vegas, NM. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,383, compared with $14,383 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,882 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Alva, OK, Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $3,137 per participant, against $2,300 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,134.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
