by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 6 colleges 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Grinnell College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,272, compared with $2,272 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cornell College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Vernon, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,028, compared with $2,519 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loras College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. Based in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,148 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,148 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Dubuque is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #4. University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA. Team revenue averages $3,447 per participant, against $3,422 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wartburg College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #5. Located in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,927, compared with $1,927 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Coe College landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,606 per participant, compared with $2,606 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.