by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 7 programs 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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St Olaf College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, MN. The program generates about $2,937 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,733 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. Based in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,344, compared with $5,344 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Martin Luther College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Ulm, MN. The program generates about $1,419 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,419 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winona State University is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country, at #4. Located in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $3,244 per participant, compared with $3,244 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,907 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public school based in Crookston, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,191, with expenses of about $17,191 per participant. The school awards about $7,101 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. The program generates about $4,030 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,030 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bethany Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,636, compared with $3,702 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.