by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 9 schools for Women’s Cross Country (Division I) 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:
Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division I). Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,826, with expenses of about $48,826 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
Loyola Marymount University landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Los Angeles, CA, Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Team revenue averages $40,439 per participant, against $40,439 in expenses. The school awards about $40,056 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's College of California ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division I). Located in Moraga, CA, Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993. Team revenue averages $18,498 per participant, compared with $18,498 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,999.
Santa Clara University landed the #4 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. Santa Clara University records an NCAA APR of 988. The program generates about $17,233 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,233 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,355 per athlete.
University of California-Irvine landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Irvine, CA, University of California-Irvine is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995. Team revenue averages $1,295 per participant, against $1,295 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,955.
University of the Pacific came in at #6 in this year's ranking. University of the Pacific is a private not-for-profit school based in Stockton, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 968. The program generates about $24,125 in revenue per athlete, against $24,125 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,596 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992. The program generates about $9,721 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,721 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,355.
California Baptist University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Riverside, CA, California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 941. The program generates about $5,786 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,147 spent per athlete. The school awards about $23,790 in athletic aid per athlete.
Portland State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Portland, OR. The team's NCAA APR score is 990. Team revenue averages $15,591 per participant, against $15,591 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,026 per athlete.
*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.