by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 5 colleges for Women’s Cross Country (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 college for Women's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Team revenue averages $29,824 per participant, with expenses of about $51,028 per participant. Athletic aid averages $53,919 per athlete.
Northern Illinois University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Dekalb, IL, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992. The program generates about $40,237 in revenue per athlete, against $40,237 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,138 per athlete.
University of Evansville landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Evansville, IN. The team's NCAA APR score is 939. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,797, against $4,797 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,525 per athlete.
Purdue University Fort Wayne is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division I), at #4. Located in Fort Wayne, IN, Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994. Team revenue averages $13,501 per participant, compared with $10,913 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,345 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division I). Based in Green Bay, WI, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a public institution. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay records an NCAA APR of 988. Team revenue averages $10,825 per participant, compared with $10,825 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,741.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
See our data sources and methodologies.