by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 90 programs for Women’s Cross Country (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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:
Our analysis found Thomas Jefferson University to be the best college for Women's Cross Country (Division II) in the United States. Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,254, compared with $18,254 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,341 per athlete.
Union University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,405, compared with $14,851 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,895 per athlete.
Colorado School of Mines is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division II), at #3. Based in Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,513, compared with $7,513 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,984 per athlete.
Michigan Technological University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division II), at #4. Michigan Technological University is a public school based in Houghton, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,314, with expenses of about $8,253 per participant. The school awards about $13,159 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rockhurst University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,590 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,590 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,130 per athlete.
University of West Florida landed the #6 spot this year. University of West Florida is a public school based in Pensacola, FL. The program generates about $14,360 in revenue per athlete, against $12,933 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,536.
North Greenville University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,516, with expenses of about $28,001 per participant. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Arkadelphia, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,703, compared with $10,552 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,935.
Gannon University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Erie, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,879, compared with $5,879 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,313 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cedarville University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cedarville, OH. The program generates about $7,438 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,438 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,791 per athlete.
California State University-San Bernardino placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in San Bernardino, CA, California State University-San Bernardino is a public institution. Team revenue averages $27,973 per participant, compared with $27,520 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,698.
Adelphi University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Garden City, NY, Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,058 per participant, with expenses of about $5,058 per participant. The school awards about $7,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sonoma State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, CA, Sonoma State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,655, with expenses of about $27,655 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,732 per athlete.
Mercyhurst University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Erie, PA, Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,017, against $18,017 in expenses. The school awards about $14,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newman University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wichita, KS. The program generates about $15,419 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,419 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,192 per athlete.
Saint Michael's College placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit school based in Colchester, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,384, against $7,384 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,634 per athlete.
Northern Michigan University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. The program generates about $12,879 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,384 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,323 per athlete.
Palm Beach Atlantic University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in West Palm Beach, FL. Team revenue averages $9,790 per participant, against $9,757 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,383 per athlete.
Texas A & M International University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Laredo, TX, Texas A & M International University is a public institution. The program generates about $20,131 in revenue per athlete, against $20,131 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,327 per athlete.
Molloy University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Rockville Centre, NY. The program generates about $6,279 in revenue per athlete, against $5,805 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,589 per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #21 spot this year. Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. The program generates about $14,935 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,935 per participant. The school awards about $5,766 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pace University landed the #22 spot this year. Pace University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. The program generates about $3,190 in revenue per athlete, against $3,466 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,466.
University of Minnesota-Crookston placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public school based in Crookston, MN. The program generates about $14,353 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,353 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,101 per athlete.
Southwest Baptist University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Bolivar, MO, Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,916 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,916 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,015 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Merced did well this year, earning the #25 position. Based in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,666 per participant, against $8,666 in expenses. The school awards about $1,179 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
