by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 44 colleges 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 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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Union University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,405, with expenses of about $14,851 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,895 per athlete.
University of West Florida ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Pensacola, FL, University of West Florida is a public institution. Team revenue averages $14,360 per participant, with expenses of about $12,933 per participant. The school awards about $7,536 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Greenville University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $28,516 per participant, against $28,001 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,158.
Ouachita Baptist University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. Team revenue averages $12,703 per participant, with expenses of about $10,552 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,935.
Palm Beach Atlantic University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division II), at #5. Based in West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,790, against $9,757 in expenses. The school awards about $10,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,935, compared with $14,935 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
Converse University landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. Team revenue averages $15,571 per participant, compared with $14,515 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,241 per athlete.
Auburn University at Montgomery ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Auburn University at Montgomery is a public school based in Montgomery, AL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,446, with expenses of about $21,446 per participant. The school awards about $13,718 in athletic aid per athlete.
Erskine College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Due West, SC, Erskine College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,523, against $12,375 in expenses. The school awards about $3,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Claflin University landed the #10 spot this year. Claflin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orangeburg, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,813, compared with $11,813 spent per athlete. The school awards about $4,337 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winston-Salem State University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Winston-Salem, NC, Winston-Salem State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $5,365 per participant, with expenses of about $5,365 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,441 per athlete.
Carson-Newman University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jefferson City, TN. Team revenue averages $3,383 per participant, with expenses of about $3,383 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
University of South Carolina Aiken ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Aiken, SC, University of South Carolina Aiken is a public institution. The program generates about $7,924 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,445 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,318.
Barry University did well this year, earning the #14 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Miami, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,181, compared with $11,181 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,733.
Valdosta State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Valdosta State University is a public school based in Valdosta, GA. The program generates about $9,123 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,123 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,542.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith landed the #16 spot this year. University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public school based in Fort Smith, AR. The program generates about $12,287 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,287 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,102.
Delta State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Cleveland, MS, Delta State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $10,711 per participant, with expenses of about $10,711 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,421 per athlete.
Fairmont State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Fairmont, WV, Fairmont State University is a public institution. The program generates about $6,044 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,589 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,874.
Saint Leo University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Saint Leo, FL, Saint Leo University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,571, compared with $1,498 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,812.
Tuskegee University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Tuskegee, AL, Tuskegee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,418 per participant, with expenses of about $5,418 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,470.
Shepherd University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Shepherdstown, WV, Shepherd University is a public institution. The program generates about $3,655 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,655 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,796.
Henderson State University did well this year, earning the #22 position. This public school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. Team revenue averages $9,896 per participant, against $9,896 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,143 per athlete.
Fayetteville State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). This public school is set in Fayetteville, NC. The program generates about $12,956 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,956 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,674.
Columbus State University placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). This public school is set in Columbus, GA. Team revenue averages $5,631 per participant, with expenses of about $5,631 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,670.
University of South Carolina Beaufort ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Bluffton, SC, University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,028, against $8,994 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,478.
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. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.