by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 6 colleges for Women’s Cross Country (Division II) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Valdosta State University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Valdosta, GA, Valdosta State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,123, with expenses of about $9,123 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,542 per athlete.
Columbus State University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Columbus, GA, Columbus State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $5,631 per participant, against $5,631 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,670.
Fort Valley State University landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Fort Valley, GA, Fort Valley State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $2,684 per participant, with expenses of about $2,684 per participant. The school awards about $2,378 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clayton State University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division II), at #4. Based in Morrow, GA, Clayton State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $7,159 per participant, against $5,073 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,906 per athlete.
Georgia Southwestern State University landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Georgia Southwestern State University is a public school based in Americus, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,535, compared with $3,535 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,453.
Middle Georgia State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Macon, GA, Middle Georgia State University is a public institution. The program generates about $7,915 in revenue per athlete, against $7,915 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,016.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.