by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 8 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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Winston-Salem State University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Winston-Salem, NC, Winston-Salem State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,365, against $5,365 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,441 per athlete.
Fayetteville State University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division II), at #2. Fayetteville State University is a public school based in Fayetteville, NC. Team revenue averages $12,956 per participant, compared with $12,956 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,674 per athlete.
Elizabeth City State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Elizabeth City, NC, Elizabeth City State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,921, with expenses of about $3,921 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,147.
Johnson C Smith University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division II), at #4. Based in Charlotte, NC, Johnson C Smith University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,120 per participant, with expenses of about $3,120 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,550.
Shaw University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Shaw University is a private not-for-profit school based in Raleigh, NC. Team revenue averages $11,976 per participant, with expenses of about $11,976 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,825.
Belmont Abbey College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Belmont, NC, Belmont Abbey College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,925 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,925 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,908 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chowan University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Chowan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Murfreesboro, NC. The program generates about $3,105 in revenue per athlete, against $3,105 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,571.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.