by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 8 programs for Women’s Cross Country (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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No school ranked higher than North Greenville University this year for Women's Cross Country (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tigerville, SC. The program generates about $28,516 in revenue per athlete, compared with $28,001 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Converse University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division II), at #2. Located in Spartanburg, SC, Converse University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,571 per participant, compared with $14,515 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,241.
Claflin University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based in Orangeburg, SC, Claflin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,813 per participant, against $11,813 in expenses. The school awards about $4,337 in athletic aid per athlete.
Erskine College earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Due West, SC. The program generates about $12,523 in revenue per athlete, against $12,375 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,924.
University of South Carolina Aiken landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Based 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. The school awards about $8,318 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Beaufort placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public school based in Bluffton, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,028, with expenses of about $8,994 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,478 per athlete.
Coker University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Hartsville, SC, Coker University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,799, compared with $5,799 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,938 in athletic aid per athlete.
Benedict College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division II). Located in Columbia, SC, Benedict College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,932, compared with $3,936 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,098 per athlete.
*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.