by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 173 programs for Women’s Cross Country (Division III) 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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Explore the leading programs below:
California Institute of Technology earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division III). California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Pasadena, CA. Team revenue averages $7,897 per participant, against $7,897 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,112 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,112 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Washington and Lee University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,275, compared with $6,275 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wellesley College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Wellesley, MA, Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,954, compared with $4,954 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hamilton College earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,983, compared with $4,983 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Colorado Springs, CO. Team revenue averages $5,935 per participant, with expenses of about $6,110 per participant. The school awards about $5,478 in athletic aid per athlete.
Middlebury College placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Middlebury, VT, Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,044, compared with $4,044 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Case Western Reserve University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,360, compared with $4,360 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Williams College landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamstown, MA. The program generates about $3,874 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,874 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Olaf College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,232, compared with $6,079 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Terre Haute, IN. The program generates about $5,208 in revenue per athlete, against $5,208 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,919 in revenue per athlete, against $2,919 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Dickinson College landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,941 per participant, compared with $6,927 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Christopher Newport University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This public school is set in Newport News, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,147, against $6,147 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Chapman University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA. The program generates about $3,856 in revenue per athlete, against $3,856 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Vassar College landed the #16 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Poughkeepsie, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,225, with expenses of about $4,119 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Amherst College landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Amherst, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,123, with expenses of about $3,123 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oberlin College landed the #18 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Oberlin, OH. Team revenue averages $5,997 per participant, with expenses of about $5,997 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College landed the #19 spot this year. Located in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,908 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,783 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Calvin University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Calvin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $4,992 in revenue per athlete, against $4,906 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kenyon College placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,377 per participant, against $3,377 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rochester Institute of Technology placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Rochester, NY, Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,912 per participant, with expenses of about $5,893 per participant. The school awards about $3,070 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Redlands landed the #23 spot this year. Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,381, compared with $6,630 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. The program generates about $5,098 in revenue per athlete, against $5,098 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Berry College did well this year, earning the #25 position. Berry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Berry, GA. Team revenue averages $5,315 per participant, against $5,095 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.