by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 10 colleges for Women’s Cross Country (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Jump to the options below.
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. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,897, against $7,897 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA. Team revenue averages $3,856 per participant, against $3,856 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lewis & Clark College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,982 per participant, compared with $5,982 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
California Lutheran University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,945 per participant, against $2,945 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Redlands is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #5. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school based in Redlands, CA. Team revenue averages $6,381 per participant, compared with $6,630 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Willamette University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Willamette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Salem, OR. Team revenue averages $3,321 per participant, compared with $3,321 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Pacific Lutheran University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,570, compared with $5,570 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whitworth University landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spokane, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,531, compared with $3,180 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of La Verne landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in La Verne, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,569, with expenses of about $3,680 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.