by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 34 schools 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 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Case Western Reserve University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,360, with expenses of about $4,360 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Terre Haute, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,208, against $5,208 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Oberlin College landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,997 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,997 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Calvin University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #4. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,992, with expenses of about $4,906 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Kenyon College landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,377 per participant, against $3,377 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kalamazoo College landed the #6 spot this year. Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,285, with expenses of about $3,285 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
North Central College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,708 per participant, against $5,970 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution. The program generates about $2,946 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,525 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Knox College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,968 per participant, compared with $6,426 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #10 spot this year. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Team revenue averages $2,179 per participant, with expenses of about $2,179 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Earlham College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Richmond, IN, Earlham College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,671, with expenses of about $5,671 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Eau Claire, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,827, compared with $3,209 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio Northern University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,310 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,310 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $967 per participant, against $892 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Forest College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,482, compared with $2,482 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hanover College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Hanover College is a private not-for-profit school based in Hanover, IN. Team revenue averages $4,544 per participant, compared with $4,544 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Trine University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Angola, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,854, against $1,861 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wisconsin Lutheran College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Milwaukee, WI, Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,918 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,832 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in River Forest, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,247, against $6,247 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Aurora University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Based in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,344 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,344 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alverno College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Alverno College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,623 in revenue per athlete, against $6,595 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Mequon, WI, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,333 per participant, against $2,261 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater did well this year, earning the #23 position. Based in Whitewater, WI, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public institution. The program generates about $1,542 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,318 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maranatha Baptist University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Watertown, WI, Maranatha Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,320 in revenue per athlete, against $1,226 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ripon College did well this year, earning the #25 position. Ripon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ripon, WI. Team revenue averages $3,196 per participant, with expenses of about $3,196 per participant. 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 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.