by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 9 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? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
North Central College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Naperville, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,708, against $5,970 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology earned the #2 place for student athletes. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Team revenue averages $2,179 per participant, against $2,179 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Knox College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,968 in revenue per athlete, against $6,426 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Forest College earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lake Forest, IL. The program generates about $2,482 in revenue per athlete, against $2,482 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in River Forest, IL, Concordia University-Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,247, compared with $6,247 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Aurora University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,344 per participant, compared with $4,344 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Millikin University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Millikin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Decatur, IL. The program generates about $2,943 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,943 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rockford University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Rockford, IL, Rockford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,325, compared with $5,325 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.