by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 56 schools for Women’s Cross Country (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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:
Our analysis found Hamilton College to be the best college for Women's Cross Country (Division III) in the Middle Atlantic Region. Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. 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.
Vassar College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #2. Located in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,225, compared with $4,119 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Dickinson College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,941 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,927 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $3,908 per participant, against $3,783 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Ithaca College landed the #5 spot 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.
Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Rochester, NY, Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,912, against $5,893 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,070 per athlete.
Yeshiva University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in New York, NY, Yeshiva University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,007, against $3,007 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Lawrence University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,160, compared with $3,160 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,126.
Saint Vincent College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Latrobe, PA, Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,400 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,400 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. John Fisher University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Rochester, NY, St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,492 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,997 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at New Paltz did well this year, earning the #11 position. State University of New York at New Paltz is a public school based in New Paltz, NY. Team revenue averages $5,321 per participant, against $5,282 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Juniata College landed the #12 spot this year. Juniata College is a private not-for-profit school based in Huntingdon, PA. Team revenue averages $5,791 per participant, against $5,724 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bard College landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, Bard College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,238 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,238 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
DeSales University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,679, with expenses of about $4,634 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Scranton ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit school based in Scranton, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,583, compared with $1,583 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Clarkson University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Potsdam, NY, Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,956, with expenses of about $2,037 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,842.
Lebanon Valley College did well this year, earning the #17 position. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annville, PA. Team revenue averages $2,449 per participant, with expenses of about $2,449 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Widener University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chester, PA. Team revenue averages $4,149 per participant, with expenses of about $4,059 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lancaster Bible College ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $3,062 per participant, with expenses of about $2,503 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
McDaniel College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Westminster, MD, McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,154 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,651 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drew University placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Madison, NJ. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,262, against $2,262 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit school based in Geneva, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,743, against $1,743 in expenses. The school awards about $50 in athletic aid per athlete.
Montclair State University did well this year, earning the #23 position. This public school is set in Montclair, NJ. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,315, compared with $3,851 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Chatham University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. The program generates about $3,472 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,472 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at Cortland came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Cortland, NY, State University of New York at Cortland is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,399, against $2,399 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.