by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 24 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Dickinson College to be the best college for Women's Cross Country (Division III) in Pennsylvania. Located in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,941, compared with $6,927 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,908, with expenses of about $3,783 per participant. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #3. Based in Latrobe, PA, Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,400 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,400 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Huntingdon, PA, Juniata College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,791, compared with $5,724 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
DeSales University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #5. Located in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,679 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,634 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,449, compared with $2,449 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Scranton placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. Team revenue averages $1,583 per participant, with expenses of about $1,583 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Widener University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Widener University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chester, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,149, compared with $4,059 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lancaster Bible College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Lancaster, PA, Lancaster Bible College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,062 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,503 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Chatham University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Chatham University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,472, against $3,472 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wilkes University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Team revenue averages $3,158 per participant, with expenses of about $3,158 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lycoming College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Lycoming College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamsport, PA. The program generates about $3,665 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,800 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Cedar Crest College placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Allentown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,976, compared with $3,976 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Waynesburg University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Waynesburg, PA, Waynesburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,478 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,478 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Immaculata University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Immaculata, PA, Immaculata University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,109, compared with $1,109 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Delaware Valley University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Doylestown, PA, Delaware Valley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,033, against $4,033 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carlow University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Carlow University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA. Team revenue averages $3,899 per participant, with expenses of about $3,899 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,353.
Pennsylvania College of Technology placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Williamsport, PA, Pennsylvania College of Technology is a public institution. Team revenue averages $1,667 per participant, against $1,667 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Neumann University did well this year, earning the #19 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Aston, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,610, against $2,610 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
La Roche University landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, La Roche University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $412 per participant, with expenses of about $412 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Valley Forge placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Phoenixville, PA, University of Valley Forge is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,239, against $1,028 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Mount Aloysius College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in Cresson, PA, Mount Aloysius College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,644 per participant, against $1,644 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Greensburg, PA. The program generates about $1,021 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,021 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*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.