by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 18 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 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found Williams College to be the best college for Women's Cross Country (Division III) in Massachusetts. Based in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,874 in revenue per athlete, against $3,874 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wellesley College landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Wellesley, MA, Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,954, with expenses of about $4,954 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. Team revenue averages $2,919 per participant, against $2,919 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Amherst College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #4. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. The program generates about $3,123 in revenue per athlete, against $3,123 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wentworth Institute of Technology came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,777 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,595 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Western New England University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Springfield, MA, Western New England University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,978 per participant, against $4,149 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Emerson College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Boston, MA, Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,425 per participant, with expenses of about $2,340 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Endicott College landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Beverly, MA. The program generates about $3,256 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,256 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gordon College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,856, against $3,268 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public school based in Buzzards Bay, MA. The program generates about $1,110 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,552 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Worcester State University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Worcester, MA, Worcester State University is a public institution. The program generates about $3,034 in revenue per athlete, against $3,011 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth landed the #12 spot this year. Located in North Dartmouth, MA, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public institution. The program generates about $5,089 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,927 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Framingham State University landed the #13 spot this year. Framingham State University is a public school based in Framingham, MA. Team revenue averages $3,206 per participant, against $3,036 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fitchburg State University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Fitchburg, MA, Fitchburg State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,249, with expenses of about $2,249 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Curry College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Milton, MA. Team revenue averages $4,259 per participant, with expenses of about $4,259 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in North Adams, MA, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $130, against $130 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Dean College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Franklin, MA, Dean College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,380 per participant, against $2,319 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.