by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 5 colleges for Women’s Cross Country (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
Leading the list is St Olaf College, our #1 college for Women's Cross Country (Division III). St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN. Team revenue averages $6,232 per participant, compared with $6,079 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Martin Luther College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #2. Based in New Ulm, MN, Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,490, against $1,490 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country (Division III), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $4,013 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,013 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. Team revenue averages $7,127 per participant, against $7,127 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Mankato, MN, Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,981, with expenses of about $3,033 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*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.