by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 5 schools for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Kalamazoo College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,285, compared with $3,285 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Michigan Technological University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #2. Based in Houghton, MI, Michigan Technological University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,314 per participant, compared with $8,253 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,159 per athlete.
Calvin University landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,992 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,906 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Northern Michigan University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Northern Michigan University is a public school based in Marquette, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,879, against $13,384 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,323 per athlete.
The University of Olivet ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in Olivet, MI, The University of Olivet is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,255 per participant, against $2,255 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.