by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 8 colleges for Women’s Cross Country 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:
Case Western Reserve University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Located in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,360 in revenue per athlete, against $4,360 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kenyon College landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country. Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gambier, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,377, with expenses of about $3,377 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oberlin College landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country. Located in Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,997 per participant, compared with $5,997 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Cedarville University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cedarville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,438, compared with $7,438 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,791 per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Steubenville, OH. The program generates about $967 in revenue per athlete, against $892 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Shawnee State University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Portsmouth, OH, Shawnee State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,227 per participant, against $10,231 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,174.
Ohio Northern University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ada, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,310, compared with $1,310 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Muskingum University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in New Concord, OH, Muskingum University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $759 in revenue per athlete, compared with $759 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.