by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 12 programs for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, our #1 college for Women's Cross Country. Located in Eau Claire, WI, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution. Team revenue averages $3,827 per participant, compared with $3,209 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in La Crosse, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,946, against $3,525 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a public school based in Green Bay, WI. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay records an NCAA APR of 988. Team revenue averages $10,825 per participant, with expenses of about $10,825 per participant. The school awards about $9,741 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wisconsin Lutheran College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Based in Milwaukee, WI, Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,918 per participant, with expenses of about $4,832 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mequon, WI. The program generates about $2,333 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,261 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Maranatha Baptist University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Watertown, WI, Maranatha Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,320 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,226 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater landed the #7 spot this year. This public school is set in Whitewater, WI. The program generates about $1,542 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,318 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ripon College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Based in Ripon, WI, Ripon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,196, with expenses of about $3,196 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is a public school based in Stevens Point, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,546, compared with $1,631 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Alverno College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Alverno College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,623 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,595 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Stout placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Menomonie, WI. The program generates about $2,991 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,991 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Superior landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Superior, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,436, with expenses of about $3,436 per participant. 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. 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.