by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 7 colleges 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Loyola University Maryland earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Located in Baltimore, MD, Loyola University Maryland is a private not-for-profit institution. Loyola University Maryland records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $8,615 per participant, with expenses of about $8,615 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,638 per athlete.
McDaniel College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Based in Westminster, MD, McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,154 in revenue per athlete, against $3,651 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stevenson University landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country. Based in Owings Mills, MD, Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,552 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,054 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hood College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Frederick, MD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,920, against $2,920 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Frostburg State University landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country. Frostburg State University is a public school based in Frostburg, MD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $748, with expenses of about $748 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,617.
Bowie State University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in Bowie, MD, Bowie State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,260, compared with $1,947 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,581 per athlete.
Notre Dame of Maryland University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in Baltimore, MD, Notre Dame of Maryland University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,417 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,454 spent per athlete. 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. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.