by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 29 colleges for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Dickinson College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Located in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,941, with expenses of about $6,927 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. The program generates about $3,908 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,783 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Thomas Jefferson University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #3. Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. The program generates about $18,254 in revenue per athlete, against $18,254 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,341.
Gannon University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,879 per participant, with expenses of about $5,879 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,313.
Saint Vincent College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit school based in Latrobe, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,400, compared with $5,400 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Huntingdon, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,791, against $5,724 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
DeSales University did well this year, earning the #7 position. DeSales University is a private not-for-profit school based in Center Valley, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,679, against $4,634 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Francis University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Loretto, PA. The program generates about $2,133 in revenue per athlete, against $2,133 in expenses. The school awards about $13,253 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Scranton came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,583, compared with $1,583 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College landed the #10 spot this year. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annville, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,449, with expenses of about $2,449 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Mercyhurst University landed the #11 spot this year. Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Erie, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. The program generates about $18,017 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,017 per participant. The school awards about $14,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Widener University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chester, PA. The program generates about $4,149 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,059 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lancaster Bible College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Lancaster, PA, Lancaster Bible College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,062 per participant, with expenses of about $2,503 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Holy Family University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Holy Family University is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. The program generates about $5,351 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,351 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,523.
Chatham University landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,472, compared with $3,472 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wilkes University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,158, with expenses of about $3,158 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lycoming College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Lycoming College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamsport, PA. Team revenue averages $3,665 per participant, compared with $2,800 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Waynesburg University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Located in Waynesburg, PA, Waynesburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,478 per participant, with expenses of about $2,478 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Cedar Crest College ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Allentown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,976, compared with $3,976 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Immaculata University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Immaculata, PA, Immaculata University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,109 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,109 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Delaware Valley University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Doylestown, PA, Delaware Valley University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,033 in revenue per athlete, against $4,033 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carlow University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Carlow University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,899, compared with $3,899 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,353 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pennsylvania College of Technology placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Williamsport, PA. The program generates about $1,667 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,667 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Neumann University did well this year, earning the #24 position. Located in Aston, PA, Neumann University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,610 per participant, with expenses of about $2,610 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
La Roche University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, La Roche University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $412, against $412 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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.