by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 40 programs for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Fairfield University this year for Women's Cross Country. Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fairfield, CT. Fairfield University records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $9,433 per participant, with expenses of about $9,433 per participant. The school awards about $19,587 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colby College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Based in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,112 per participant, compared with $8,112 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Williams College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamstown, MA. Team revenue averages $3,874 per participant, compared with $3,874 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wellesley College landed the #4 spot for Women's Cross Country. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA. Team revenue averages $4,954 per participant, against $4,954 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,919 per participant, with expenses of about $2,919 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Middlebury College landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Middlebury, VT, Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,044 in revenue per athlete, against $4,044 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Amherst College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,123 per participant, against $3,123 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wentworth Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,777, against $9,595 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Michael's College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit school based in Colchester, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,384, compared with $7,384 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,634 in athletic aid per athlete.
Connecticut College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in New London, CT, Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,808 per participant, with expenses of about $2,808 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Endicott College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,256 per participant, against $3,256 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Merrimack College records an NCAA APR of 992. The program generates about $26,278 in revenue per athlete, against $26,278 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
Western New England University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. Team revenue averages $5,978 per participant, with expenses of about $4,149 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Brown University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Based in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993. Team revenue averages $8,437 per participant, with expenses of about $8,437 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Emerson College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. The program generates about $2,425 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,340 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maine Maritime Academy came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Castine, ME. Team revenue averages $6,033 per participant, compared with $6,033 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Norwich University landed the #17 spot this year. Norwich University is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, VT. The program generates about $5,729 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,729 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gordon College placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,856, with expenses of about $3,268 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Buzzards Bay, MA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,110, with expenses of about $1,552 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Roger Williams University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bristol, RI. The program generates about $3,006 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,816 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Salve Regina University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Newport, RI. The program generates about $2,215 in revenue per athlete, against $2,079 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Hartford came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in West Hartford, CT, University of Hartford is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,218 in revenue per athlete, against $2,127 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $587.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Providence, RI, Johnson & Wales University-Providence is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,625, against $5,625 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of New England landed the #24 spot this year. University of New England is a private not-for-profit school based in Biddeford, ME. The program generates about $2,844 in revenue per athlete, against $2,844 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Worcester State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Worcester, MA. The program generates about $3,034 in revenue per athlete, against $3,011 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.