by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 5 colleges for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
No school ranked higher than Fairfield University this year for Women's Cross Country. Based in Fairfield, CT, Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Team revenue averages $9,433 per participant, against $9,433 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,587 per athlete.
Connecticut College landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in New London, CT. Team revenue averages $2,808 per participant, with expenses of about $2,808 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Hartford landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in West Hartford, CT. The program generates about $7,218 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,127 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $587 per athlete.
Western Connecticut State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Danbury, CT. The program generates about $2,467 in revenue per athlete, against $2,467 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Mitchell College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #5. Located in New London, CT, Mitchell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,410 per participant, against $1,410 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.