by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 19 programs for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Williams College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. Team revenue averages $3,874 per participant, against $3,874 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wellesley College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Based in Wellesley, MA, Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,954 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,954 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,919 per participant, against $2,919 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. The program generates about $3,123 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,123 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #5. Located in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992. The program generates about $26,278 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,278 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
Wentworth Institute of Technology placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,777 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,595 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Emerson College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Boston, MA, Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,425, against $2,340 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Endicott College did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Beverly, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,256, compared with $3,256 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western New England University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. Team revenue averages $5,978 per participant, compared with $4,149 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gordon College did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wenham, MA. Team revenue averages $3,856 per participant, against $3,268 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Buzzards Bay, MA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public institution. The program generates about $1,110 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,552 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Worcester State University landed the #12 spot this year. Worcester State University is a public school based in Worcester, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,034, against $3,011 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public school based in North Dartmouth, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,089, against $3,927 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Framingham State University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Framingham, MA, Framingham State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $3,206 per participant, with expenses of about $3,036 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fitchburg State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Located in Fitchburg, MA, Fitchburg State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,249, against $2,249 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Curry College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Curry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Milton, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,259, compared with $4,259 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in North Adams, MA, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public institution. Team revenue averages $130 per participant, with expenses of about $130 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dean College landed the #18 spot this year. Dean College is a private not-for-profit school based in Franklin, MA. The program generates about $2,380 in revenue per athlete, against $2,319 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.