by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. 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 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Brown University, our #1 college for Women's Cross Country. Based in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,437, compared with $8,437 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Roger Williams University landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country. Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, RI. The program generates about $3,006 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,816 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Salve Regina University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Salve Regina University is a private not-for-profit school based in Newport, RI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,215, compared with $2,079 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence ranked #4 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. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rhode Island College landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Providence, RI. Team revenue averages $2,439 per participant, with expenses of about $2,439 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.