by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 77 colleges 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Union University, our #1 college for Women's Cross Country. Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Team revenue averages $16,405 per participant, with expenses of about $14,851 per participant. The school awards about $17,895 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mercer University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #2. Based in Macon, GA, Mercer University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. The program generates about $16,064 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,064 spent per athlete. The school awards about $23,898 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washington and Lee University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,275, against $6,275 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christopher Newport University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. The program generates about $6,147 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,147 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hampton University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hampton, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. Team revenue averages $60,361 per participant, against $61,129 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,394.
College of Charleston ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. College of Charleston is a public school based in Charleston, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,348, compared with $12,348 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,551 per athlete.
Presbyterian College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,838, against $12,838 in expenses. The school awards about $11,454 in athletic aid per athlete.
Berry College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Berry, GA. The program generates about $5,315 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,095 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ouachita Baptist University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Arkadelphia, AR. The program generates about $12,703 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,552 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,935.
Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Fort Myers, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 990. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,656, against $31,656 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,812 per athlete.
Stetson University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in DeLand, FL, Stetson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992. Team revenue averages $28,982 per participant, against $28,982 in expenses. The school awards about $17,035 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Florida landed the #12 spot this year. University of West Florida is a public school based in Pensacola, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,360, compared with $12,933 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,536 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Alabama did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Florence, AL, University of North Alabama is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995. The program generates about $15,490 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,490 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,402 per athlete.
North Greenville University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Located in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $28,516 per participant, against $28,001 in expenses. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Covenant College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lookout Mountain, GA. Team revenue averages $5,093 per participant, with expenses of about $3,665 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Palm Beach Atlantic University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Based in West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,790 in revenue per athlete, against $9,757 in expenses. The school awards about $10,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
Asbury University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Wilmore, KY, Asbury University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,361 per participant, compared with $4,361 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,935 in revenue per athlete, against $14,935 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
Hendrix College did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,021, against $5,021 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Berea College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Berea, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,948, compared with $3,026 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roanoke College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, VA. Team revenue averages $3,080 per participant, compared with $3,080 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Tennessee State University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Johnson City, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 993. The program generates about $6,470 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,470 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,444 per athlete.
University of South Alabama ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Based in Mobile, AL, University of South Alabama is a public institution. University of South Alabama records an NCAA APR of 985. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,857, compared with $9,857 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,705 per athlete.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Tallahassee, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989. The program generates about $12,038 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,789 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,235 per athlete.
Transylvania University landed the #25 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,261, against $2,261 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.