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 programs for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Ouachita Baptist University to be the best college for Women's Cross Country in Arkansas. This private not-for-profit school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,703, compared with $10,552 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
Hendrix College landed the #2 spot for Women's Cross Country. Located in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,021 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,021 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Fort Smith, AR, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public institution. Team revenue averages $12,287 per participant, with expenses of about $12,287 per participant. The school awards about $8,102 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lyon College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Lyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Batesville, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,094, with expenses of about $4,094 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Henderson State University landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country. Henderson State University is a public school based in Arkadelphia, AR. The program generates about $9,896 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,896 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,143 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.