by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 8 programs for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
Our analysis found Stetson University to be the best college for Women's Cross Country in Florida. Stetson University is a private not-for-profit school based in DeLand, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992. The program generates about $28,982 in revenue per athlete, against $28,982 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,035.
Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Fort Myers, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990. The program generates about $31,656 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,656 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,812 per athlete.
University of West Florida earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Pensacola, FL, University of West Florida is a public institution. The program generates about $14,360 in revenue per athlete, against $12,933 in expenses. The school awards about $7,536 in athletic aid per athlete.
Palm Beach Atlantic University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,790, compared with $9,757 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #5. Located in Tallahassee, FL, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989. The program generates about $12,038 in revenue per athlete, against $9,789 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,235 per athlete.
Barry University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Miami, FL. Team revenue averages $11,181 per participant, with expenses of about $11,181 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,733.
Bethune-Cookman University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. Based in Daytona Beach, FL, Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992. Team revenue averages $9,396 per participant, compared with $9,396 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,940 per athlete.
Saint Leo University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Saint Leo University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Leo, FL. The program generates about $1,571 in revenue per athlete, against $1,498 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,812 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.