by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 9 colleges for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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:
Mercer University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Macon, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,064, compared with $16,064 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,898.
Berry College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Mount Berry, GA, Berry College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,315 in revenue per athlete, against $5,095 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Valdosta State University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Valdosta State University is a public school based in Valdosta, GA. Team revenue averages $9,123 per participant, against $9,123 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,542.
Covenant College landed the #4 spot for Women's Cross Country. Covenant College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lookout Mountain, GA. Team revenue averages $5,093 per participant, compared with $3,665 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Columbus State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Columbus State University is a public school based in Columbus, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,631, against $5,631 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,670 per athlete.
Clayton State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Morrow, GA, Clayton State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,159, compared with $5,073 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,906 per athlete.
Fort Valley State University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Fort Valley State University is a public school based in Fort Valley, GA. Team revenue averages $2,684 per participant, against $2,684 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,378 per athlete.
Middle Georgia State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Macon, GA, Middle Georgia State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $7,915 per participant, with expenses of about $7,915 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,016 per athlete.
Georgia Southwestern State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Americus, GA. Team revenue averages $3,535 per participant, against $3,535 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,453.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
See our data sources and methodologies.