by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 10 colleges for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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No school ranked higher than North Greenville University this year for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tigerville, SC. The program generates about $28,516 in revenue per athlete, against $28,001 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,158 per athlete.
College of Charleston came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Based in Charleston, SC, College of Charleston is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. The program generates about $12,348 in revenue per athlete, against $12,348 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,551.
Presbyterian College landed the #3 spot for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,838, compared with $12,838 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,454 in athletic aid per athlete.
Converse University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Spartanburg, SC, Converse University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,571 per participant, compared with $14,515 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,241 per athlete.
Erskine College landed the #5 spot for Women's Cross Country. Located in Due West, SC, Erskine College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,523 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,375 per participant. The school awards about $3,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Claflin University landed the #6 spot this year. Claflin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orangeburg, SC. Team revenue averages $11,813 per participant, compared with $11,813 spent per athlete. The school awards about $4,337 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Aiken placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Aiken, SC, University of South Carolina Aiken is a public institution. Team revenue averages $7,924 per participant, compared with $10,445 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,318.
University of South Carolina Beaufort ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Cross Country. This public school is set in Bluffton, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,028, with expenses of about $8,994 per participant. The school awards about $5,478 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coker University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Hartsville, SC, Coker University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,799, against $5,799 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,938 per athlete.
Benedict College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Columbia, SC, Benedict College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $24,932 per participant, compared with $3,936 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,098 per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.