by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 6 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:
Our analysis found Union University to be the best college for Women's Cross Country in Tennessee. Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,405, with expenses of about $14,851 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
Trevecca Nazarene University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. The program generates about $14,935 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,935 per participant. The school awards about $5,766 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Tennessee State University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. East Tennessee State University is a public school based in Johnson City, TN. East Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 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.
Carson-Newman University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jefferson City, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,383, compared with $3,383 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
Tusculum University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Greeneville, TN, Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $19,927 per participant, with expenses of about $19,910 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,457 per athlete.
Lane College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Jackson, TN, Lane College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,264, with expenses of about $3,264 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,306.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.