by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 7 colleges for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
Leading the list is Washington and Lee University, our #1 college for Women's Cross Country. Located in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,275 in revenue per athlete, against $6,275 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christopher Newport University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Christopher Newport University is a public school based in Newport News, VA. Team revenue averages $6,147 per participant, with expenses of about $6,147 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hampton University is one of the top schools for Women's Cross Country, at #3. Located in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,361, compared with $61,129 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,394 per athlete.
Roanoke College landed the #4 spot for Women's Cross Country. Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit school based in Salem, VA. The program generates about $3,080 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,080 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Mary Baldwin University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. Based in Staunton, VA, Mary Baldwin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,457 per participant, compared with $4,457 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eastern Mennonite University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, Eastern Mennonite University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,225, against $3,225 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Union University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Richmond, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,407, compared with $1,380 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,465.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.