by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 6 programs for Women’s Cross Country by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Cornell College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. Based in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,643 per participant, with expenses of about $3,862 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Grinnell College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA. Team revenue averages $2,045 per participant, with expenses of about $2,045 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loras College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Cross Country. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,428, compared with $4,428 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wartburg College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waverly, IA. Team revenue averages $1,927 per participant, with expenses of about $1,927 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Coe College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,422, compared with $3,422 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Dubuque did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,447, against $3,422 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid 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.