The SEC is widely seen as the best college football, basketball, and baseball conference. Still, many are unaware of the high regard in which all 16 schools are held academically, as recently reflected in the latest US News & World Report University rankings, which were updated a month after the 2025 fall semester began for nearly every college in the country.
In the Lone Star State, the University of Texas is well known as one of the best, and most affordable in-state institutions to earn a bachelor’s degree, while Texas A&M, which is a land grant college focused on research and development in a wide range of scientific fields, similar to several other SEC programs, including Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, and others.
For prospective students looking at the SEC to continue their education, the versatility and variety is outstanding, knowing that the top options aren’t just based on what the national rankings say, but what each student plans to focus on once they make their decision. Yes, Vanderbilt is the most expensive school from a tuition standpoint, but compared to the rest of the SEC, that is a rarity.
Nearly matching the recent Academic Progress Rate performance in the conference, here is where every SEC program is in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 academic rankings.
16. Mississippi State University
City: Starkville, Mississippi
National ranking: No. 208
Acceptance rate: 78%
15. The University of Arkansas
City: Fayetteville, Arkansas
National ranking: No. 183
Acceptance rate: 74%
14. The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
City: Oxford, Mississippi
National ranking: No. 169 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 97%
13. Louisiana State University
City: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
National ranking: No. 179 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 73%
For more LSU news, opinion and analysis, visit LSU Tigers Wire
12. The University of Alabama
City: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
National ranking: No. 169 (tie with LSU and Ole Miss)
Acceptance rate: 77%
For more Alabama news, opinion and analysis, visit RollTideWire.
11. The University of Kentucky
City: Lexington, Kentucky
National ranking: No. 143
Acceptance rate: 93%
For more Kentucky news, opinion and analysis, visit UKWildcatsWire
10. The University of South Carolina
City: Columbia, South Carolina
National ranking: No. 127
Acceptance rate: 60%
9. The University of Oklahoma
City: Norman, Oklahoma
National ranking: No. 110
Acceptance rate: 77%
For more Oklahoma news, opinion and analysis, visit SoonersWire
8. The University of Tennessee — Knoxville
City: Knoxville, Tennessee
National ranking: No. 102 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 46%
For more Tennessee news, opinion and analysis, visit VolsWire
7. The University of Missouri
City: Columbia, Missouri
National ranking: No. 102 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 78%
6. Auburn University
City: Auburn, Alabama
National ranking: No. 102 (tied with Tennessee and Missouri)
Acceptance rate: 46%
For more Auburn news, opinion and analysis, visit AuburnWire
5. Texas A&M University
City: College Station, Texas
National ranking: No. 51
Acceptance rate: 57%
4. The University of Georgia
City: Athens, Georgia
National ranking: No. 46
Acceptance rate: 38%
For more Georgia news, opinion and analysis, visit UGAWire
3. University of Texas — Austin
City: Austin, Texas
National ranking: No. 30 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 29%
2. University of Florida
City: Gainesville, Florida
National ranking: No. 30 (tied with Texas)
Acceptance rate: 24%
For more Florida news, opinion and analysis, visit GatorsWire.
1. Vanderbilt University
City: Nashville, Tennessee
National ranking: No. 17
Acceptance rate: 6%
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: SEC schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2026
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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