The Southeastern Conference has been synonymous with its national prowess in collegiate athletics, but it also boasts one of the most impressive academic lineups in higher education.
Academically, the league has never been stronger, after the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. The SEC has five universities ranked among the top 100 schools in the nation for the upcoming academic year. Texas A&M is one of them.
College football in the conference has long dominated headlines, thanks to its dedicated fan bases, elite programs and unique game-day atmospheres that generate massive revenue every year. Still, one of the most significant factors in recruiting and overall dominance against schools outside the conference is the attraction to the universities’ academic superiority, research, and reputation.
Using the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 National University Rankings, here is how the 16 SEC schools stack up academically:
16. Mississippi State University
City: Starkville, Mississippi
National ranking: No. 208
Acceptance rate: 78%
15. University of Arkansas
City: Fayetteville, Arkansas
National ranking: No. 183
Acceptance rate: 74%
14. University of Mississippi
City: Oxford, Mississippi
National ranking: No. 169 – Tied with Alabama and LSU
Acceptance rate: 97%
13. Louisiana State University
City: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
National ranking: No. 169 – Tied with Alabama and Ole Miss
Acceptance rate: 73%
For more LSU news, opinion and analysis, visit LSU Wire.
12. University of Alabama
City: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
National ranking: No. 169 – Tied with LSU and Ole Miss
Acceptance rate: 77%
For more Alabama news, opinion and analysis, visit Roll Tide Wire.
11. University of Kentucky
City: Lexington, Kentucky
National ranking: No. 143
Acceptance rate: 93%
For more Kentucky news, opinion and analysis, visit UK Wildcats Wire.
10. University of South Carolina
City: Columbia, South Carolina
National ranking: No. 127
Acceptance rate: 60%
9. University of Oklahoma
City: Norman, Oklahoma
National ranking: No. 110
Acceptance rate: 77%
For more Oklahoma news, opinion and analysis, visit Sooners Wire.
8. University of Missouri
City: Columbia, Missouri
National ranking: No. 102 – Tied with Auburn and Tennessee
Acceptance rate: 78%
7. University of Tennessee
City: Knoxville, Tennessee
National ranking: No. 102 – Tied with Auburn and Missouri
Acceptance rate: 42%
For more Tennessee news, opinion and analysis, visit Vols Wire.
6. Auburn University
City: Auburn, Alabama
National ranking: No. 102 – Tied with Missouri and Tennessee
Acceptance rate: 46%
For more Auburn news, opinion and analysis, visit Auburn Wire.
5. Texas A&M University
City: Bryan-College Station, Texas
National ranking: No. 51
Acceptance rate: 57%
For more Texas A&M news, opinion and analysis, visit Aggies Wire.
4. University of Georgia
City: Athens, Georgia
National ranking: No. 46
Acceptance rate: 38%
For more Georgia news, opinion and analysis, visit UGA Wire.
3. University of Florida
City: Gainesville, Florida
National ranking: No. 30 – Tied with Texas
Acceptance rate: 24%
For more Florida news, opinion and analysis, visit Gators Wire.
2. University of Texas
City: Austin, Texas
National ranking: No. 30 – Tied with Florida
Acceptance rate: 27%
For more Texas news, opinion and analysis, visit Longhorns Wire.
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 2026-27
Reporting by Dylan Flippo, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dylan Flippo, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
