U.S. News & World Report unveiled its updated college and university academic rankings for 2026 earlier this week.
Within those rankings, where does every Big Ten school stand?
The 18-member conference recently received a major makeover with the additions of former Pac-12 members Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA. Those additions made a significant impact on the conference’s athletic landscape, especially on the football field. However, the academic part should not be discounted; some of those new members instantly joined the conference’s top academic tier, at least according to U.S. News.
As a reminder, U.S. News evaluates schools by their graduation and retention rates, graduate success, academic resources and more. Here is where every Big Ten member stands in the outlet’s updated academic rankings, plus how each ranking compares to last year’s hierarchy.
18. University of Nebraska — Lincoln
City: Lincoln, Nebraska
National ranking: No. 158 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 87%
Nebraska lost much of the progress it made in the 2025 rankings; the school jumped from No. 159 to No. 152 and dropped back to No. 158. A significant distance still exists between Nebraska and the rest of the conference in U.S. News’ rankings.
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17. University of Oregon
City: Eugene, Oregon
National ranking: No. 110 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 85%
Oregon dropped one spot year-to-year after a dramatic drop between 2024 and 2025. Notably, Oregon football, the reigning Big Ten champion, was also last in the conference in this year’s Academic Progress Rate update. The Ducks will try to change both of those standings moving forward.
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16. University of Iowa
City: Iowa City, Iowa
National ranking: No. 102 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 84%
Iowa continues its slide in U.S. News’ rankings. It fell four spots from 2025 to 2026 and nine spots over the last three years. The school is tied with Auburn, Gonzaga, Saint Louis, Loyola Marymount, Temple, Tennessee and Missouri at No. 102 overall.
Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire
15. Indiana University — Bloomington
City: Bloomington, Indiana
National ranking: No. 73 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 78%
Indiana holds the No. 73 position for the third consecutive year. The school’s profile could rise in the coming years, especially if Curt Cignetti continues his incredible success at the helm of the football program.
14. Michigan State University
City: East Lansing, Michigan
National ranking: No. 64 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 85%
Michigan State maintained its place in the national academic rankings. However, it fell in the conference hierarchy due to one major move. Outside of the classroom, Michigan State football is still looking to establish itself under coach Jonathan Smith, while the men’s basketball team is the reigning conference champion.
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12 (tie). University of Minnesota — Twin Cities
City: Minneapolis, Minnesota
National ranking: No. 59 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 80%
Minnesota dropped five spots from its place in last year’s ranking. Furthermore, its acceptance rate jumped three points. The Gophers are tied with another Big Ten school and several others at No. 59 nationally.
12 (tie). Pennsylvania State University — University Park
City: University Park, Pennsylvania
National ranking: No. 59 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 61%
Penn State was one of the Big Ten’s biggest risers in this year’s ranking. The school jumped four spots nationally and one spot in the conference hierarchy. While far from the top of U.S. News’ academic rankings, the school does lead several Big Ten hierarchies, including the best football stadium atmospheres.
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11. Purdue University — Main Campus
City: West Lafayette, Indiana
National ranking: No. 46 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 50%
Purdue dropped one spot in the conference rankings due to Washington’s rise. The school is one of 11 Big Ten members in the nation’s top 50; an impressive representation of its academic excellence. No other conference boasts the same combination of athletic performance and academic prestige.
8 (tie). University of Washington
City: Seattle, Washington
National ranking: No. 42 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 39%
After a major drop in U.S. News’ 2025 rankings, Washington is back on the rise in the 2026 edition. It rose four spots nationally and is tied for eighth in the Big Ten. Academics aside, Washington should become a must-visit for any Big Ten football fan. Husky Stadium has long been considered one of the sport’s best.
Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire
8 (tie). University of Maryland, College Park
City: College Park, Maryland
National ranking: No. 42 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 45%
Maryland continued to inch forward in this year’s ranking. The school is in a crowded group in the Big Ten’s middle tier, tied with two other conference members at No. 42 overall. Terrapins fans may have something to hang their hat on over the next few months: The football team is 4-0 to start the year with an apparent rising star quarterback, Malik Washington.
8 (tie). Rutgers University — New Brunswick
City: Piscataway, New Jersey
National ranking: No. 42 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 41%
Rutgers continues to sit comfortably within the nation’s top 50, tied with Washington, Maryland and Boston University for No. 42 overall. The school’s listed acceptance rate dropped more than 20 points year-to-year, which could signal a future rise to come.
7. The Ohio State University
City: Columbus, Ohio
National ranking: No. 41
Acceptance rate: 61%
Ohio State’s ranking did not change year-to-year. Notably, the Buckeyes were the only football program with a perfect APR (1000) in 2025. That, of course, followed the team’s run to the 2024 College Football Playoff national title.
Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire
5 (tie). University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
City: Champaign, Illinois
National ranking: No. 36 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 42%
Illinois was rising dramatically over the last several years, reaching the conference’s top five schools and nearing the nation’s top 30. While the school took a slight step backward in this year’s ranking, it is still one of the conference’s best.
5 (tie). University of Wisconsin — Madison
City: Madison, Wisconsin
National ranking: No. 36 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 45%
Wisconsin is one of the biggest risers in U.S. News’ updated 2026 rankings. The school was falling toward No. 40 in the 2025 edition. It is now trending positively, tied with Illinois for No. 36 nationally and No. 5 in the Big Ten.
4. University of Southern California
City: Los Angeles, California
National ranking: No. 28
Acceptance rate: 10%
USC continues to hold its place inside the nation’s top 30. It is alone at No. 28, narrowly ahead of UCSD, Florida and Texas. While the Trojans’ football and men’s basketball programs have moderately struggled since joining the Big Ten, the school stacks up well academically.
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3. University of Michigan — Ann Arbor
City: Ann Arbor, Michigan
National ranking: No. 20 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 16%
Michigan rose slightly in this year’s ranking. Of the top academic tier, it boasts by far the most success on the football field and basketball court. Michigan is tied with Carnegie Mellon, Notre Dame and Washington University in St. Louis at No. 21. It is range to overtake UCLA if current trends continue.
Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire
2. University of California — Los Angeles
City: Los Angeles, California
National ranking: No. 17 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 9%
UCLA dropped slightly from its place in last year’s ranking. However, it still has a firm hold on the No. 2 spot in the Big Ten. UCLA, Northwestern and Michigan form the conference’s clear top academic tier, with all others battling for fourth place and beyond.
Get more (UCLA) news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Wire
1. Northwestern University
City: Evanston, Illinois
National ranking: No. 7 (tied)
Acceptance rate: 8%
Northwestern continues to hold the crown as the Big Ten’s highest-ranked academic school. It trails only the following schools atop the national rankings: Johns Hopkins, Duke, Chicago, Yale, Stanford, Harvard, MIT and Princeton.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Big Ten schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2026
Reporting by Ben Kenney, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
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