Advertisement

Ranking SEC schools in U.S. News Best Colleges report: Yes, Vanderbilt is No. 1

austin curtright, usa today network
·7 min read
1

U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2024 best national universities rankings, which includes each of the 14 SEC schools.

Along with Oklahoma and Texas, which will join the league in 2024, where did each of the SEC schools fall in the academic rankings?

(Hint: The No. 1 school won't surprise you)

1. Vanderbilt (18th nationally)

  • What it says: U.S. News & World Report also rates Vanderbilt as the seventh-best school nationally in terms of value, and 37th in engineering programs. It reports Vanderbilt has a 7% acceptance rate.

  • Best sports: Vanderbilt has won six national championships, including two in baseball (2014, 2019) and three in women's bowling (2007, 2018, 2023).

2. Florida (28th)

  • What it says: Ranks Florida as the No. 6 public school and 83rd in overall value. Florida has a 23% acceptance rate.

  • Best sports: The Gators are one of the most well-rounded sports programs in the country with 47 national championships. Football has three (1996, 2006, 2008) basketball has two (2006, 2007) and baseball has one (2017). Florida's most championships from one sport comes from women's tennis, which has seven (1992, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2011, 2012, 2017).

3. Texas (32nd)

  • What it says: Texas is one of the largest schools in the country, with more than 41,000 undergraduate students. It has a 31% acceptance rate and is the ninth-ranked public school, according to the report.

  • Best sports: The Longhorns have the fourth-most national championships ever (56), including six in baseball (most recently 2005) and 15 in swimming (most recently 2021). Texas also has 11 combined championships in women's indoor and outdoor track and field.

T-4. Texas A&M (47th)

  • What it says: Texas A&M has a 63% acceptance rate with over 57,000 undergraduate students. The report ranks it as tied for 20th-best public school with Georgia and 71st in total value.

  • Best sports: The Aggies have 13 national championships, including five combined in men's indoor and outdoor track and field, and four in women's outdoor track and field (most recently 2014). Texas A&M also boasts one of the largest football footprints nationally, with the top-ranked recruiting class in 2022.

T-4 Georgia (47th)

  • What it says: Georgia has a 43% acceptance rate with over 30,000 undergraduate students. Georgia is tied with Texas as the 20th-ranked public school, according to the report, and 138th best value school.

  • Best sports: The Bulldogs have won back-to-back national championships in football and are currently ranked No. 1. They have 48 national championships, including four in football (1942, 1980, 2021, 2022) and 10 in women's gymnastics (most recently 2009).

6. Auburn (93rd)

  • What it says: Auburn has over 25,000 students with a 44% acceptance rate. It's ranked the 47th-best public school and is 177th in best value.

  • Best sports: The Tigers have 14 national championships, with eight in men's swimming (including five in the 2000s). Auburn has also seen success in football, with championships in 1957 and 2010.

7. Tennessee (105th)

  • What it says: Tennessee has over 27,000 undergraduate students with a 68% acceptance rate. The report ranks Tennessee as the 51st public school in the country and 117th in best value.

  • Best sports: The Vols have 23 national championships, with football (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998) and women's basketball (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008) leading the way with six and eight, respectively.

T-8. Missouri (124th)

  • What it says: Missouri has nearly 24,000 undergraduate students and a 79% acceptance rate. The report ranks Missouri as the 64th-best public school and 79th in best value.

  • Best sports: Missouri has one of the weakest sports programs in the SEC, with only two national championships in baseball (1954) and men's indoor track and field (1965). The Tigers' best sport is wrestling, which competes in the Big 12 and has nine individual national championships.

T-8. Oklahoma (124th)

  • What it says: OU is the top-ranked school in Oklahoma and has over 21,000 undergraduate students with a 73% acceptance rate. The report ranks Oklahoma as the 64th-best public school and 198th in total value.

  • Best sports: The Sooners have 43 national championships and boast one of the top football programs with arguably the best softball and men's and women's gymnastics programs. Football has won seven national titles (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000) and softball has also won seven, including three in a row from 2021-23. Men's gymnastics has 12 national championships and women's gymnastics has six, all of which have come since 2014.

T-8. South Carolina (124th)

  • What it says: South Carolina has over 27,000 undergraduate students with a 64% acceptance rate. The report ranks USC as the 64th-best public school and 208th in overall value.

  • Best sports: The Gamecocks have won 11 national championships with one of the best current women's basketball programs, which has won titles in 2017 and 2022. The baseball team also has national championships in 2010 and 2011 and has finished runner-up four times.

11. Kentucky (159th)

  • What it says: Kentucky has over 22,000 undergraduate students with a 95% acceptance rate. The report ranked Kentucky the 84th-best public school and 200th in overall value.

  • Best sports: Wildcats basketball rules Kentucky's athletic programs with eight of the school's national championships (second-most nationally behind UCLA). Kentucky also has four national championships in co-ed rifling.

12. Ole Miss (163rd)

  • What it says: Ole Miss has just over 17,000 undergraduate students with a 97% acceptance rate. The report ranked Ole Miss as the 88th-best public school and 135 in total value.

  • Best sports: The Rebels have just two national championships, with one in baseball (2022) and another in women's golf (2021). Ole Miss has seen plenty of individual success in men's and women's indoor and outdoor track, with 21 combined titles.

13. Alabama (170th)

  • What it says: Alabama has over 32,000 undergraduate students with an 80% acceptance rate. The report ranks Alabama as the 91st-best public school and 153rd in total value.

  • Best sports: The Crimson Tide leads the country with 13 football national championships in the poll era, including six under current coach Nick Saban. Alabama also has four Heisman winners and 84 All-Americans. The Crimson Tide has also won six titles in women's gymnastics (1988, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2011, 2012).

14. Arkansas (178th)

  • What it says: Arkansas has over 26,000 undergraduate students with a 79% acceptance rate. The report ranks Arkansas 96th in public schools and 194th in best value.

  • Best sports: The Razorbacks have won 50 national championships, with 42 combined in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field. Arkansas also has one of the better current basketball programs, landing the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in 2022.

15. LSU (185th)

  • What it says: LSU has nearly 31,000 students with a 76% acceptance rate. The report ranks LSU 101st in public schools and 148th in best value.

  • Best sports: The Tigers have won 51 national championships, led by women's indoor and outdoor track with 25 combined and baseball with seven. LSU won the most recent baseball and women's basketball championships and finished undefeated with a title in football in 2019.

16. Mississippi State (216 nationally)

  • What it says: Mississippi State has over 18,000 students with a 70% acceptance rate. The report ranks MSU 116th in public schools and 197th in total value.

  • Best sports: The Bulldogs have won 22 national championships, with 12 combined in men's indoor and outdoor track, and six combined in women's indoor and outdoor track. MSU's first team championship came in 2021, when it won the College World Series. The Bulldogs have 11 SEC Championships in the sport.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ranking SEC schools in U.S. News Best Colleges, including Texas, OU