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Ranking the Power 4 Schools for Academics
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:33 pm
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:33 pm
Below is a ranking of all 68 Power 4 Schools, averaging the most recent rankings from US News, Forbes, and Niche. All schools were ranked 1-68 in each of the systems and then the average of the 3 was sorted to get a consensus ranking.
Rank. School (USN, Forbes, Niche)
1. Stanford (1,1,1)
2. Vanderbilt (6.5, 3, 2)
3. Duke (2.5, 7, 3)
4. UCLA (4, 4, 5)
5. Northwestern (2.5, 5, 6)
6. Michigan (8, 6, 4)
7. California (5, 2, 16)
8. Notre Dame (6.5, 11, 7)
9. USC (10.5, 8, 8)
10. Virginia (9, 12, 9)
11. Florida (12.5, 9, 11)
12. Georgia Tech (14.5, 10, 10)
13. North Carolina (10.5, 13, 12)
14. Texas (12.5, 17, 13)
15. Illinois (14.5, 15, 15)
16. Boston College (16, 20, 14)
17. Wisconsin (17, 19, 21)
18. Maryland (20, 14, 27)
19. Georgia (22.5, 21, 18)
20. Washington (22.5, 18, 25)
21. Texas A&M (25.5, 22, 23)
22. Purdue (22.5, 23, 26)
23. Florida State (27.5, 26, 19)
24. Ohio State (18.5, 31, 24)
25. Miami (31, 27, 17)
26. Virginia Tech (25.5, 30, 22)
27. Wake Forest (22.5, 36, 20)
28. NC State (29, 24, 32)
29. Rutgers (18.5, 25, 44)
30. BYU (45, 16, 31)
31. Minnesota (27.5, 28, 39)
32. Clemson (36, 32, 29)
33. Michigan State (31, 29, 43)
34. Indiana (34.5, 34, 38)
35. SMU (37.5, 38, 37)
36. TCU (41.5, 42, 30)
37. Pittsburgh (33, 53, 33)
38. Oklahoma (52, 35, 35)
39. Auburn (41.5, 50, 34)
40. Penn State (31, 67, 28)
41. UCF (49.5, 47, 36)
42. Syracuse (34.5, 39, 62)
43. Arizona State (49.5, 41, 46)
43. Colorado (39.5, 33, 64)
45. Utah (53, 36, 49)
46. Tennessee (45, 45, 51)
47. Iowa (39.5, 62, 42)
48. Missouri (45, 44, 55)
49. Arizona (45, 43, 57)
50. South Carolina (49.5, 56, 40)
50. Iowa State (49.5, 46, 50)
52. Houston (54, 40, 58)
53. Baylor (37.5, 55, 61)
54. Texas Tech (66.5, 49, 45)
54. Kansas (56.5, 51, 53)
56. Oklahoma State (65, 57, 41)
57. Kansas State (59, 58, 47)
58. Oregon (45, 54, 68)
59. Arkansas (64, 52, 54)
60. Alabama (60.5, 63, 48)
61. Ole Miss (60.5, 60, 52)
62. Nebraska (56.5, 59, 60)
63. LSU (62.5, 48, 67)
64. Kentucky (56.5, 61, 63)
65. Cincinnati (56.5, 68, 59)
66. Mississippi State (66.5, 64, 56)
67. Louisville (62.5, 66, 65)
68. West Virginia (68, 65, 66)
Rank. School (USN, Forbes, Niche)
1. Stanford (1,1,1)
2. Vanderbilt (6.5, 3, 2)
3. Duke (2.5, 7, 3)
4. UCLA (4, 4, 5)
5. Northwestern (2.5, 5, 6)
6. Michigan (8, 6, 4)
7. California (5, 2, 16)
8. Notre Dame (6.5, 11, 7)
9. USC (10.5, 8, 8)
10. Virginia (9, 12, 9)
11. Florida (12.5, 9, 11)
12. Georgia Tech (14.5, 10, 10)
13. North Carolina (10.5, 13, 12)
14. Texas (12.5, 17, 13)
15. Illinois (14.5, 15, 15)
16. Boston College (16, 20, 14)
17. Wisconsin (17, 19, 21)
18. Maryland (20, 14, 27)
19. Georgia (22.5, 21, 18)
20. Washington (22.5, 18, 25)
21. Texas A&M (25.5, 22, 23)
22. Purdue (22.5, 23, 26)
23. Florida State (27.5, 26, 19)
24. Ohio State (18.5, 31, 24)
25. Miami (31, 27, 17)
26. Virginia Tech (25.5, 30, 22)
27. Wake Forest (22.5, 36, 20)
28. NC State (29, 24, 32)
29. Rutgers (18.5, 25, 44)
30. BYU (45, 16, 31)
31. Minnesota (27.5, 28, 39)
32. Clemson (36, 32, 29)
33. Michigan State (31, 29, 43)
34. Indiana (34.5, 34, 38)
35. SMU (37.5, 38, 37)
36. TCU (41.5, 42, 30)
37. Pittsburgh (33, 53, 33)
38. Oklahoma (52, 35, 35)
39. Auburn (41.5, 50, 34)
40. Penn State (31, 67, 28)
41. UCF (49.5, 47, 36)
42. Syracuse (34.5, 39, 62)
43. Arizona State (49.5, 41, 46)
43. Colorado (39.5, 33, 64)
45. Utah (53, 36, 49)
46. Tennessee (45, 45, 51)
47. Iowa (39.5, 62, 42)
48. Missouri (45, 44, 55)
49. Arizona (45, 43, 57)
50. South Carolina (49.5, 56, 40)
50. Iowa State (49.5, 46, 50)
52. Houston (54, 40, 58)
53. Baylor (37.5, 55, 61)
54. Texas Tech (66.5, 49, 45)
54. Kansas (56.5, 51, 53)
56. Oklahoma State (65, 57, 41)
57. Kansas State (59, 58, 47)
58. Oregon (45, 54, 68)
59. Arkansas (64, 52, 54)
60. Alabama (60.5, 63, 48)
61. Ole Miss (60.5, 60, 52)
62. Nebraska (56.5, 59, 60)
63. LSU (62.5, 48, 67)
64. Kentucky (56.5, 61, 63)
65. Cincinnati (56.5, 68, 59)
66. Mississippi State (66.5, 64, 56)
67. Louisville (62.5, 66, 65)
68. West Virginia (68, 65, 66)
This post was edited on 9/4/25 at 3:35 pm
27
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:36 pm to AUTiger789
Impressive, Vandy. How stupid can Bama be? Are they even trying?
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:38 pm to AUCE05
quote:
How stupid can Bama be? Are they even trying?
And that's after they obviously paid one poll to rank them in the 40's. Damn gumps
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:40 pm to AUTiger789
How is Auburn so much higher than Bama?
You would think that Bama was funded better by the state or atleast equal
You would think that Bama was funded better by the state or atleast equal
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:41 pm to AUTiger789
"I ain't come here to play no school."
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:41 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
10. Virginia (9, 12, 9)
12. Georgia Tech (14.5, 10, 10)
13. North Carolina (10.5, 13, 12)
23. Florida State (27.5, 26, 19)
25. Miami (31, 27, 17)
26. Virginia Tech (25.5, 30, 22)
28. NC State (29, 24, 32)
32. Clemson (36, 32, 29)
I think a lot of the reason we keep seeing that UNC and UVA are rumored to be more desired for conference expansion is this right here.
Virginia Tech is probably a better football fit that UVA. But neither are big hitters in terms of being a football powerhouse, so if you are going to expand, might as well go for the school that would become second in the conference in academics behind only Vanderbilt.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:42 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
2. Vanderbilt (6.5, 3, 2
Good to see Vandy top 5 in something other than Baseball for once.
This post was edited on 9/4/25 at 3:43 pm
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:48 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
2. Vanderbilt (6.5, 3, 2)
Vandy rocks in this list!
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:51 pm to AUTiger789
All of the HS teachers and PE coaches that went to Texas and Texas A&M simply ignore their 60k annual salaries because muhhh academic rankings!
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:54 pm to thelawnwranglers
quote:
How is Auburn so much higher than Bama?
When I was a kid (‘80s/early ‘90s) Bama was always just a notch above Auburn in the rankings and I remember Bama grads would always stick their chest out about it. Then in the early 2000s, when Auburn took the same small lead in the rankings, the Bama folks would always say the rankings were so close, it didn’t matter.
In recent years, Auburn has really begun separating itself from Bama on these lists.
I think the reason is multifaceted:
1. Auburn is known more for STEM majors and quite frankly those majors produce better, high paying jobs.
2. Auburn gets a higher quality average instate student, academically speaking. I know countless families whose kids didn’t make it into Auburn but easily got accepted to Alabama. I haven’t heard of a situation the other way around in a couple decades.
3. Alabama went with the “get a big enrollment at all costs” route about twenty years ago and they are getting all kinds of kids from up north who aren’t able to get into their top state school (like Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc), so they come to Bama. Graduate. And then they have low alumni engagement in years to follow because they went back home.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:57 pm to AUTiger789
UVA might as well be a private Ivy, don't think they take state money any more. They are a hideous fit
Unc is some cheating mofos so I will allow it.
Unc is some cheating mofos so I will allow it.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:13 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
10. Virginia (9, 12, 9)
12. Georgia Tech (14.5, 10, 10)
13. North Carolina (10.5, 13, 12)
Also, the Big 10 presidents and chancellors seem to care more about academics than the SEC when it comes to expansion… so I imagine they would love to go after these three whenever the next round comes.
Would Georgia Tech ever be welcomed back? I know they burned some bridges, but when it comes to football success, they have probably been equal or better than these other two in recent years… and have been far better historically.
They come from a much larger television market, granted Georgia has that market covered for the SEC. But the ATL market is ever growing and expanding…. We’ve got two programs from the state of Texas to help shore up that large market, why not Georgia? When it comes to the actual number of eyeballs, Atlanta is by far the largest college football television market in the nation.
I bet the BIG 10 would love to gain a foothold in the Deep South. Would we ever preemptively invite GT back in to avoid that happening?
This post was edited on 9/4/25 at 4:14 pm
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:16 pm to AUTiger789
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:22 pm to AUTiger789
Nobody's here to play school
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:23 pm to AUTiger789
Tennessee seems way to low
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:24 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
64. Kentucky (56.5, 61, 63)
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:28 pm to AlextheBodacious
Stanford is too low
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:28 pm to NFLSU
quote:
All of the HS teachers and PE coaches that went to Texas and Texas A&M simply ignore their 60k annual salaries because muhhh academic rankings!
Do you know what high school coaches in Texas make annually, you may be very surprised?
Posted on 9/4/25 at 4:37 pm to AUTiger789
Also, Average rank per conference:
23.8- ACC
26.3- BIG 10
41.3- SEC
49.8- Big 12
23.8- ACC
26.3- BIG 10
41.3- SEC
49.8- Big 12
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