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USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Picking Colorado's football schedule by NCAA Academic Progress Rate and U.S. News ranking
Picking Colorado's football schedule by NCAA Academic Progress Rate and U.S. News ranking The difficulty of Colorado's 2025 football schedule is well documented. We've outlined that the Buffaloes own the Big 12's toughest conference schedule and one of the most challenging overall. The team hosts Big 12 title contenders BYU, Iowa State, and Arizona State, and also travels to face a couple more in TCU and Kansas State. Not to mention traveling to a likely top 25 program in Utah. Many, including myself, think that Colorado would do exceptionally well to get to the six-win bowl eligibility mark, and anything more would be a huge surprise. Repeating the nine-win season seems like an unlikely scenario. Unrelated to football, how does Colorado football compare to its 2025 opponents academically? In the last few weeks, we've outlined Colorado's place in the Big 12 in both the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate and the latest U.S News & World Report rankings. Those placements: No. 14 (961) and No. 2 (No. 98 nationally), respectively. We went through each game on Colorado's 2025 schedule, comparing both academic rankings. How would the Buffaloes fare if games were decided in the classroom and not on the field? Week 1 vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Academic Progress Rate: 969 U.S. News Ranking: No. 33 Georgia Tech is the top academic school that Colorado faces all season. The Yellow Jackets are the only school on the Buffaloes' schedule within the top 50 of the U.S. News rankings. Georgia Tech's APR does not blow Colorado out of the water, but Colorado being ranked No. 98 in the U.S. News rankings is a far cry from a top-40 ranking. On the field, this game should be a close one, but according to SP+, the Yellow Jackets might still have a slight edge. Week 2 vs. Delaware Blue Hens Academic Progress Rate: 970 U.S. News Ranking: No. 86 Delaware is moving up to the FBS this year and will compete in Conference USA. However, the Blue Hens' academics were already on par with many FBS institutions. Delaware beats Colorado in both academic categories, but on the field, the Buffaloes should handle the newly promoted program with ease. Week 3 at Houston Cougars Academic Progress Rate: 940 U.S. News Ranking: No. 144 Colorado needs to go 3-0 to open the year to have a legitimate chance at bowl eligibility. The Cougars are one of the Buffs' easier conference opponents based on SP+, so a win on the field should not be much of an issue. Off the field, Colorado also reigns supreme in APR and U.S. News rankings. Week 4 vs. Wyoming Cowboys Academic Progress Rate: 976 U.S. News Ranking: No. 220 You can make the argument that Colorado going 4-0 to open the year is not out of the realm of possibilities. Unfortunately for Colorado, the easy games are all at the beginning of the season. Week 5 vs. BYU Cougars Academic Progress Rate: 954 U.S. News Ranking: No. 109 The gauntlet of Colorado's schedule starts Week 5 against BYU. Beating the Cougars will be a tall task, and the Buffs might hope the game was decided in the classroom as they own a better mark in both academic categories. Week 6 at TCU Horned Frogs Academic Progress Rate: 963 U.S. News Ranking: No. 105 TCU is another challenging opponent for the Buffs and, by far, their most daunting road test to date this season. Although the Horned Frogs have a slightly better APR, Colorado is superior in the U.S. News ranking. Colorado fans hope the on-field matchup is just as close. Week 7 vs. Iowa State Cyclones Academic Progress Rate: 991 U.S. News Ranking: No. 121 Another difficult opponent and another split in the two academic categories. Colorado ranks higher in the U.S. News ranking, while Iowa State owns a far superior APR. The Cyclones are one of the top teams in the Big 12, and although academically the Buffs might stand a chance, the on-field matchup will be a challenge. Week 9 at Utah Utes Academic Progress Rate: 984 U.S. News Ranking: No. 136 Utah edges Colorado in APR while the Buffs hold the better U.S. News ranking. After a bye week, the Buffs should be well-rested for arguably their most pivotal game of the season. If the Buffs want bowl eligibility, a win against the Utes would go a long way. Week 10 vs. Arizona Wildcats Academic Progress Rate: 969 U.S. News Ranking: No. 109 The easiest conference game of the year for Colorado, according to SP+. CU should have little trouble knocking off the Wildcats. APR goes the way of Arizona only slightly, while Colorado owns the better U.S. News ranking. Week 11 at West Virginia Mountaineers Academic Progress Rate: 980 U.S. News Ranking: No. 220 After several grueling matchups with the Big 12 elite, Colorado gets back-to-back winnable conference matchups. The Buffs can't afford to slip up against any inferior opponents, and West Virginia is one of them. APR goes the way of the Mountaineers while the Buffaloes hold the edge in the U.S. News rankings. Week 13 vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Academic Progress Rate: 973 U.S. News Ranking: No. 121 Colorado's season wraps up with its two most challenging games of the season against the Big 12's top two teams based on SP+. ASU edges Colorado in APR, but the Buffs make up for that with a better U.S. News ranking. Week 14 at Kansas State Wildcats Academic Progress Rate: 990 U.S. News Ranking: No. 165 Kansas State owns one of the top APRs in the Big 12 and one of the conference's top offenses. It will be a tall task to take down the Wildcats on the road to close out the season in a game that could seal Kansas State's College Football Playoff berth. In summary, the Buffaloes would have mixed results if games were decided in the classroom. They beat 10 of their 12 opponents in the latest U.S. News rankings, but only two of 12 in NCAA APR. We'll now see how the on-field product compares to that projection. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads, and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Picking Wisconsin's football schedule by NCAA Academic Progress Rate and U.S. News ranking
Picking Wisconsin's football schedule by NCAA Academic Progress Rate and U.S. News ranking The difficulty of Wisconsin's 2025 football schedule is well documented. As we've outlined both before and after spring practice, the slate is by far the Big Ten's toughest and among the most challenging in the entire sport. The team hosts two clear-cut national title contenders in Ohio State and Oregon, plus travels to play another in Alabama. The schedule also includes games against College Football Playoff hopefuls Michigan, Washington and Illinois, and projected top-30 teams in Iowa and Indiana. That all doesn't include Minnesota, which has claimed Paul Bunyan's Axe in three of the last four years. The preseason consensus is that Wisconsin would do extremely well to make a bowl game, let alone return to an eight or nine-win pace. Therefore, it may require more than just an assessment of wins and losses to evaluate the program's progress in what will be year three of the Luke Fickell era. For more on the team's specific outlook, here are our post-spring game-by-game predictions. That is all an on-field assessment of Wisconsin football and its upcoming opponents. Unrelated to football, how does Wisconsin compare to those schools academically? In the last few weeks, we've outlined Wisconsin's place in the Big Ten in both the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate and the latest U.S News & World Report rankings. Those placements: No. 5 (991) and No. 6 (No. 39 nationally), respectively. Now, how do those standings compare to the team's upcoming opponents? In other words, who is the smartest school Wisconsin football plays in 2025? Week 1 vs. Miami (OH) RedHawks Academic Progress Rate: 959 U.S. News Ranking: No. 136 Wisconsin has little trouble besting Miami (OH) academically and shouldn't have much trouble on the football field. The RedHawks are ESPN SP+'s No. 96-ranked team in the sport entering the season. If we were to make picks based solely on APR, U.S. News ranking, or SP+, Wisconsin is 1-0 in every scenario. Week 2 vs. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Academic Progress Rate: 959 U.S. News Ranking: No. 273 The same blurb from the opener against Miami (OH) can apply to this contest. Wisconsin has a significantly higher standing in APR, U.S. News' ranking and SP+. Week 3 at Alabama Crimson Tide Academic Progress Rate: 998 U.S. News Ranking: No. 171 This is where Wisconsin's schedule begins its significant on-field challenge. Alabama is SP+'s No. 2 team entering the season, trailing another team on the Badgers' schedule. None would be surprised if this becomes the Badgers' first loss of the year. Off the field, while Wisconsin holds a much higher U.S. News ranking than Alabama, it falls short in APR. Get more (Alabama) news, analysis, and opinions on Roll Tide Wire Week 4 vs. Maryland Terrapins Academic Progress Rate: 962 U.S. News Ranking: No. 44 Maryland is part of a large group of schools on Wisconsin's schedule with similar academic rankings. While the Terrapins' latest APR is significantly lower than the Badgers', only five spots separate the two schools' U.S. News ranking. Week 6 at Michigan Wolverines Academic Progress Rate: 996 U.S. News Ranking: No. 21 To spoil the article's title, Michigan is the top-ranked academic school on Wisconsin's 2025 schedule. It ranks just No. 3 in the Big Ten, behind UCLA (No. 15 nationally) and Northwestern (No. 6). This is one of the few matchups where Wisconsin is outperformed in all three categories — APR, U.S. News ranking, and SP+ rating. Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire Week 7 vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Academic Progress Rate: 982 U.S. News Ranking: No. 98 Wisconsin edges Iowa in APR and U.S. News ranking. The on-field matchup is more of a question, especially after the Hawkeyes crushed the Badgers 42-10 last season. This game will go a long way toward deciding Wisconsin's 2025 season. Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire Week 8 vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Academic Progress Rate: 1000 U.S. News Ranking: No. 41 No football program in the country has a better APR than Ohio State. Additionally, none are ranked higher in ESPN SP+. Wisconsin only owns a four-spot edge over Ohio State in U.S. News' rankings. Badgers fans hope the on-field matchup is somehow just as close. Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire Week 9 at Oregon Ducks Academic Progress Rate: 946 U.S. News Ranking: No. 109 Wisconsin has a prohibitive academic edge over Oregon, besting the football program's APR by 45 points and the school's U.S. News ranking by 72 spots. The same can't be said for the on-field matchup. The Ducks are No. 7 in SP+, fresh off a 13-1 2024 season that included a Big Ten title. Get more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire Week 11 vs. Washington Huskies Academic Progress Rate: 978 U.S. News Ranking: No. 46 Wisconsin closes the season with four must-win games. Washington, which has high expectations entering year two under Jedd Fisch, is one of those critical matchups. Given that Wisconsin edges Washington in both listed academic metrics, the on-field matchup will hopefully follow suit. Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire Week 12 at Indiana Hoosiers Academic Progress Rate: 982 U.S. News Ranking: No. 73 If games were picked based only on U.S. News ranking, Wisconsin would be 9-1 after its matchup against Indiana. The only loss in that scenario is to Michigan in Week 6. Of course, the word 'football' carries significant weight in the name of the sport, 'college football.' Week 13 vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Academic Progress Rate: 971 U.S. News Ranking: No. 33 Wisconsin dropped behind Illinois in this year's U.S. News Ranking. The program also may be falling behind on the football field, as Bret Bielema's Illini are fresh off a 10-win 2024 season and enter 2025 with expectations of a College Football Playoff breakthrough. Week 14 at Minnesota Golden Gophers Academic Progress Rate: 992 U.S. News Ranking: No. 54 Wisconsin closes with an all-too-familiar matchup. The program barely edges Minnesota in SP+, forecasting yet another coin-flip matchup. Given that Minnesota has won three of the last four in the series, including a 24-7 triumph at Camp Randall Stadium to close 2024, it's reasonable to call this matchup a must-win. In summary, the Badgers would do well if games were decided in the classroom. They beat 10 of their 12 opponents in the latest U.S. News rankings, plus eight of 12 in NCAA APR. We'll now see how the on-field product compares to that projection. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big 12 schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2025
The academic year for most universities in the Big 12 wrapped up earlier this month and with four new schools, the conference now has a sense of how it stacks up academically. Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah are not scholastic powerhouses, but on the field showed that they belonged in the conference. The Sun Devils came from projected to finish last in the Big 12 to winning the title and making a run in the College Football Playoff. Aside from football, the four new programs won multiple conference titles, including Arizona women's golf, Utah women's gymnastics, Arizona State men's and women's swimming and diving and Arizona State volleyball. In the classroom, the 16-member conference is not top tier in that regard, but it holds its own as proven by several schools with strong Academic Progress Rate performance. Another major indicator is U.S. News & World Report's latest 2025 academic rankings. The Big 12 does not have a school ranked higher than No. 91 unlike its power conference counterparts, the ACC and Big Ten. City: Morgantown, West Virginia National Ranking: No. 220 (tie) Acceptance rate: 88% West Virginia has never really been known for their academics and that continues in 2025 with the lowest ranking in the conference. City: Lubbock, Texas National Ranking: No. 214 (tie) Acceptance rate: 71% Texas Tech is seventh in Academic Progress Rate but falls behind when it comes to the U.S. News ranking. The Red Raiders join West Virginia as the only Big 12 schools ranked over No. 200. City: Stillwater, Oklahoma National Ranking: No. 196 (tie) Acceptance rate: 71% OSU is tied with Georgia State, Hofstra, Indiana University (Indianapolis), UNC Greensboro, University of La Verne and Missouri University of Science and Technology at No. 196 overall. City: Manhattan, Kansas National Ranking: No. 165 (tie) Acceptance rate: 80% Kansas State maintains a large gap between them and the bottom three schools in the conference, but it is still a ways off from being considered a top-tier academic institution. City: Lawrence, Kansas National Ranking: No. 152 (tie) Acceptance rate: 88% Kansas is tied with 11 other schools as the No. 152 ranked university, including one other Big 12 school. City: Cincinnati, Ohio National Ranking: No. 152 (tie) Acceptance rate: 88% Surprisingly, Cincinnati was the top school when it came to Academic Progress Rate performance, but do not live up to the same standard when it comes to overall academics. City: Houston, Texas National Ranking: No. 144 (tie) Acceptance rate: 70% Houston is the first Big 12 school in the top 150 and is tied with three other schools for the No. 144 spot, including Oregon State. City: Salt Lake City, Utah National Ranking: No. 136 (tie) Acceptance rate: 87% One of the newcomers to the Big 12 along with Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State, the Utes come in as the lowest-ranked former Pac-12 school. City: Orlando, Florida National Ranking: No. 121 (tie) Acceptance rate: 43% UCF is tied with one other Big 12 school with the lowest acceptance rate in the conference. The Knights are also tied with three other Big 12 schools at No. 121. City: Tempe, Arizona National Ranking: No. 121 (tie) Acceptance rate: 90% ASU is tied with UCF and Iowa State for the eighth-best academic school in the conference. Nationally, the Sun Devils are ranked with South Carolina and Elon among several others. With just over 65,000 undergraduates Arizona State is the largest school in the Big 12. City: Ames, Iowa National Ranking: No. 121 (tie) Acceptance rate: 89% Iowa State is a medium-sized school that dominates the town of Ames. As one of the three Big 12 schools ranked at No. 121, the Cyclones are still on the outside looking in at being a top 100 institution. City: Tucson, Arizona National Ranking: No. 109 (tie) Acceptance rate: 86% One of two schools in the state of Arizona after the recent Big 12 expansion and according to U.S. News, the Wildcats are more prestigious. Coming in at No. 109, the Wildcats are also tied nationally with Tennessee, Oregon, Missouri, SDSU and one other Big 12 program. City: Provo, Utah National Ranking: No. 109 (tie) Acceptance rate: 69% BYU is a relatively new member of the Big 12 and is one of three private schools in the conference along with Baylor and TCU. Its 28% 4-year graduation rate is the lowest in the conference due to the fact most of its student body is required to complete a religious mission before graduation. City: Fort Worth, Texas National Ranking: No. 105 (tie) Acceptance rate: 43% TCU is the largest religious university associated with the Christian Church but is the smallest school in the Big 12 with only 10,915 undergraduates. The Horned Frogs are tied with Auburn, Illinois Institute of Technology and Saint Louis University at No. 105. City: Boulder, Colorado National Ranking: No. 98 (tie) Acceptance rate: 81% The University of Colorado is one of two Big 12 schools in the top 100. Coming in at No. 98, CU Boulder is tied with Iowa, Temple, Rutgers University (Camden), Gonzaga, FIU and Yeshiva University. City: Waco, Texas National Ranking: No. 91 (tie) Acceptance rate: 51% The top academic school in the Big 12 is Baylor University. Baylor is another religious university in the Big 12 along with BYU and TCU. It is one of the smaller schools in the conference with just over 15,000 undergrads. The Bears are tied with SMU, South Florida, American, Fordham, Loyola Marymount and Rochester Institute of Tech. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 schools listed by 2025 US News academic ranking
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LSU Football Makes Historic Academic Announcement Under Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly wrapped up his third season as head football coach of the LSU Tigers with a solid 9-4 record, capped by a bowl game win over Baylor. But beyond the on-field success, LSU accomplished something even more impressive off the field near the end of the academic year. For the first time in program history, the LSU football team earned a perfect single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 1000, marking a major milestone in the classroom. This achievement places LSU Football amid the university's rising number of athletic programs that have reached similar levels of academic excellence. Advertisement The official LSU Football social media account celebrated the accomplishment on Tuesday, posting: "LSU Football has achieved a single-year 1000 Academic Progress Rate for the first time in school history!" The Academic Progress Rate is a term-by-term measurement of a team's academic eligibility and retention. Division I teams that fail to maintain an APR score of at least 930 may be subject to NCAA penalties. A 930 score is roughly equivalent to a 50% graduation rate. LSU's perfect 1000 APR followed an already strong showing in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR), where the team scored an 89 last fall. That mark extended LSU's streak of scoring at least an 89 in the GSR to eight straight years. LSU Tigers head coach Brian Lew-Imagn Images Last season, the Tigers improved their multi-year APR score to 977, a significant jump after the previous season's score dipped below 930. Fortunately, LSU avoided penalties at the time due to the NCAA's temporary suspension of sanctions related to APR scores. In Ed Orgeron's final year in Baton Rouge, the team posted an APR of 897. Advertisement Since arriving at LSU, Kelly has posted a 29-11 overall record and gone 17-7 in SEC play. The Tigers have won bowl games in each of their three seasons. Over his career, Kelly boasts an impressive 292-107-2 record as a head coach. Related: Urban Meyer Calls for Rule That Would Get Michigan Coach Fired Related: New Preseason College Football Rankings Left Fans in Disbelief
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Big Ten schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2025
Big Ten schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2025 After a full calendar year of athletics, the 18-member Big Ten Conference now has a sense of permanence. At this time last year, former Pac-12 schools Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA had yet to take the football field or basketball court as conference members. At that point, the memory of the Pac-12 Conference was still prominent. Now, Oregon football is the reigning Big Ten champion and UCLA men's basketball is one of the conference's top contenders. Outside of the two major sports, those new programs claimed multiple conference titles, including Oregon women's cross country, USC/UCLA women's soccer, Oregon men's and women's indoor track and field, USC/UCLA women's basketball, UCLA women's gymnastics, Oregon women's golf and UCLA men's golf. In the classroom, the new 18-member conference is unmatched. Its Academic Progress Rate performance is one major indicator, and several conference football programs are among the nation's best. Another indicator is U.S. News & World Report's latest 2025 academic rankings. Unsurprisingly, the Big Ten again delivered terrific results: 18. University of Nebraska -- Lincoln City: Lincoln, Nebraska National ranking: No. 152 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 159 overall, No. 18 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 77% Nebraska rose seven spots in the national rankings in 2025. Still, there is a big gap between it and the 17th-ranked school. A significant jump is needed for it to join the rest of the conference. Get more (Nebraska) news, analysis and opinions on Cornhuskers Wire 17. University of Oregon City: Eugene, Oregon National ranking: No. 109 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 98 overall, No. 17 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 85% Oregon slipped in U.S. News' latest college hierarchy. The football program, while the Big Ten champion, is also last in the conference in Academic Progress Rate. The Ducks look to trend positively in both of those numbers in the coming years. Get more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire 16. University of Iowa City: Iowa City, Iowa National ranking: No. 98 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 93 overall, No. 16 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 85% Iowa's ranking, like Oregon's, experienced a slight dip from 2024 to 2025. The school is tied with Colorado, Temple, Rutgers (Camden), Gonzaga, FIU and Yeshiva at No. 98 overall. Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire 15. Indiana University -- Bloomington City: Bloomington, Indiana National ranking: No. 73 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 73 overall, No. 15 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 80% Indiana held its position from 2024. The rankings look largely similar from top to bottom, given many schools need significant jumps to overtake conference foes. Indiana is tied with SUNY Binghamton and Syracuse at No. 73. 13 (tie). Pennsylvania State University -- University Park City: University Park, Pennsylvania National ranking: No. 63 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 60 overall, No. 14 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 54% Penn State is tied with one other Big Ten school at No. 63 as well as Miami, Tulane, Santa Clara, George Washington and Brandeis. It dipped just three spots from its 2024 standing, though it remains in the same Big Ten tier. Get more (Penn State) news, analysis and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire 13 (tie). Michigan State University City: East Lansing, Michigan National ranking: No. 63 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 60 overall, No. 13 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 84% Michigan State saw an identical move to Penn State, dropping three spots nationally while maintaining the same Big Ten standing. The football program's APR of 968 is 14th in the conference, a similar standing to its overall ranking. Out of the classroom, the Spartans, to no surprise, are the reigning Big Ten men's basketball champions. Get more (Michigan State) news, analysis and opinions on Spartans Wire 12. University of Minnesota -- Twin Cities City: Minneapolis, Minnesota National ranking: No. 54 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 53 overall, No. 12 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 77% Minnesota held its position in 2025. It is the last of the Big Ten schools ranked outside the nation's top 50, although it is not far from that group. 10 (tie). University of Washington City: Seattle, Washington National ranking: No. 46 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 40 overall, No. 8 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 43% Washington had one of the largest drops of any Big Ten member in the latest U.S. News ranking, dropping six spots nationally and two in the Big Ten. Still, it starts a run of 11 Big Ten members in the nation's top 50. Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire 10 (tie). Purdue University -- Main Campus City: West Lafayette, Indiana National ranking: No. 46 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 43 overall, No. 10 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 50% Purdue, like many other Big Ten schools, saw a slight dip nationally. It is tied with Washington for 10th in the Big Ten. However, just six national ranking spots stand between it and the conference's No. 7 school. 9. University of Maryland, College Park City: College Park, Maryland National ranking: No. 44 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 46 overall, No. 11 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 45% Maryland rose slightly from its 2024 standing. While just ninth in the conference, it isn't far from a major step toward the top five. The school's athletic programs will be an interesting watch in 2025-26. Former Atlanta Braves executive James Smith is the new athletic director. He looks to provide Maryland much-needed stability after the school's basketball coach and AD each left in March. 7 (tie). Rutgers University -- New Brunswick City: Piscataway, New Jersey National ranking: No. 41 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 40 overall, No. 7 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 65% Rutgers maintained its position in the U.S. News rankings. It sits comfortably within the nation's top 50, tied with one other Big Ten school and Boston University at No. 41. As noted, just a few rankings spots separate the school from the conference's top five. 7 (tie). The Ohio State University City: Columbus, Ohio National ranking: No. 41 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 43 overall, No. 9 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 51% Ohio State's football national title was followed by a slight step forward in U.S. News' rankings. Just as impressive, the Buckeyes are the only football program with a perfect APR (1000). It's safe to say the school is in a strong standing both in and out of the classroom. Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire 6. University of Wisconsin -- Madison City: Madison, Wisconsin National ranking: No. 39 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 35 overall, No. 5 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 43% Wisconsin trended negatively in this year's rankings. It is tied with UC Santa Barbara at No. 39 overall, now with significant separation between it and the conference's fifth-highest-ranked school. 5. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign City: Champaign, Illinois National ranking: No. 33 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 35 overall, No. 6 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 44% Illinois inched forward to No. 33 nationally. That rise overtook Wisconsin for No. 5 in the Big Ten. Illinois has impressive company at No. 33: UC-Davis, UC-Irvine and Georgia Tech. 4. University of Southern California City: Los Angeles, California National ranking: No. 27 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 28 overall, No. 4 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 10% USC begins the Big Ten's leading tier of schools ranked within the nation's top 30. The school is impressively tied with North Carolina for the No. 27 position. While the Trojans' football and men's basketball programs work to establish themselves in the Big Ten, the school already more than holds its own. Get more (USC) news, analysis and opinions on Trojans Wire 3. University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor City: Ann Arbor, Michigan National ranking: No. 21 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 21 overall, No. 3 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 18% No change for Michigan in this year's ranking. The school is tied with Washington University and Carnegie Mellon at No. 21. It held the Big Ten's second-highest ranking for an extended time, until another conference newcomer stole that position. Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire 2. University of California -- Los Angeles City: Los Angeles, California National ranking: No. 15 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 15 overall, No. 2 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 9% UCLA has some breathing room at No. 2 in the conference, sitting a full six national ranking spots higher than Michigan. The school is tied with Dartmouth at No. 15. While not in the nation's top 10, UCLA still sets the standard for Big Ten academics. Get more (UCLA) news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Wire 1. Northwestern University City: Evanston, Illinois National ranking: No. 6 (tied) 2024 rank: No. 9 overall, No. 1 Big Ten Acceptance rate: 7% No one should be surprised Northwestern again captures the title as the Big Ten's highest-ranked school. It actually took a significant jump forward from 2024, rising three spots to No. 6. Northwestern trails only the following schools atop the national rankings: Yale, Stanford, Harvard, MIT and Princeton. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
