Where SEC schools rank
The Southeastern Conference stayed true to its name after its founding in 1933, until conference realignment became prevalent in college athletics. The conference moved westward in 2012 when it added Texas A&M University and the University of Missouri, and again in 2024 when the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma were added. Traditionally dominant across all sports, the SEC has been particularly successful in football with 27 total national championships, including 14 since 2000. Here’s where SEC schools stand among National Universities — schools that are often research-oriented and offer a full range of undergraduate majors as well as master’s and doctoral programs — in the U.S. News 2026 Best Colleges rankings.
Mississippi State University
Location: Mississippi State, Mississippi
U.S. News rank: 208 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 18,567
Four-year graduation rate: 46%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $10,604
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $28,736
From Aggies to Maroons to Bulldogs, team names have changed over the years, but the rich history hasn’t. Mississippi State has fielded a football team since at least 1895, according to the university’s website. Despite competing in NCAA athletics for more than a century, the Bulldogs didn’t win a national championship until 2021, when the baseball team defeated fellow SEC foe Vanderbilt. Famous alumni include baseball stars Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro, author and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives John Grisham and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
Learn more about Mississippi State University.
University of Arkansas
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
U.S. News rank: 183 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 28,859
Four-year graduation rate: 56%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $10,496
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $31,550
Born as the Cardinals due to the school colors, the University of Arkansas athletic teams later reverted to the name Razorbacks, which refers to a wild hog. With 19 teams competing in the NCAA, the university website claims more than 50 national championships in Arkansas’ athletic history. Famous alumni include singer and songwriter Ben Rector, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Olympic track gold medalist Veronica Campbell Brown and professional golfer John Daly.
Learn more about the University of Arkansas.
Louisiana State University
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
U.S. News rank: 169 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 34,242
Four-year graduation rate: 50%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $12,551
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $29,229
Since 1936, LSU has featured one of the most fearsome mascots in college sports: a live tiger. LSU athletics has been equally fearsome over the years, earning 53 team national championships across various programs, 48 of those in NCAA-sanctioned events. Behind future NFL stars Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, the football team won the national championship in 2019. The women’s basketball and baseball teams won national championships in 2023. Famous alumni include TV personality and former basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, professional baseball player Paul Skenes, political strategist James Carville and gymnast Olivia Dunne.
Learn more about Louisiana State University.
University of Alabama
Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
U.S. News rank: 169 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 34,389
Four-year graduation rate: 57%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $12,484
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $35,342
Few programs have been as dominant as Alabama football over the years. Altogether, the Crimson Tide has won 18 national championships on the gridiron. Alabama’s run over the last decade has been nearly unstoppable, with six national title wins since 2009. Famous alumni include novelist Harper Lee, historian and MSNBC personality Joe Scarborough, actor and comedian Jim Nabors and legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Learn more about the University of Alabama.
University of Mississippi
Location: University, Mississippi
U.S. News rank: 169 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 21,585
Four-year graduation rate: 57%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $10,150
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $30,310
The name Rebels was chosen to represent athletics teams as the result of a 1936 contest to identify a new student publication, the yearbook, according to the university’s website. That name, conjuring sentiments of the Confederacy, has not gone without controversy. The university also formerly featured a mascot named Colonel Reb, replacing it with a black bear and most recently “Landshark Tony.” Famous alumni include novelist William Faulkner, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning and actress Kate Jackson.
Learn more about the University of Mississippi.
University of Kentucky
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
U.S. News rank: 143 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 25,534
Four-year graduation rate: 55%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $13,907
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $35,164
Known as the Wildcats since 1909, Kentucky is another school with a storied athletics program. That history is especially rich for the men’s basketball program, which has won eight NCAA national championships, the second most overall. UK has produced 60 NBA first-round draft picks, the most of any program. Famous alumni include longtime U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Olympic track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, actress Ashley Judd and basketball stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis.
Learn more about the University of Kentucky.
University of South Carolina
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
U.S. News rank: 127 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 30,187
Four-year graduation rate: 70%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $12,688
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $37,376
While there are plenty of Tigers, Bears and other large predators that make up the names of NCAA programs across the country, South Carolina prides itself on being the only “Fighting Gamecocks” in the U.S., according to its website. It’s a reference that goes deep into the history of the state when cockfighting was common — a practice long since outlawed. The school boasts nine team national titles, 21 varsity sports and fierce rivalries with Clemson and the University of Georgia. Famous alumni include basketball star A’ja Wilson, singer-songwriter Darius Rucker, actress Elle Fanning and Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Learn more about the University of South Carolina.
University of Oklahoma
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
U.S. News rank: 110 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 23,351
Four-year graduation rate: 58%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $9,887
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $27,467
The University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890 and “the Sooners were playing football before Oklahoma became a state,” the school’s website says. In recent decades it has seen success in football and men’s basketball, but its most successful sports have been men’s gymnastics with 12 national championships, and softball with eight, including an NCAA record four in a row from 2021 to 2024. Famous alumni include actress Olivia Munn, former football star Adrian Peterson and former basketball star Blake Griffin.
Learn more about the University of Oklahoma.
Auburn University (AL)
Location: Auburn, Alabama
U.S. News rank: 102 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 27,907
Four-year graduation rate: 60%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $13,318
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $36,022
According to Auburn’s website, the “Tigers” nickname is inspired by the Oliver Goldsmith poem “The Deserted Village.” The 1770 poem includes a line about crouching tigers that “await their hapless prey.” Auburn claims 30 national championships, the most recent by the men’s golf team in 2024. Famous alumni include Apple CEO Tim Cook, actress Octavia Spencer, basketball star and television personality Charles Barkley and Bo Jackson, one of the few athletes to play two professional sports.
Learn more about Auburn University.
University of Missouri
Location: Columbia, Missouri
U.S. News rank: 102 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 24,449
Four-year graduation rate: 56%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $15,548
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $37,820
The University of Missouri — also known as Mizzou — has employed the Tigers namesake since the Civil War. Founded in 1839, the school has fielded a football team since at least 1890 and saw its 1918 season scuttled due to a flu epidemic, according to the school’s website. A relative newcomer, Mizzou has been a member of the SEC since 2012. Famous alumni include Walmart Inc. and Sam’s Club founder Sam Walton, actors Brad Pitt and Jon Hamm, and musician Sheryl Crow.
Learn more about the University of Missouri.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
U.S. News rank: 102 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 30,564
Four-year graduation rate: 57%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $13,812
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $32,956
The Tennessee Volunteers draw their moniker from the state’s nickname, a throwback to military service by residents in both the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, according to the UT website. The school is known for a strong football program, as well as a women’s basketball program that has been dominant in recent years, winning eight of the Vols’ 24 NCAA national titles. Famous alumni include novelists Cormac McCarthy and Kurt Vonnegut, former football star Peyton Manning and former basketball star Candace Parker.
Learn more about the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Texas A&M University
Location: College Station, Texas
U.S. News rank: 51 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 60,710
Four-year graduation rate: 61%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $12,928
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $40,157
The A&M stood for “agricultural and mechanical” when Texas A&M opened in 1876, according to the school’s website. With an emphasis on agriculture, students became known as “farmers,” but that changed to “Aggies” in the 1920s. Texas A&M programs now play under that name, sporting a collie named Reveille X as their mascot. Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012 after departing the Big 12. Famous alumni include former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, actress Eva Longoria and country musicians Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen.
Learn more about Texas A&M University.
University of Georgia
Location: Athens, Georgia
U.S. News rank: 46 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 32,399
Four-year graduation rate: 76%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $11,492
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $32,336
The University of Georgia tracks its history in athletics back to club baseball teams in 1866, when it played two games — one against a town team from Athens and another against Emory College, now Emory University. UGA has claimed 52 national championships across various team sports since 1942, including football championships in 2021 and 2022 and equestrian in 2025. Famous alumni include television personality Ryan Seacrest, former Heisman Trophy winner and football star Herschel Walker, television journalist Deborah Roberts and sports television personality Ernie Johnson.
Learn more about the University of Georgia.
University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, Florida
U.S. News rank: 30 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 36,573
Four-year graduation rate: 83%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $6,381
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $30,886
The Gators saw little in the way of NCAA national championships until the 1980s, but have made up for it in the decades since. The football team won national championships in 2006 and 2008, while the basketball team won two straight in 2006 and 2007, and again in 2025. In total, the school has won 49 NCAA titles. Famous alumni include football player and speaker Tim Tebow, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sportscaster Erin Andrews, and actor-director-home improvement expert Bob Vila.
Learn more about the University of Florida.
University of Texas at Austin
Location: Austin, Texas
U.S. News rank: 30 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 43,165
Four-year graduation rate: 74%
In-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $11,687
Out-of-state tuition and fees (2025-2026): $44,908
The University of Texas at Austin is home to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, as well as one of only 20 complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible still in existence from the mid-1450s. It was the earliest major book printed on movable metal type. The school has won 68 team athletic national championships and was home to famous alumni like actors Matthew McConaughey and Glen Powell, actress Renee Zellweger and former first lady Laura Bush.
Learn more about the University of Texas at Austin.
Vanderbilt University (TN)
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
U.S. News rank: 17 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment (fall 2024): 7,221
Four-year graduation rate: 90%
Tuition and fees (2025-2026): $71,226
Cornelius Vanderbilt, nicknamed the Commodore, provided a $1 million gift in 1873 to start a university. The school still bears his name 150 years later. Likewise, the athletics programs, the Commodores, play under his nickname. Vanderbilt’s six team NCAA national championships have been earned in bowling, women’s tennis and baseball, a program that has produced numerous Major League Baseball All-Stars. Famous alumni include author James Patterson, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, country music star Dierks Bentley and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Learn more about Vanderbilt University.
Find the school for you.
Get more information about how to choose a college and check out the complete Best Colleges rankings to find the school that’s best for you. For more advice and information on selecting a college, connect with U.S. News Education on X/Twitter and Facebook.
How the SEC schools rank among National Universities
— Vanderbilt University (TN): 17 (tie)
— University of Florida: 30 (tie)
— University of Texas at Austin: 30 (tie)
— University of Georgia: 46 (tie)
— Texas A&M University: 51 (tie)
— Auburn University (AL): 102 (tie)
— University of Missouri: 102 (tie)
— University of Tennessee, Knoxville: 102 (tie)
— University of Oklahoma: 110 (tie)
— University of South Carolina: 127 (tie)
— University of Kentucky: 143 (tie)
— Louisiana State University: 169 (tie)
— University of Alabama: 169 (tie)
— University of Mississippi: 169 (tie)
— University of Arkansas: 183 (tie)
— Mississippi State University: 208 (tie)
More from U.S. News
Where Big Ten Schools Rank Among the U.S. News Best Colleges
Name, Image, Likeness: What College Athletes Should Know About NCAA Rules
How to Thrive as an HBCU Student-Athlete
See the Best Colleges Rankings of SEC Schools originally appeared on usnews.com
