Every year, U.S. News & World Report publishes an academic ranking of all United States universities, including yearly tuition, enrollment and acceptance rates. Fifteen of the 18 Big Ten programs rank among the top 100 academically heading into the 2026-2027 school year.
The Big Ten has one school among the top 10 and 12 in the top 50.
Overall, the Wisconsin Badgers hold up nicely and are up there with the conference’s newest additions, the University of Southern California and the University of California – Los Angeles.
Not surprisingly, the same school again claimed the top spot. In fact, none of the top four schools underwent any movement.
City: Lincoln, Nebraska
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 18
Undergraduate enrollment: 19,701
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 152
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 158
In-state cost: $10,434
City: Eugene, Oregon
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 17
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,622
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 109
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 110
In-state cost: $15,904
City: Iowa City, Iowa
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 16
Undergraduate enrollment: 22,738
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 98
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 102
In-state cost: $11,622
City: Bloomington, Indiana
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 15
Undergraduate enrollment: 38,093
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 73
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 73
In-state cost: $12,144
City: East Lansing, Michigan
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 13 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 41,234
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 63
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 64
In-state cost: $19,742
City: University Park, Pennsylvania
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 13 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 42,619
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 63
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 59
In-state cost: $21,098
City: Minneapolis, Minnesota
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 12
Undergraduate enrollment: 41,303
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 54
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 59
In-state cost: $18,482
City: West Lafayette, Indiana
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 10 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 44,819
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 46
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 46
In-state cost: $9,992
City: Piscataway, New Jersey
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 7 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 37,985
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 41
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 42
In-state cost: $18,827
City: College Park, Maryland
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 9
Undergraduate enrollment: 31,133
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 44
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 42
In-state cost: $11,809
City: Seattle, Washington
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 10 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 40,754
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 46
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 42
In-state cost: $13,406
City: Columbus, Ohio
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 7 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 46,815
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 41
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 41
In-state cost: $13,641
City: Champaign, Illinois
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 5
Undergraduate enrollment: 37,140
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 33
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 36
In-state cost: $18,046
City: Madison, Wisconsin
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 6
Undergraduate enrollment: 23,181
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 39
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 36
In-state cost: $16,035
City: Los Angeles, California
2025 Big Ten Rank: 4
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,630
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 27
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 28
Cost: $75,162
City: Ann Arbor, Michigan
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 3
Undergraduate enrollment: 34,454
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 21
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 20
In-state cost: $19,497
City: Los Angeles, California
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 2
Undergraduate enrollment: 33,471
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 15
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 17
In-state cost: $14,824
City: Evanston, Illinois
2025 Big Ten Rank: No. 1
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,060
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2025: No. 6
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 7
Cost: $70,589
Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, University of Chicago, Yale University, Stanford University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University.
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