Cameron Ohnysty
April 2, 2024 5:00 am CT
Beginning this summer, the Southeastern Conference will add two new programs to the mix. Texas and Oklahoma will transition from the Big 12 in July as conference realignment becomes a reality after last summer’s circus.
These changes will, of course, affect the college football landscape. Every future applicant to Texas and Oklahoma will represent such a change academically. Meanwhile in the Big 10, prestigious universities UCLA and USC will join the primarily Midwest institutions. And the Pac-12 has essentially dissolved: Just two schools remain.
While some may only associate the SEC with athletic success, six of the 16 SEC schools are ranked in the top 100 of U.S. News’ latest 2024 College Rankings. Texas A&M remains ranked one of the best public schools in the country from a value standpoint, especially for those who plan to major in the sciences.
Here’s where every SEC school nationally ranks according to U.S. News.
16
Mississippi State University
Butch Dill/Getty Images
City: Starkville, Mississippi
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 21,988
U.S. News ranking: No. 216 (tied)
In-state cost: $9,815
Acceptance rate: 70%
15
Louisiana State University — Baton Rouge (LSU)
Eakin Howard/Getty Images
City: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 32,666
U.S. News ranking: No. 185
In-state cost: $11,954
Acceptance rate: 76%
14
University of Arkansas
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
City: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Undergraduate enrollement in fall 2023: 32,140
U.S. News ranking: No. 178
In-state cost: $9,748
Acceptance rate: 79%
13
The University of Alabama
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
City: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 39,623
U.S. News ranking: No. 170
In-state cost: $11,900
Acceptance rate: 80%
12
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Fans of the University of Mississippi college baseball team watch their team’s game against the University of Southern Mississippi underway at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
City: Oxford, Mississippi
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 24,710
U.S. News ranking: No. 163
In-state cost: $9,412
Acceptance rate: 97%
11
University of Kentucky
Justin Casterline/Getty Images
City: Lexington, Kentucky
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 34,000
U.S. News ranking: No. 159
In-state cost: $13,212
Acceptance rate: 95%
10
University of South Carolina
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
City: Columbia, South Carolina
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 36,300
U.S. News ranking: No. 124 (tied)
In-state cost: $12,688
Acceptance rate: 64%
9
University of Oklahoma
OU fans watch the game during sunset in the first quarter during an NCAA football game between University of Oklahoma and Iowa State at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma, on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023.
City: Norman, Oklahoma
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 28,264
U.S. News ranking: No. 124 (tied)
In-state cost: $9,312
Acceptance rate: 73%
8
University of Missouri
Images of the 2023 Graduation of Kickapoo High School at Great Southern Bank Arena on the campus of Missouri State University on May 20, 2023.
City: Columbus, Missouri
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 23,629
U.S. News ranking: No. 124 (tied)
In-state cost: $14,192
Acceptance rate: 79%
7
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Renovation work continues along the third base line at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.
City: Knoxville, Tennessee
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 36,000
U.S. News ranking: No. 216 (tied)
In-state cost: $13,244
Acceptance rate: 68%
6
Auburn University
Auburn University mascot Aubie greets fans during the Tiger Walk before the Samford game at Jordan-Hare Stadium on the Auburn campus in Auburn, Alabama, on Saturday Sept. 16, 2023.
City: Auburn, Alabama
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 35,015
U.S. News ranking: No. 93
In-state cost: $12,536
Acceptance rate: 44%
5
University of Georgia
UGA logos on the back of graduation caps during the University of Georgia’s spring undergraduate commencement ceremony inside Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, May 12, 2023. A total of 6,008 undergraduates graduated at the ceremony.
City: Athens, Georgia
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 30,166
U.S. News ranking: No. 47 (tied)
In-state cost: $11,180
Acceptance rate: 43%
4
Texas A&M University
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
City: College Station, Texas
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 69,598
U.S. News ranking: No. 47 (tied)
In-state cost: $12,413
Acceptance rate: 63%
3
University of Texas at Austin
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
City: Austin, Texas
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 53,082
U.S. News ranking: No. 32
In-state cost: $11,698
Acceptance rate: 31%
2
University of Florida
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
City: Gainsville, Florida
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2022: 34,552
U.S. News ranking: No. 28
In-state cost: $6,381
Acceptance rate: 23%
1
Vanderbilt University
Students walk past the 6 Magnolia Circle and Mayborn building at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023.
City: Nashville, Tennessee
Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 7,152
U.S. News ranking: No. 18
Tuition: $63,946
Acceptance rate: 7%
