​The SEC is stronger academically than ever, with five member universities ranked among the nation’s top 100 for the coming academic year. This marks a meaningful turnaround for a conference that has long faced questions about scholarly standing. Historically, the Big Ten and Pac-12 were viewed as the academic leaders, with the ACC and Big 12 close behind and the SEC lagging behind the other leagues. The conference’s academic profile has risen notably since Texas A&M joined in 2012, and even more so with the recent additions of the University of Texas and Oklahoma, which have significantly boosted the SEC’s scholarly reputation.
Texas stands out as one of the nation’s top universities academically. It is highly regarded among public institutions and is widely regarded as a “Public Ivy,” a label that originated in a 1985 publication that highlighted the country’s best state schools. UT was on the original list and remains in the top tier. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian emphasizes the university’s academic prestige as a key recruitment asset. Alongside the Longhorns’ on-field success, Sarkisian underscores the value of the UT education. He has highlighted that Texas operates within a top five public institution framework in the United States, and he notes Forbes’ portrayal of Texas as the “new Ivy League.” He often contrasts the institution’s academic standing with its football reputation, pointing out that while Texas is compared to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton academically, it also competes on the football field with Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama.
Using the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 National University Rankings, here is how the 16 SEC schools stack up academically:
Mississippi State University is ranked 208 (tie) in the national university listing. It is a public institution founded in 1878, enrolling 18,567 undergraduates. The campus spans 4,200 acres and sits in a rural setting, operating on a semester system. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1, and about 44.7% of classes have fewer than 20 students. Popular majors include Business Administration and Management, General; Exercise Science and Kinesiology; Psychology, General; Elementary Education and Teaching; Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other; Marketing/Marketing Management, General; Mechanical Engineering; Biology/Biological Sciences, General; Civil Engineering, General; and Speech Communication and Rhetoric. The average freshman retention rate, a measure of student satisfaction, is 83%.
The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is ranked 183 (tie) in the national ranking. It enrolls 28,859 undergraduates as of fall 2024, with a four-year graduation rate of 56%. In-state tuition and fees for 2025-2026 are $10,496, while out-of-state fees are $31,550. Ole Miss, like other SEC institutions, combines a strong academic mission with a vibrant campus culture, reflecting the conference’s broader trend toward balancing scholastic excellence with athletic competitiveness.