The Southeastern Conference is widely recognized for its athletic dominance. However, many of its universities also have a strong academic reputation that often goes overlooked.
According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges rankings, five of the SEC’s 14 schools rank within the top 100 national universities. These rankings take into account factors such as graduation rates, faculty resources, and student outcomes.
Using U.S. News’ rankings as a guide, we will rank the SEC universities by their academic reputation. UGA made the top 5 in case you were wondering, see the list below for more details.
14
Mississippi State University
Location: Mississippi State, Mississippi
U.S. News rank: 194
Total enrollment fall 2020: 22,986
4-year graduation rate: 40%
13
Louisiana State University
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
U.S. News rank: 176 (tie)
Total enrollment fall 2020: 34,285
4-year graduation rate: 43%
12
University of Arkansas
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
U.S. News rank: 176 (tie)
Total enrollment fall 2020: 27,562
4-year graduation rate: 50%
11
University of Mississippi
Location: University, Mississippi
U.S. News rank: 151
Total enrollment fall 2020: 21,014
4-year graduation rate: 48%
10
University of Alabama
U.S. News rank: 137 (tie)
Total enrollment fall 2020: 37,840
4-year graduation rate: 52%
9
University of Kentucky
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
U.S. News rank: 137 (tie)
Total enrollment fall 2020: 29,986
4-year graduation rate: 47%
8
University of Missouri
Location: Columbia, Missouri
U.S. News rank: 121
Total enrollment fall 2020: 31,103
4-year graduation rate: 50%
7
University of South Carolina
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
U.S. News rank: 115 (tie)
Total enrollment fall 2020: 35,468
4-year graduation rate: 65%
6
University of Tennessee
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
U.S. News rank: 115 (tie)
Total enrollment fall 2020: 30,559
4-year graduation rate: 51%
5
Auburn University
Location: Auburn, Alabama
U.S. News rank: 97
Total enrollment fall 2020: 30,737
4-year graduation rate: 51%
4
Texas A&M University
Location: College Station, Texas
U.S. News rank: 67
Total enrollment fall 2020: 70,418
4-year graduation rate: 57%
3
University of Georgia
Location: Athens, Georgia
U.S. News rank: 49
Total enrollment fall 2020: 39,147
4-year graduation rate: 68%
2
University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, Florida
U.S. News rank: 29
Total enrollment fall 2020: 53,372
4-year graduation rate: 67%
1
Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
U.S. News rank: 13 (tie)
Total enrollment fall 2020: 13,537
4-year graduation rate: 88%
