Most Big 12 universities began the academic year a few weeks ago. With that, U.S. News & World Report unveiled its updated 2027 university rankings.
Within those rankings of the best national universities, how does the Big 12 Conference stack up in the classroom?
The latest rankings brought plenty of movement across the Big 12, especially a shakeup at the top with a new school moving into a tie for the top spot.
Colorado remains among the conference's highest-rated universities, although the Buffs took a notable step backward in the latest update. The university does. However, it remains ranked among the nation's top 50 public schools.
Academically, the Big 12 does not stack up against the Big Ten or ACC, as unlike its power conference counterparts,
the Big 12 does not have a school ranked higher than No. 90, two places lower than last year's top school.
U.S. News evaluates schools based on 17 academic factors, with some, such as peer assessment and graduation rates, holding more weight than others.
Here is where every Big 12 school stands in the outlet's updated academic rankings, along with how each ranking compares to last year.
16. West Virginia University
City: Morgantown, West Virginia
National Ranking: No. 227 (tie)
- 2026 rank: No. 222 overall, No. 16 Big 12
Acceptance rate: 89%
West Virginia has never been known for its academic reputation, and that trend continued with the 2027 update. It earned the lowest ranking in the conference and fell two spots.
15. Oklahoma State University
City: Stillwater, Oklahoma
National Ranking: No. 191 (tie)
- 2026 rank: No. 198 overall, No. 14 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 74%
Oklahoma State football program is trending in the right direction, and its university ranking has moved up a few spots as well. However, because schools ahead of them improved, OSU fell in the Big 12.
14. Texas Tech University
City: Lubbock, Texas
National Ranking: No. 186 (tie)
- 2026 rank: No. 198 overall, No. 14 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 69%
The Red Raiders moved up 12 more spots, after moving up 16 last year, showing improvement both on the field and in the classroom. They have sole possession of the 14th spot.
12 (tie). University of Cincinnati
City: Cincinnati, Ohio
National Ranking: No. 179 (tie)
- 2026 rank: No. 158 overall, No. 12 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 88%
U.S. News ranks Cincinnati as a top-100 public school (No. 91), but its national ranking falls more than 20 spots.
12 (tie). University of Utah
City: Salt Lake City, Utah
National Ranking: No. 179 (tie)
- 2026 rank: No. 151 overall, No. 11 Big 12
Acceptance rate: 90%
Utah continues its drop in U.S. News rankings, moving down nearly 30 places. Utah fell the most among Big 12 schools. It is still ranked as a top-50 school for innovation.
11. Kansas State University
City: Manhattan, Kansas
National Ranking: No. 156 (tie)
- 2026 rank: No. 158 overall, No. 12 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 87%
Kansas State continues its upward trend, moving away from the conference's bottom schools, but it still has some distance to go before being considered a top-tier academic institution. It moved up just one spot in the conference.
10. University of Kansas
City: Lawrence, Kansas
National Ranking: No. 148 (tie)
- 2026 rank: No. 143 overall, No. 10 Big 12
Acceptance rate: 93%
Kansas improved nine spots last year, but drops five spots entering 2027. It remains a top 75 public school.
9. University of Houston
City: Houston, Texas
National Ranking: No. 137 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 132 overall, No. 9 Big 12
Acceptance rate: 76%
After improving last year, Houston, like several other Big 12 schools, fell slightly this time around. It remains the ninth-best academic institution in the Big 12.
6 (tie). University of Arizona
City: Tucson, Arizona
National Ranking: No. 121 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 127 overall, No. 8 Big 12
Acceptance rate: 84%
Arizona dropped nearly 20 spots last year, but moves up this year, putting them on even terms with their in-state Big 12 rival Arizona State and into the top 6.
6 (tie). University of Central Florida
City: Orlando, Florida
National Ranking: No. 121 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 117 overall, No. 5 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 43%
UCF fell four spots, including one spot in the Big 12. It remains a top-30 school for best in-state value.
6 (tie). Arizona State University
City: Tempe, Arizona
National Ranking: No. 121 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 117 overall, No. 5 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 88%
ASU fell a bit this year but remains the No. 1 school for innovation. It joins Arizona and UCF at No. 121 nationally. Arizona State is a top 30 school in several academic disciplines.
4 (tie). Iowa State University
City: Ames, Iowa
National Ranking: No. 116 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 117 overall, No. 5 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 88%
Iowa State is a medium-sized school that dominates Ames. The university improved one place nationally and is now in the top 4 in the Big 12.
4 (tie). Brigham Young University
City: Provo, Utah
National Ranking: No. 116 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 110 overall, No. 4 Big 12
Acceptance rate: 69%
BYU lost sole possession of fourth place on this list after wit Iowa State's slight move up. The school's overall ranking also fell six places.
3. University of Colorado Boulder
City: Boulder, Colorado
National Ranking: No. 109 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 97 overall, No. 2 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 71%
Colorado dropped nearly ten spots nationally and fell out of the top 100. It holds the third spot in the conference but is no longer a top-2 academic program after TCU surpassed it. It remains a top 50 public institution in the country.
1 (tie). Texas Christian University
City: Fort Worth, Texas
National Ranking: No. 90 (tie)
- 2025 rank: No. 97 overall, No. 2 Big 12 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 48%
TCU is the largest religious university associated with the Christian Church, but the smallest school in the Big 12, with only 11,152 undergraduates. After another bump this year, TCU is now tied with Baylor as the only Big 12 schools ranked in the U.S. News top 100. It also has the 48th lowest acceptance rate in the country.
1 (tie). Baylor University
City: Waco, Texas
National ranking: No. 90 (tied)
- 2025 rank: No. 88 overall, No. 1 Big 12
Acceptance rate: 52%
Baylor University remains the top academic school in the Big 12, despite dropping two places from last year. It is one of the conference's smaller schools, with just over 15,000 undergraduates.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2027
