ACC schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2026-27

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The Atlantic Coast Conference has long marketed itself as the premier conference for balancing athletic success with academic excellence, and the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report continue to reinforce that reputation.

The publication recently released its 2026-27 Best National Universities rankings, evaluating nearly 1,700 institutions across the country. The ACC once again boasts one of the strongest academic profiles among the Power Four conferences, with multiple universities landing inside the nation's top 30 and nearly every football member finishing within the top 100 nationally.

Of the ACC’s 17 football-playing universities, 16 are ranked among the top 100 National Universities. Louisville, which placed No. 158 nationally, is the conference’s only football member outside the top 100.

Here's how every ACC football program stacks up academically entering the 2026-27 academic year, according to U.S. News & World Report's National University Rankings:

17. University of Louisville​

City: Louisville, Kentucky

2025 ACC Rank: 17

Undergraduate enrollment: 17,208

U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 158

In-state cost: $13,942

Acceptance rate: 79%

16. Southern Methodist University​

City: Dallas, Texas

2025 ACC Rank: 16

Undergraduate enrollment: 7,115

U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 88

In-state cost: $64,460

Acceptance rate: 52%

15. Clemson University​

City: Clemson, South Carolina

Undergraduate enrollment: 23,401

U.S. News ranking: No. 86 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $15,554

Acceptance rate: 38%

14. Syracuse University​

City: Syracuse, New York

Undergraduate enrollment: 15,957

U.S. News ranking: No. 75 (tied)

Tuition and fees: $68,429

Acceptance rate: 46%

13. University of Pittsburgh​

City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Undergraduate enrollment: 20,418

U.S. News ranking: No. 69 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $22,736

Acceptance rate: 58%

12. University of Miami​

City: Coral Gables, Florida

Undergraduate enrollment: 13,250

U.S. News ranking: No. 64 (tied)

Tuition and fees: $65,430

Acceptance rate: 19%

11. North Carolina State University​

City: Raleigh, North Carolina

Undergraduate enrollment: 28,422

U.S. News ranking: No. 64 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $9,028

Acceptance rate: 42%

10. Florida State University​

City: Tallahassee, Florida

Undergraduate enrollment: 32,720

U.S. News ranking: No. 51 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $6,517

Acceptance rate: 24%

9. Virginia Tech University​

City: Blacksburg, Virginia

Undergraduate enrollment: 31,035

U.S. News ranking: No. 51 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $16,450

Acceptance rate: 55%

8. Wake Forest University​

City: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Undergraduate enrollment: 5,490

U.S. News ranking: No. 51 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $70,332

Acceptance rate: 22%

7. Boston College University​

City: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Undergraduate enrollment: 9,654

U.S. News ranking: No. 36 (tied)

Tuition and fees: $73,508

Acceptance rate: 16%

6. Georgia Institute of Technology​

City: Atlanta, Georgia

Undergraduate enrollment: 20,592

U.S. News ranking: No. 32 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $12,008

Acceptance rate: 14%

5. University of North Carolina​

City: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Undergraduate enrollment: 21,075

U.S. News ranking: No. 26 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $9,096

Acceptance rate: 15%

4. University of Virginia​

City: Charlottesville, Virginia

Undergraduate enrollment: 17,901

U.S. News ranking: No. 26 (tied)

In-state tuition and fees: $23,897

Acceptance rate: 17%

3. University of California​

City: Berkley, California

Undergraduate enrollment: 33,469

U.S. News ranking: No. 15 (tie)

In-state tuition and fees: $17,721

Acceptance rate: 11%

2. Duke University​

City: Durham, North Carolina

Undergraduate enrollment: 6,523

U.S. News ranking: No. 7 (tied)

Cost: $73,172

Acceptance rate: 6%

1. Stanford University​

City: Stanford, California

Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 7,904

U.S. News ranking: No. 4 (tied)

Cost: $68,544

Acceptance rate: 4%

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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: ACC schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2026-27

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