Where Big 12 Schools Rank Among the 2021 Best Colleges

[Vernon]

Josh Moody
Wed, February 24, 2021, 1:59 PM


Where Big 12 schools rank
Despite its name, the Big 12 is composed of only 10 schools. Though the Big 12's inaugural season as an athletic conference was in 1996, its history stretches back to the early 1900s, with roots in the Southwest Conference and Big 6 Conference. Members of those two conferences formed the original dozen programs that made up the Big 12. Conference membership has been in flux in the last decade, with several original members leaving and new schools joining. To date, Big 12 schools have claimed more than 60 NCAA team championships. Here's where Big 12 schools stand among National Universities -- research-focused schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral programs -- in the 2021 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.
West Virginia University
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia

U.S. News rank: 241 (tie)
Total enrollment: N/A
4-year graduation rate: N/A
First established as the Agricultural College of West Virginia in 1867, the school changed its name to West Virginia University in 1868. Like many schools on this list, WVU began as a federal land-grant institution, a post-Civil War initiative intended to establish agricultural colleges across the nation. The Mountaineers, the moniker of WVU's sports program, is a nod to residents of the Mountain State. A relative newcomer to the Big 12, WVU joined the conference in 2012.
Learn more about West Virginia University.
Texas Tech University
Location: Lubbock, Texas
U.S. News rank: 217 (tie)
Total enrollment: 38,742
4-year graduation rate: 36%
Opened in 1925 as Texas Technical College, the school officially became Texas Tech University in 1969. Initially dubbed the Matadors, a reference to Spanish-style architecture on campus, athletic teams were nicknamed the Red Raiders in 1936 by a local sports writer. The name stuck and a student on horseback added to the legend by leading the team onto the field. This eventually inspired Texas Tech's current mascot, Raider Red, who resembles the Warner Bros. cartoon character Yosemite Sam.
Learn more about Texas Tech University.
Oklahoma State University
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
U.S. News rank: 187 (tie)
Total enrollment: 24,041
4-year graduation rate: 41%
Oklahoma State University is another school that began as a federal land-grant institution. The school was founded on Christmas Day in 1890 and was known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College until a 1957 name change. The university was established on a 200-acre pasture, plowed by horses to remove prairie grass prior to beginning construction. Track was the first organized sport at Oklahoma State, and football and women's basketball soon followed.
Learn more about Oklahoma State University.
Kansas State University
Location: Manhattan, Kansas
U.S. News rank: 170 (tie)
Total enrollment: 21,719
4-year graduation rate: 37%
Kansas State University traces its roots back to Bluemont Central College, which opened in 1858. Bluemont became Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863. The current name was adopted in 1959. Team names also changed over the years, shifting from Aggies to Wildcats in 1915. Early sports programs included men's basketball, baseball and football. Female students attempted to establish a basketball program in 1902 but were denied the opportunity to play intercollegiate games. Women's basketball was finally added in 1968.
Learn more about Kansas State University.
University of Oklahoma
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
U.S. News rank: 133 (tie)
Total enrollment: 28,079
4-year graduation rate: 44%
The University of Oklahoma opened in 1892, offering classes in a rented building to a population of 57 students that by the end of the first year increased to 119. The town of Norman contributed 40 acres and $10,000 from bond sales in the early days of the institution. The campus has expanded to more than 4,000 acres and more than 28,000 students. Known as the Sooners, the athletic programs at the college are a nod to a nickname for the eager early settlers of Oklahoma during the land rush of 1889.
Learn more about the University of Oklahoma.
University of Kansas
Location: Lawrence, Kansas
U.S. News rank: 124 (tie)
Total enrollment: 27,552
4-year graduation rate: 48%
The University of Kansas was chartered in 1859 as Lawrence University and began offering classes in 1866. The athletic programs at Kansas play as the Jayhawks, named after a brightly colored bird of mysterious and mythical origins. The name appears to be an amalgamation of a blue jay and a sparrow hawk, both native to the area, according to the university's website. Other historical references note that the name was used by a Kansas regiment in the Civil War.
Learn more about the University of Kansas.
Iowa State University
Location: Ames, Iowa
U.S. News rank: 118 (tie)
Total enrollment: 33,391
4-year graduation rate: 47%
Chartered in 1858, Iowa State University was initially known as Iowa Agriculture College and Model Farm and was coeducational from the start. The name changed to Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1898 before the current moniker was adopted in 1959. The team name, Cyclones, was inspired by a sports writer's description of the football team's performance in 1895. Though known as the Cyclones, the school mascot is a cardinal, a nod to school colors and the challenge of creating weather-themed mascots.
Learn more about Iowa State University.
Texas Christian University
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
U.S. News rank: 80 (tie)
Total enrollment: 11,024
4-year graduation rate: 71%
Texas Christian University has not only changed names but also locations over the years. TCU got its start as AddRan Male and Female College in 1873, a combination of the names of the founding brothers, ministers Addison and Randolph Clark. Though it began in a small prairie town, TCU moved to Waco, Texas, in 1895 and eventually to Forth Worth in 1911. The name TCU was chosen in 1902. TCU athletic teams play as the Horned Frogs, which the school's website describes as a "small but fierce lizard." TCU is a more recent member of the Big 12, joining the conference in 2012.
Learn more about Texas Christian University.
Baylor University (TX)
Location: Waco, Texas
U.S. News rank: 76 (tie)
Total enrollment: 18,033
4-year graduation rate: 63%
Baylor University was established in 1845 by the Texas Baptist Education Society and named for one of its founders. Though initially in Independence, Texas, Baylor moved to its current home in 1886 and merged with Waco University. According to the school's website, Baylor is the oldest continually operating college in the state and the world's largest Baptist university. Baylor still espouses its founding principles on its website, noting a commitment to the Baptist denomination and the state of Texas.
Learn more about Baylor University.
University of Texas--Austin
Location: Austin, Texas
U.S. News rank: 42 (tie)
Total enrollment: 51,090
4-year graduation rate: 66%
Plans to establish the University of Texas--Austin date back to 1839, but it took decades for that vision to be realized. Classes officially began in temporary quarters in 1883 as early efforts at campus construction commenced. Known as the Longhorns, university athletic programs are represented by a live steer mascot named Bevo. An early entrant into the Big 12, Texas has been dominant in the division, winning the most conference championships of any member.
Learn more about the University of Texas--Austin.
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How the Big 12 schools rank among National Universities
-- University of Texas--Austin: 42 (tie)
-- Baylor University: 76 (tie)
-- Texas Christian University: 80 (tie)
-- Iowa State University: 118 (tie)
-- University of Kansas: 124 (tie)
-- University of Oklahoma: 133 (tie)
-- Kansas State University: 170 (tie)
-- Oklahoma State University: 187 (tie)
-- Texas Tech University: 217 (tie)
-- West Virginia University: 241 (tie)

 

[Pitt4Life34]

Locally looks like Pitt is at #58 Nationally and at #19 for Public Universities. Penn St checks in at #63 Nationally. WVU definitely needs to improve from #241 I would think.

 

[WVUALLEN]

Is this for all students or just Athletes?

 

[KingCoal]

All students, Allen

 

[TownesVanZandt]

I like to look at the majors.
WVU has some decent programs.

Same as Texas has some average ones.
But Texas has some elite ones. They actually won the recruitment of Hayden Conner due to their aerospace engineering program. Morbia Jah actually help recruit him.

 

[WVUALLEN]

I like to look at the majors.
WVU has some decent programs.

Same as Texas has some average ones.
But Texas has some elite ones. They actually won the recruitment of Hayden Conner due to their aerospace engineering program. Morbia Jah actually help recruit him.

How much money did he offer him? Did he counter with a higher amount or did they agree right away.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

How much money did he offer him? Did he counter with a higher amount or did they agree right away.

My little sister's husband played football at Sam Houston. Reason why this is important is that Hayden's father also played football at Sam Houston.
I actually met the family. They are known to be at NRG for the Battle of the Piney Woods. When San Houston plays Stephen F Austin.
They are good people.
Most around that HS program feels like he is a better OL than Bryce Foster
Foster blocked Clemson's stud freshman Bresse at a camp a couple of years ago. Was maybe the only OL that held his own with him. Reason why some Recruiting services blew him up.

That family is well off.

Plus no one was paying for recruits at Texas last year.
Herman was left to fend for himself.

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

This entire ranking system for colleges and universities is ridiculous. Unless the criteria has changed drastically the ranking is largely determined by the number of students who are accepted divided by number of students who applied. The WVU acceptance rate is very high so the tuition cost can be much lower for instate students. The out of state tuition cost is also much lower than instate tuition for the surrounding states. WVU’s mission statement is to give an economical option for higher education for the people of WV. Marshall is the same way.

I have never understood the logic or desire to get a degree from a reportedly higher ranked more prestigious school and leave with $100k in student loan debt vs get the same accredited degree from a school like WVU and leave with $10-20k or even less in student loan debt. Every study of millionaires shows the majority of those self made attended state schools (if they attended a 4 year college/university at all) and left with little or no student loan debt.

My work experience has taught me the quality of education is pretty universal. The value/knowledge attained at a particular school comes from the desire of the student. I speak as an engineer with 3 degrees from the WVU (COE/CMER) who has worked with people from Pitt, Ohio State, UK, VPI, GA Tech, & even an MIT grad. I was never THAT impressed with those schools grads. I did hear many of them bitch repeatedly about their student loan debt (GA Tech & MIT especially).

The athletic conferences using these rankings to brag about academic excellence or a litmus test is flat out insulting given some of the nonsense majors these sports have their athletes majoring in.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

The entire college ranking system is based upon a criteria which is specified and detailed.

For example, consider the students who are accepted into a particular university based upon their average SAT scores (one example).

Consider Average SAT scores (Reading and Writing) and (Math) of the following schools:

University of Pennsylvania: 700-760 (R&W) and 750-800 (Math)
Carnegie Mellon University: 700-760 (R&W) and 760-800 (Math)
Mass. Institute of Technology: 730-770 (R&W) and 780-800 (Math)
Ga. Institute of Technology: 630-730 (R&W) and 670-780 (Math)
University of Pittsburgh: 630-700 (R&W) and 630-740 (Math)
Va. Institute of Technology: 590-680 (R&W) and 590-710 (Math)

Additionally, the amount of annual Research a University conducts is also considered. Pitt for example conducts over $800 million in annual Research expenditures and is an AAU Research University.

Academically, Pitt fits in well in the ACC Conference.

I am not here to disparage WVU which I consider a good school but you cannot discount the academic quality of graduates coming from higher ranked schools.

Employers are also aware of the rankings and the criteria used in the rankings.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[WVUALLEN]

Leave it to a pitt fan to use cut and paste. I hear Pitt finally has sell out crowds as long as card board cutouts are allowed to be counted.

PITT SUCKS
eat shit pitt.

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

Yeah the nerds and profs may like these rankings but they’re probably the only ones


I can only speak for myself and my career as an engineer. I’ve hired probably 50 plus engineers working for 2 companies listed on the stock exchange or been directly involved in the hiring of that many.

For the probably 1000 plus resumes I've looked at for potential new hires fresh out of school with no experience, I and where I’ve worked look at potential candidates for an interview based on:
1. Master/PHD or even MBA
2. GPA throughout college
3. School and honestly just if it’s accredited and we know it
4. Military Service
5. Did they intern with our company or anywhere
6. Employment history while in college during the semester (bussing tables, Pizza Delivery, A bouncer in a bar, Walmart, Lowe’s, etc)
...
...
100. References & Letter of recommendation from people & a professor I’ve never heard of and could care less what he thinks.

Now this is just for the interview. They still got to have some personality and common sense brains to get the job.

My point in saying this is I’ve never looked nor the companies I’ve worked for give even a 1% advantage at hiring based on the potential hire’s school ranking from some magazine. Maybe it’s different in other industries than engineering and other companies than where I’ve worked. Although I will say my old college roommate at WVU was an accounting major and all 6 of the “Big 6” accounting firms (I don’t think there’s 6 anymore) back then wanted him and his Suma Cum Laude GPA. It was a freaking bidding war after his interviews and apparently they were right cause he was a CPA after the first try and ran the branch within 7 years.

I’m done on this

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Engineering is probably one of the more competitive fields.

Matters what type of engineer you are....

Schools do matter because of what you have been exposed to.

You are entering the job field with a certain amount of knowledge. The rankings of numerous engineering majors is based on can you hit the ground running.

Goes back to what someone said about research.
Huge research universities usually are ranked higher because of how connected they are to the industry.

This is also why most schools are usually ranked higher in industries their state/city offers.

Often times the industry comes from the University.
Silicon Valley with Stanford

 

[Buckaineer]

WVU is always going to struggle in these sort of popularity contests to sell magazines.

Elitists rank schools based on who they don't let in, rather than who gets what level of education. WVUs mission is to let in state residents so they can have a college education, not limit who gets in for elitists.

Also U.S. News is "peer reviewed". How does i.e. the president of another university know what the quality of a similar class at WVU is to their own? Plus they may have an agenda to knock you down (see acc schools) or boost themselves up (see Louisville's meteoric rise since joining acc).

Research $. Many of these schools garner rankings from research $$, which often are directly related to corporations based in their states, or lobbying their House and Senate members. WVU is always going to struggle here until it has multiple major corporations in state.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Works both way though.

The university creates the industry and then the industry creates the university


WVU is a Tier 1 university.

A lot of these private schools are not. Supposed elite private schools...

Tier 1 at the end of the day is more important and shows that you are a research university.
There is a high level amount of research that happens at WVU.

While the private schools who aren't Tier 1 have to use these publications to get their name out.

List of research universities in the United States - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Panthergrowl13]

A couple of comments.

The University of Louisville is ranked #176 on US News National University ranking.
Lowest ranked ACC school.

Again comparing WVU and Louisville SAT scores (R&W) and (MATH):

Louisville: 540-640 (R&W) and 530-650 (Math)
West Virginia: 520-620 (R&W) and 510-610 (Math)

The University of Pittsburgh receives significant research funding from many local and national organizations.

In particular, Pitt receives significant funding directed towards Pitt/UPMC medical research. Pitt's Health Science Programs (Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy etc.) are ALL ranked in the Top 20 of US News Ranking (Americas Best Graduate Schools). As an example of medical research support, Pitt is Ranked #5 in receiving Research Funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

One final comment with respect to Engineering.

One thing I would encourage all Engineers is to consider obtaining a Professional Engineer (PE) state license. No matter which Engineering School/Program you may have graduated from you have demonstrated professional competence with a PE. You have passed a National Engineering in Training exam (EIT) and passed your specific Engineering discipline (Civil, Structural, Chemical, Environmental, Electrical etc.) exam and demonstrated engineering competence/work (Engineering Resume) to the PE board.

Having a Professional Engineers (PE) license on your engineering resume is significant and a respected achievement to current and future employers.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Buster68]

The key word in these rankings is ”best”. What does this mean? Well, for the most part that is in the eye of the beholder. Does it mean being the most selective? Does it mean doing the most research? Or does it mean providing an affordable education that provides students with the tools needed to reach their life goals. In my case, I have a BS in Business Administration from WVU. During my career, I have managed many people with masters and advanced degrees from Harvard, Princeton and most of the Ivy League schools. You can also include most of the ”best” private and public universities in the USA and Canada including ”Pitt“. My degree did what it was supposed to do and that is open the doors that I needed to get through to reach my goals and desired quality of life. Throughout my career, I met very successful people from WVU and other land grant universities who like myself felt that we had the advantage because we knew how and were willing to work smarter and harder partly because academia tried to put a stigma of inferiority on our education. I am proud to be a West Virginian and a graduate of WVU and I laugh when I see these meaningless exclusivity and self aggrandizing rankings. Let’s make sure we understand that these so-called best rankings are not necessarily in the best interest of future and present students but are part of an agenda to shore up the image of the collapsing and failing ranks of higher education and academia.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Like it or not moms, dads and students utilize college rankings to determine which school their child plans to attend. Higher ranked Universities attract a larger pool of top performing students which allow them to be more selective. College rankings are important to universities and are used as a marketing tool to attract future students.

Anyone can have anecdotal stories of personal success, which is fine.

One measure (example) of ranking success is the Top 10 universities in the United States ranked by number of Fortune 500 CEO Alumni in 2020.

Harvard University: 25
Stanford University: 11
Univ. of Pennsylvania: 8
Mass Institute of Tech: 7
Yale University: 6
Univ of Chicago: 6
Columbia University: 6
Northwestern Univ: 6
Cornell University: 6
USC: 4

The above listed universities are highly ranked and all are AAU Research Universities.

Rankings do matter. However, that does not imply that you can't get a good education in most lower ranked schools. WVU is a school were you can achieve a very good education at an affordable cost.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Buster68]

For the sake of discussion, I find it very interesting those top 10 schools listed cost between $250 to $320k for a 4 year BA degree. How many moms, dads and students can afford that or pay those types of student loans? These schools cater to the top 1 or 2% of the USA and wealthy international students. Consequently, they need some type of high categorical rankings to try to justify and rationalize their value to this market. Ask the other 90% plus of their graduates how they feel about paying those fees for general studies degrees that get them $30 to $50k paying jobs and are now burdened with those loan repayments for the next 20 years. And let's be real here...the difference between numbers 50 and 300 as far as quality of education are marginal at best. IMHO, the only ranking that really matters is the value of an education which is not indicative of the SAT/ACT pre-student test scores. The real question that needs to be addressed is "did the education provide preparation for the quality of life that the graduate worked towards?" That requires a much more in-depth study than the preceding test score ranking.

You know as well as I that very few students actually attended in-person classes this year and with virtual education becoming more the norm, the majority of these best colleges outside of the top 20 to 30 are in for a rude awakening as far as future revenues go due to changes in the way classes are delivered. Over the past 20 years, most private and many public universities have made higher education unaffordable to their constituents. They have ignored their charter of providing the opportunity to the vast majority of parents to provide an affordable quality education for their children. They need rankings in order to market their programs and marginalize competition.

Anyone can use statistics to support a position. So 85 or 17% out of 500 of these CEOs are alumni of the top universities. Where do the other 83% come from? It means that 415 are spread out among the rest of the top 300 plus schools. Let's talk about those top achievers that were pointed out as bastions of the best. Harvard has 25 and yet it fires anyone who has a different view than the administration accepts as politically correct or doesn't accept students with different opinions. Maybe moms and dads should consider this before some meaningless rankings when signing up for those fees. Stanford has 11 and an endowment that could fund most developing countries, yet last spring eliminated several non-revenue sports because of lack of athletic revenues while refusing to refund student fees because of covid shutdowns. No moral issues here. Add to this the fact that any speaker with a different view from the university's is not even permitted to speak on both these campuses. It begs the question that maybe moms and dads should look at something more than these rankings that in all truth really don't prove that there is much of a difference in quality of education. The other thing these rankings do is help their alumni rationalize that they got a better education than someone else because their school is ranked higher than another institution.

One last point that goes back to the CEO example is the fact that most of the employment in this country is by small business not the fortune 500. From my personal (anecdotal) experience, most of these entrepreneurs come from the middle of the pack schools. I have worked for 3 fortune 500 companies and I can tell you that none of those CEOs would have been able to run a successful small business. Oh, and by the way, none of them went to a top 100 school.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Why these list are important for private schools...

Not so much for public schools.

Because public schools will draw from their state or their region as some states divide their state with public universities like California does.

You are forced because of economic reasons to apply to your local public university.

But it is important for these public universities to give a platform to the people in their state....

Usually when this happens the state is rewarded because it creates jobs.


If you look at the states growing right now
Texas
Georgia
Florida
Virginia
North Carolina

They all have something in common
Great to elite public universities

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Top performing students accepted at Highly Ranked Universities (Including Ivy league schools) receive significant financial aid(scholarships) which in many cases allow the students to attend those schools at costs approaching WVU or even lower.

Why rankings are important because students use them and universities market them to attract top performing students.

Let me try to illustrate my point by using a football analogy.

Your school is academically highly ranked because they recruit top performing students (High SAT scores, GPA scores, National Merit Scholars, Top 5% of graduating HS class etc.). Using the football analogy this would be a school that recruits and fields a team filled with Rival 5-Star and Rival 4-Star players. The chances of that school putting more players into the NFL/Pro Football Hall of Fame (CEO Fortune 500 company/ US Presidents/Supreme Court Judges/Nobel laureate etc.) are significantly greater than a school who has less competitive students. Again using the football analogy, another school recruits and fields a team mostly filled with Rival 2-Star players. Now that is not to say that some of those Rival 2-Star players won't succeed and make it to the NFL. However, the numbers will not be as high as the school with the Rival 5-Star players.

I guess Pitt and WVU will soon be playing a 4 game football series which is good for local sports and bragging rights.

Welcome back to Pittsburgh and Heinz Field.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Panthergrowl13]

I like to look at the majors.
WVU has some decent programs.

Same as Texas has some average ones.
But Texas has some elite ones. They actually won the recruitment of Hayden Conner due to their aerospace engineering program. Morbia Jah actually help recruit him.

Have to agree with you on this.
Most Public Universities have average/good programs and some elite ones.

As for Pitt, it has outstanding Programs in the Health Sciences.

There was a recent Academic Board discussion on which Conference had the better Medical Schools (ACC or B1G). Results were a little surprising.

US News (Americas Best Graduate Schools)
Medical School Rankings (Research) 2021:

12 Duke University
14 University of Pittsburgh
15 University of Michigan
17 University of Chicago
18 Northwestern
23 University of North Carolina
27 University of Wisconsin
29 University of Virginia
34 Ohio State University (tie)
34 University of Iowa (tie)
34 University of Maryland (tie)
40 University of Minnesota
47 Indiana University
50 University of Miami
52 Wake Forest University
55 University of Illinois
62 University of Nebraska
70 Rutgers University
81 Virginia Tech
94-122 Florida State

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Spocker]

Josh Moody
Wed, February 24, 2021, 1:59 PM


Where Big 12 schools rank
Despite its name, the Big 12 is composed of only 10 schools. Though the Big 12's inaugural season as an athletic conference was in 1996, its history stretches back to the early 1900s, with roots in the Southwest Conference and Big 6 Conference. Members of those two conferences formed the original dozen programs that made up the Big 12. Conference membership has been in flux in the last decade, with several original members leaving and new schools joining. To date, Big 12 schools have claimed more than 60 NCAA team championships. Here's where Big 12 schools stand among National Universities -- research-focused schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral programs -- in the 2021 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.
West Virginia University
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia

U.S. News rank: 241 (tie)
Total enrollment: N/A
4-year graduation rate: N/A
First established as the Agricultural College of West Virginia in 1867, the school changed its name to West Virginia University in 1868. Like many schools on this list, WVU began as a federal land-grant institution, a post-Civil War initiative intended to establish agricultural colleges across the nation. The Mountaineers, the moniker of WVU's sports program, is a nod to residents of the Mountain State. A relative newcomer to the Big 12, WVU joined the conference in 2012.
Learn more about West Virginia University.
Texas Tech University
Location: Lubbock, Texas
U.S. News rank: 217 (tie)
Total enrollment: 38,742
4-year graduation rate: 36%
Opened in 1925 as Texas Technical College, the school officially became Texas Tech University in 1969. Initially dubbed the Matadors, a reference to Spanish-style architecture on campus, athletic teams were nicknamed the Red Raiders in 1936 by a local sports writer. The name stuck and a student on horseback added to the legend by leading the team onto the field. This eventually inspired Texas Tech's current mascot, Raider Red, who resembles the Warner Bros. cartoon character Yosemite Sam.
Learn more about Texas Tech University.
Oklahoma State University
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
U.S. News rank: 187 (tie)
Total enrollment: 24,041
4-year graduation rate: 41%
Oklahoma State University is another school that began as a federal land-grant institution. The school was founded on Christmas Day in 1890 and was known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College until a 1957 name change. The university was established on a 200-acre pasture, plowed by horses to remove prairie grass prior to beginning construction. Track was the first organized sport at Oklahoma State, and football and women's basketball soon followed.
Learn more about Oklahoma State University.
Kansas State University
Location: Manhattan, Kansas
U.S. News rank: 170 (tie)
Total enrollment: 21,719
4-year graduation rate: 37%
Kansas State University traces its roots back to Bluemont Central College, which opened in 1858. Bluemont became Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863. The current name was adopted in 1959. Team names also changed over the years, shifting from Aggies to Wildcats in 1915. Early sports programs included men's basketball, baseball and football. Female students attempted to establish a basketball program in 1902 but were denied the opportunity to play intercollegiate games. Women's basketball was finally added in 1968.
Learn more about Kansas State University.
University of Oklahoma
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
U.S. News rank: 133 (tie)
Total enrollment: 28,079
4-year graduation rate: 44%
The University of Oklahoma opened in 1892, offering classes in a rented building to a population of 57 students that by the end of the first year increased to 119. The town of Norman contributed 40 acres and $10,000 from bond sales in the early days of the institution. The campus has expanded to more than 4,000 acres and more than 28,000 students. Known as the Sooners, the athletic programs at the college are a nod to a nickname for the eager early settlers of Oklahoma during the land rush of 1889.
Learn more about the University of Oklahoma.
University of Kansas
Location: Lawrence, Kansas
U.S. News rank: 124 (tie)
Total enrollment: 27,552
4-year graduation rate: 48%
The University of Kansas was chartered in 1859 as Lawrence University and began offering classes in 1866. The athletic programs at Kansas play as the Jayhawks, named after a brightly colored bird of mysterious and mythical origins. The name appears to be an amalgamation of a blue jay and a sparrow hawk, both native to the area, according to the university's website. Other historical references note that the name was used by a Kansas regiment in the Civil War.
Learn more about the University of Kansas.
Iowa State University
Location: Ames, Iowa
U.S. News rank: 118 (tie)
Total enrollment: 33,391
4-year graduation rate: 47%
Chartered in 1858, Iowa State University was initially known as Iowa Agriculture College and Model Farm and was coeducational from the start. The name changed to Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1898 before the current moniker was adopted in 1959. The team name, Cyclones, was inspired by a sports writer's description of the football team's performance in 1895. Though known as the Cyclones, the school mascot is a cardinal, a nod to school colors and the challenge of creating weather-themed mascots.
Learn more about Iowa State University.
Texas Christian University
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
U.S. News rank: 80 (tie)
Total enrollment: 11,024
4-year graduation rate: 71%
Texas Christian University has not only changed names but also locations over the years. TCU got its start as AddRan Male and Female College in 1873, a combination of the names of the founding brothers, ministers Addison and Randolph Clark. Though it began in a small prairie town, TCU moved to Waco, Texas, in 1895 and eventually to Forth Worth in 1911. The name TCU was chosen in 1902. TCU athletic teams play as the Horned Frogs, which the school's website describes as a "small but fierce lizard." TCU is a more recent member of the Big 12, joining the conference in 2012.
Learn more about Texas Christian University.
Baylor University (TX)
Location: Waco, Texas
U.S. News rank: 76 (tie)
Total enrollment: 18,033
4-year graduation rate: 63%
Baylor University was established in 1845 by the Texas Baptist Education Society and named for one of its founders. Though initially in Independence, Texas, Baylor moved to its current home in 1886 and merged with Waco University. According to the school's website, Baylor is the oldest continually operating college in the state and the world's largest Baptist university. Baylor still espouses its founding principles on its website, noting a commitment to the Baptist denomination and the state of Texas.
Learn more about Baylor University.
University of Texas--Austin
Location: Austin, Texas
U.S. News rank: 42 (tie)
Total enrollment: 51,090
4-year graduation rate: 66%
Plans to establish the University of Texas--Austin date back to 1839, but it took decades for that vision to be realized. Classes officially began in temporary quarters in 1883 as early efforts at campus construction commenced. Known as the Longhorns, university athletic programs are represented by a live steer mascot named Bevo. An early entrant into the Big 12, Texas has been dominant in the division, winning the most conference championships of any member.
Learn more about the University of Texas--Austin.
Find the school for you.
Get more information about how to choose a college, and check out the complete rankings of the Best Colleges to find the school that's best for you. For more advice and information on selecting a college, connect with U.S. News Education on Twitter and Facebook.
How the Big 12 schools rank among National Universities
-- University of Texas--Austin: 42 (tie)
-- Baylor University: 76 (tie)
-- Texas Christian University: 80 (tie)
-- Iowa State University: 118 (tie)
-- University of Kansas: 124 (tie)
-- University of Oklahoma: 133 (tie)
-- Kansas State University: 170 (tie)
-- Oklahoma State University: 187 (tie)
-- Texas Tech University: 217 (tie)
-- West Virginia University: 241 (tie)

Is it time for Captain Bow Tie to take an exit...?....

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Have to agree with you on this.
Most Public Universities have average/good programs and some elite ones.

As for Pitt, it has outstanding Programs in the Health Sciences.

There was a recent Academic Board discussion on which Conference had the better Medical Schools (ACC or B1G). Results were a little surprising.

US News (Americas Best Graduate Schools)
Medical School Rankings (Research) 2021:

12 Duke University
14 University of Pittsburgh
15 University of Michigan
17 University of Chicago
18 Northwestern
23 University of North Carolina
27 University of Wisconsin
29 University of Virginia
34 Ohio State University (tie)
34 University of Iowa (tie)
34 University of Maryland (tie)
40 University of Minnesota
47 Indiana University
50 University of Miami
52 Wake Forest University
55 University of Illinois
62 University of Nebraska
70 Rutgers University
81 Virginia Tech
94-122 Florida State

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

Funny thing is when you really start looking at where each major is ranked you pull NDs covers.

I don't have a single major they are elite in. Not a single Top 10 one at all.

 

[Buckaineer]

The US News rankings are biased and use false "methodology" to come to their conclusions.

i.e. Undergraduate Academic Reputation--done by "peer assessment survey". How can another institution that doesn't attend your classes or facilities give an assessment of your school?

Faculty Resources:
i.e. Faculty Compensation? What does that have to do with the quality of education one receives?

Student Selectivity:
Acceptance Rate? So if you have a high acceptance rate, that means your education given at your school isn't as good as schools that exclude people? Why exactly?

Average Alumni Giving Rate?
What does this have to do with education?

Graduate Indebtedness?
So if your graduates have more debt than someone else, the education they received wasn't as good?

WV has few companies and corporations and the govt. there has allowed out of state companies to skirt paying salaries commensurate with neighboring states. But some people want to remain there--and so have to take jobs that may not be as lucrative in another state or region. So, they can't pay down their debt, such as school loans as quickly. Or they may just come from a less priveleged family and have to WORK to pay off debt. So their education wasn't as good?

This and many more elitist criteria is why a school like WVU doesn't score as well as others do in this bogus magazines evaluation of schools.

Unfortunately the school is harmed in several ways and its reputation is harmed nationally as a result of many things outside their control that have little to nothing to do with how well they educate people or prepare them for life outside of college.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

That is why this only matters for private schools...

Why a school like ND makes sure they are ranked high.
Purchase advertising space in the magazine to do so.

Ultimately these rankingss are advertisements for your school.

Public schools exist in a different world than private schools.

But this doesn't mean that WVU shouldn't feel like they can improve in the academic field. More than that look to invest in majors in growing iindustry.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

This list removes all that.

WVU is a 401-500th best university in the world.

What is noticeable here is that WVU and Baylor are about the same.

ARWU World University Rankings 2020 | Academic Ranking of World Universities 2020 | Top 1000 universities | Shanghai Ranking - 2020

New 2020 Top 1000 world university rankings conducted by CWCU of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Academic Ranking of World Universities).

www.shanghairanking.com

About the same as Wake Forest, Auburn and Baylor
Or 115-133 best university in the US

 

[Panthergrowl13]

This list removes all that.

WVU is a 401-500th best university in the world.

What is noticeable here is that WVU and Baylor are about the same.

ARWU World University Rankings 2020 | Academic Ranking of World Universities 2020 | Top 1000 universities | Shanghai Ranking - 2020

New 2020 Top 1000 world university rankings conducted by CWCU of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Academic Ranking of World Universities).

www.shanghairanking.com

About the same as Wake Forest, Auburn and Baylor
Or 115-133 best university in the US

Best World Universities: University of Pittsburgh ranked #96.

Thanks for the reference

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Best World Universities: University of Pittsburgh ranked #96.

Thanks for the reference

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

Pitt just offered Jalen Hale..
Give him some love. He deserves it.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Pitt just offered Jalen Hale..
Give him some love. He deserves it.

View embedded media

Tried looking him up.

Not sure if he is the WR from South Carolina (Class 2021).
Did not see a Rivals ranking listed so far.

In any case if our coaching staff offered, I trust their judgement and hope he verbals.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Tried looking him up.

Not sure if he is the WR from South Carolina (Class 2021).
Did not see a Rivals ranking listed so far.

In any case if our coaching staff offered, I trust their judgement and hope he verbals.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

I guess your new WR coach has a decent name.
Probably won't get Hale but getting his name spread around

 

[VaultHunter]

Good Grief people WVU is sitting at an unacceptable ranking and needs to improve drastically. No fudged numbers, no biased ratings, no misunderstandings.

Can we just agree that WVU is failing in this regard and must do better? It's really not that complicated.

 

[WVUFanForever]

Who are they failing?