CLEMSON
ACC schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2026-27
Alexander TurriClemson Wire
July 10, 2026, 7:31 a.m. ET
The ACC has long been recognized as one of the premier conferences in college athletics, but its reputation extends well beyond what happens on the field. While football and basketball often dominate the headlines, the conference is also home to some of the nation’s most respected universities, with institutions that consistently rank among the best for academics, research and overall educational opportunities
For student-athletes, choosing a school is about much more than wins and losses. The strength of a university’s academic programs, the value of its degree and the rehat decision. Those are areas where the ACC continues to stand out, offering a collection of schools that combine competitive athletics with elite academics
That balance has been a major selling point for programs like Clemson, which has enjoyed national success on the football field while remaining part of one of the country’s strongest academic conferences. Across the league, universities continue to earn recognition for their commitment to education, innovation and research, reinforcing the ACC’s reputation as one of the top destinations for both athletics and academics
Using the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 National University Rankings, here’s how all 17 ACC schools stack up academically
17. University of Louisville
Undergraduate enrollment: 17,086
U.S. News ranking: No. 158
In-state tuition and fees: $13,136
Acceptance rate: 79%
No. 16 Southern Methodist University
City: Dallas, Texas
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,285
U.S. News ranking: No. 88 (tied)
Tuition and fees: $69,722
Acceptance rate: 63%
No. 15 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%
No. 14 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%
No. 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%
No. 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%
No. 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%
No. 10 Virginia Tech
City: Blacksburg, Virginia
Undergraduate enrollment: 31,035
U.S. News ranking: No. 51 (tied)
In-state tuition and fees: $16,450
Acceptance rate: 55%
No. 9 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%
No. 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%
No. 7 Boston College
City: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,654
U.S. News ranking: No. 36 (tied)
Tuition and fees: $73,508
Acceptance rate: 16%
No. 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%
No. 5 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%
No. 4 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
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%
No. 3 University of California, Berkeley
City: Berkley, California
Undergraduate enrollment: 33,469
U.S. News ranking: No. 15 (tie)
In-state tuition and fees: $17,721
Acceptance rate: 11%
No. 2 Duke University
City: Durham, North Carolina
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,523
U.S. News ranking: No. 7 (tied)
Cost: $73,172
Acceptance rate: 6%
No. 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%
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions
