Which universities truly offer the best of both worlds? We ranked the top programs combining academics with recent football success.
Last week, US News World & Report revealed its 2026 national college rankings, and we ranked the Big Ten schools. But that got us thinking: not just in the Big Ten, but what are the schools that offer the best of both worlds -- academics and football success?
Considering that prospective students will be looking at recent success on the gridiron and the current rankings for schools academically, we went back just to 2020 (after all, who wants to choose a football school that hasn't been winning at football recently?) and came up with a rubric that was weighted heavily for academic excellence and consistent winning in football:
- Points for win percentage since 2020:
- 80-90% - 20 points
- 70-80% - 10 points
- 60-70% - 5 points
- 60% or lower - 0 points
- School rank (via US News; must be ranked in the top 70 to be included)
- 29th or higher - 20 points
- 30-40th - 10 points
- 40-50th - 5 points
- 60th or lower - 0 points
- Conference championship - 5 points per win; 2 points per appearance with loss
- CFP appearances - 2 points per appearance
- National championship - 10 points per win; 2 points per appearance with loss
With that in mind, here are the top schools you want to attend if you want the best of both worlds.
T-10. Illinois Fighting Illini
School rank: 36th (tied)
Winning % since 2020: 54%
Conference championship: 0
CFP appearance: 0
National championship: 0
Points: 10
T-10. Wisconsin Badgers
School rank: 36th (tied)
Winning % since 2020: 54.8%
Conference championship: 0
CFP appearance: 0
National championship: 0
Points: 10
9. Penn State Nittany Lions
School rank: 59th
Winning % since 2020: 70.6%
Conference championship: 0 (1 appearance; loss to Oregon)
CFP appearance: 1
National championship: 0
Points: 16
8. Washington Huskies
School rank: 42nd
Winning % since 2020: 67.2%
Conference championship: 1
CFP appearance: 1
National championship: 0 (1 appearance; loss to Michigan)
Points: 19
7. North Carolina Tar Heels
School rank: 26th
Winning % since 2020: 56.5%
Conference championship: 0 (1 appearance; loss to Clemson)
CFP appearance: 0
National championship: 0
Points: 22
6. Texas Longhorns
School rank: 30th
Winning % since 2020: 69.6%
Conference championship: 1 (2 appearances; loss to Georgia)
CFP appearance: 2
National championship: 0
Points: 26
5. USC Trojans
School rank: 28th
Winning % since 2020: 61.9%
Conference championship: 0 (2 appearances; losses to Oregon, Utah)
CFP appearance: 0
National championship: 0
Points: 29
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
School rank: 20th (tied)
Winning % since 2020: 78.9%
Conference championship: 0 (Notre Dame doesn't play in a conference, but did lose in the 2020 ACC Championship Game to Clemson)
CFP appearance: 2
National championship: 0 (1 appearance; loss to Ohio State)
Points: 29
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
School rank: 41st
Winning % since 2020: 86.6%
Conference championship: 0
CFP appearance: 3
National championship: 1 (2 appearances; loss to Alabama)
Points: 43
2. Georgia Bulldogs
School rank: 36th (tied)
Winning % since 2020: 54%
Conference championship: 2 (2 wins; 2 losses to Alabama)
CFP appearance: 3
National championship: 2
Points: 65
1. Michigan Wolverines
School rank: 20th (tied)
Winning % since 2020: 80.3%
Conference championship: 3
CFP appearance: 3
National championship: 1
Points: 71
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Ranking the top colleges that excel in both academics and football
Category: General Sports
