General

ACC Again Leads the Way in U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” Rankings

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – For the 18th consecutive year – and now with 18 member institutions – the Atlantic Coast Conference leads the way nationally among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences in the “Best Colleges” rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.

The 2025 “Best Colleges” rankings were released on Tuesday, September 24.

“ACC schools are dedicated to providing every student-athlete with a world-class academic experience and the highest level of athletic competition," stated ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Our schools' unwavering commitment to comprehensive excellence continues to be prominently recognized. We must never lose sight of the academic connection to intercollegiate athletics and the importance of these experiences for the long-term future of our student-athletes. We are proud our institutions collectively remain the standard of academic and athletic success." 

Notable details from this year’s rankings – all of which were improvements from last year:
  • The ACC has led all FBS conferences in the best average rank in each of the last 18 years.
  • This year’s 51.7 average rank of ACC schools is the best among all FBS conferences. 
  • Two ACC schools rank in the top 10, only one other school in an FBS conference is in the top 10. 
  • Four ACC schools rank in the top 20, no other FBS conference has more than two. 
  • Six ACC schools are among the top 30 in this year’s rankings, also the most among all FBS conferences. 
  • The ACC has 14 member schools among the top 70, no other FBS conference has more.
For more information and the complete list, visit U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges” rankings: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges.

About the Atlantic Coast Conference 
The Atlantic Coast Conference, in its 72nd year and 18 members strong, stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are dedicated to upholding the league's founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states. In August 2019, the ACC and ESPN partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network exclusively devoted to ACC sports and original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow the ACC on Instagram (@accsports), Twitter/X (@theACC) and Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).