Using the 6 university academic rankings used by Virginia Tech's official website, I came up with the Power 5 conference rankings. The 6 rankings used were USN&WR, Forbes, NSF Research rankings, QS World, Times (London), and CWUR.

Final Academic Rankings:
1. Big 10 with a 20.4 average
2. Pac 12 with a 25.4 average
3. ACC with a 28.3 average
4. SEC with a 44.1 average
5. Big 12 with a 50.3 average

The 3 World academic rankings favored the Pac 12 schools over the ACC. The ACC got higher rankings than the Pac 12 nationally in the USN&WR and Forbes rankings. The Big 10 ranked best over all when combining national, world, and research rankings.

The 4 California schools and Washington carried the Pac 12. The Pac 12 did better than the ACC in NSF Research rankings too. Washington State and the 2 Oregon schools didn't help the Pac 12 academically.

The ACC was hurt nationally by Louisville's low academic rankings. Clemson's world reputation hurt the ACC. Some of the ACC's private schools hurt the conference in the NSF Research rankings.

The Big 10 with all of their large research oriented state universities did well in national, worldwide, and research rankings.

The SEC had 4 or 5 well respected universities but most weren't close to the ACC, Big 10, and Pac 12. The same can be said for the Big 12. Texas Tech and WVU hurt that conference academically.

I know these results may ruffle some ACC loyalists feathers, but I used the 6 rankings that Tech uses. The ACC needs to improve in research and improve its world reputation. Nationally, the ACC is higher ranked than the Big 10, even with Louisville.


[Post edited by Old Line Hokie at 05/20/2016 12:56PM]