See the Best Colleges Rankings of Pac-12 Schools
The Pac-12 has schools near the top of the pack.
Founded in 1915 with only four charter members, the Pac-12 Conference has enjoyed athletic success for more than 100 years. Originally known as the Pacific Coast Conference, the Pac-12 has added eight more members and hundreds of championships in various sports over the course of a century. Comprised of schools in the Western states, the conference boasts strong academics and athletics alike. Four Pac-12 schools are among the top 25 National Universities in the 2021 Best Colleges rankings. At the top of that list is Stanford University in California, which is tied at No. 6. Here's where the rest of the Pac-12 schools rank among the nation's best colleges.
Washington State University
Location: Pullman, Washington
U.S. News rank: 176 (tie)
Total enrollment: 31,607
4-year graduation rate: 37%
Founded in 1890, the initial name for Washington State University was the Washington Agricultural College, Experiment Station, and School of Science, which eventually gave way to the current moniker after name changes over the years. The athletics history at WSU stretches back almost to its founding, with the first intercollegiate athletics event occurring in 1892 -- a lopsided 26-0 victory for the baseball team called in the sixth inning. The athletics program was officially branded the Cougars in 1919 after a sports writer described the football team as such.
Learn more about Washington State University.
Oregon State University
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
U.S. News rank: 153 (tie)
Total enrollment: 31,719
4-year graduation rate: 35%
Before there was Oregon State University there was Corvallis College, which incorporated in 1858. Corvallis College later became known as Oregon Agricultural College and was one of the first four members of the initial Pac-12 under another name. The name was changed in 1937 to Oregon State College; in 1961, University was officially subbed in. The mascot for the Oregon State Beavers has also changed over the course of a century from a coyote named Jimmie to the current Angry Beaver. Baseball has been the most successful program at Oregon State, with three national championship wins, the most recent in 2018.
Learn more about Oregon State University.
Arizona State University--Tempe
Location: Tempe, Arizona
U.S. News rank: 103 (tie)
Total enrollment: 53,286
4-year graduation rate: 53%
Established in 1885 prior to statehood, Arizona State University was initially founded on donated land as the Territorial Normal School at Tempe and tasked with the mission of training teachers. After six name changes, it officially became ASU in 1958. The athletics program also underwent a series of name changes from Normals to Bulldogs to Sun Devils, the current moniker, which is a nod to ASU's southwestern setting. The most successful athletics program has been women's golf, which has won eight NCAA national titles.
Learn more about Arizona State University--Tempe.
University of Colorado--Boulder
Location: Boulder, Colorado
U.S. News rank: 103 (tie)
Total enrollment: 37,650
4-year graduation rate: 46%
The University of Colorado--Boulder opened in a single building in 1876. Now known as the Buffaloes, prior athletic teams were known as Arapahoes, Big Horns, Frontiersmen, Grizzlies, Hornets, Silver and Gold, Silver Helmets and Yellow Jackets, according to the university's website. The Buffaloes namesake, adopted in 1934, is represented by a live mascot known as "Ralphie," who regularly runs the field at football games. Perhaps not surprising for a school located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the most successful athletic program over the years has been skiing, with teams winning 20 championships. Along with Utah, the Buffaloes are relatively new to the Pac-12 -- both joined the conference in 2011.
Learn more about the University of Colorado--Boulder.
University of Oregon
Location: Eugene, Oregon
U.S. News rank: 103 (tie)
Total enrollment: 22,517
4-year graduation rate: 56%
One of the four founding members of the Pac-12, the University of Oregon welcomed its first crop of students in 1876 and was playing intercollegiate sports, starting with baseball, by 1877. Football followed in 1894. Oregon currently plays as the Ducks and the mascot bears a striking resemblance to Donald Duck, an homage that Walt Disney himself -- a friend of the university's athletic director -- agreed to in 1947. The Oregon football team is well known for colorful uniform combinations, but the most successful athletic program is women's indoor track and field, which has won seven national championships.
Learn more about the University of Oregon.
University of Arizona
Location: Tucson, Arizona
U.S. News rank: 97 (tie)
Total enrollment: 45,918
4-year graduation rate: 47%
Established in 1885, the University of Arizona was founded on 40 acres donated by a saloon keeper and two gamblers. Arizona athletics stretch back to at least 1904, when the first baseball season was held. Playing as the Wildcats, Arizona sported a live mascot in the early 1900s, which eventually gave way to humans playing the role. The top sports program at the University of Arizona has been softball, which has won eight national championships over the years.
Learn more about the University of Arizona.
University of Utah
Location: Salt Lake City
U.S. News rank: 97 (tie)
Total enrollment: 32,818
4-year graduation rate: 33%
Founded as the University of Deseret in 1850, the initial years for the University of Utah were rocky. The school closed in 1852, then partially reopened in 1867 as a business school and then fully in 1869. The first commencement wasn't until 1886 and the current name was adopted in 1894. Athletic programs were established in 1892, starting with football and track teams. Though Utah's football has emerged as a mainstay in Top 25 rankings, the most dominant programs in terms of NCAA national championships have been women's gymnastics and men's and women's skiing.
Learn more about the University of Utah.
University of Washington
Location: Seattle
U.S. News rank: 58 (tie)
Total enrollment: 47,554
4-year graduation rate: 66%
Founded as the Territorial University of Washington, UW offered its first classes in 1861 and was playing football by 1889. University athletic teams played under a variety of names in the early 1900s, including the Indians, Vikings and Sundodgers, the latter seemingly a nod to the area's rainy weather, according to the UW website. Due to pressure from locals about the unfavorable name, UW settled on the Huskies in 1922. The University of Washington is one of the four founding members of the Pac-12.
Learn more about the University of Washington.
University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles
U.S. News rank: 24 (tie)
Total enrollment: 48,321
4-year graduation rate: 77%
The University of Southern California formally opened its doors in 1880 and played its first football game in 1888, a 16-0 win. Known as the Trojans since 1912, USC previously competed as the Methodists or Wesleyans. The USC website claims 130 national team titles in its history, with men's track and field leading all other sports with 28 championships. Other top programs include men's tennis with 21 national titles followed by baseball with 12.
Learn more about the University of Southern California.
University of California--Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, California
U.S. News rank: 22
Total enrollment: 43,695
4-year graduation rate: 76%
Founded in 1868, the University of California--Berkeley claimed its first national championship in football in 1920, a winning tradition that various sports programs have upheld ever since, claiming 97 national team titles, per the school's website. Of those titles, rugby and men's rowing claim a combined 50, though neither are sports in which the NCAA awards championships and are recognized by other governing bodies. UC--Berkeley was one of the four founding members of the Pac-12.
Learn more about the University of California--Berkeley.
University of California--Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles
U.S. News rank: 20
Total enrollment: 45,742
4-year graduation rate: 79%
UCLA may be a household name now, but it was initially opened as the Los Angeles Branch State Normal School in 1882 as a training ground for teachers. Athletic programs also started under another name: the Cubs. That name was later changed to Grizzlies and then to Bruins, the current moniker. UCLA has been the most dominant men's basketball program in NCAA history, winning 11 national championships.
Learn more about the University of California--Los Angeles.
Stanford University (CA)
Location: Stanford, California
U.S. News rank: 6 (tie)
Total enrollment: 17,249
4-year graduation rate: 73%
Founded as The Leland Stanford Junior University in 1885, the school's name memorializes the deceased and only child of politician and railroad magnate Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane. Known officially as the Indians from 1930 until the name was deemed offensive in 1972, athletic programs now play without an official mascot under the name Stanford Cardinal -- singular -- a reference to the school colors and not the bird. Stanford is an athletics powerhouse historically and even today, with the program claiming national championships across eight sports in 2019 alone.
Learn more about Stanford University.
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How Pac-12 schools rank among National Universities
-- Stanford University: 6 (tie)
-- University of California--Los Angeles: 20
-- University of California--Berkeley: 22
-- University of Southern California: 24 (tie)
-- University of Washington: 58 (tie)
-- University of Arizona: 97 (tie)
-- University of Utah: 97 (tie)
-- Arizona State University: 103 (tie)
-- University of Colorado--Boulder: 103 (tie)
-- University of Oregon: 103 (tie)
-- Oregon State University: 153 (tie)
-- Washington State University: 176 (tie)
