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Picking a college is a tough choice. There are many factors to balance, such as the quality of the academics, the price of the university, the social scene, the campus-style, and the athletics. Here we will be taking a look at the schools that excel both academically and athletically and offer the best balance of the two.
How rankings will work
Points will be distributed for four categories: academic ranking, Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking, Best College Reviews ranking and a number of championships since 2010.
For academic ranking based on Forbes.com top colleges, scoring will be:
10 points for top 10 schools, 9 for schools 11-20, 8 for schools 21-30 and the pattern continues until 1 point for schools 91-100 and 0 for schools over 100.
For Learfield Directors’ Cup and Best College Reviews ranking, scoring will be:
5 points for top 5 schools, 4 for school 6-10, 3 for schools 11-15, 2 for schools 16-20, 1 point for schools 21-30, and 0 for schools over 30.
For a number of championships since 2010, scoring will be:
5 points for 20 or more championships, 4 for 15-19 championships, 3 for 10-14 championships, 2 for 5-9 championships and 1 for 0-4 championships.
A college must be ranked in the top 150 on the Fobres.com list in order to be qualified for the top 10.
Honorable Mentions
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- University of Texas at Austin, 13 points
- University of Oregon, 11 points (did not qualify)
- University of Maryland, College Park, 9 points
- University of Oklahoma, 9 points
10. University of Michigan, 15 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 20
- Best College Reviews ranking: 24
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 8
- Number of championships since 2010: 4
Best sports: football, ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s swimming and diving
9. University of California, Berkeley, 15 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 13
- Best College Reviews ranking: 19
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 16
- Number of championships since 2010: 10
Best sports: men’s swimming and diving, women’s swimming, women’s rowing
8. University of Virginia, 16 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 33
- Best College Reviews ranking: 20
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 10
- Number of championships since 2010: 11
Best sports: men’s soccer, men’s basketball, men’s lacrosse
7. University of Notre Dame, 16 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 18
- Best College Reviews ranking: 17
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 15
- Number of championships since 2010: 6
Best sports: football, women’s basketball, fencing
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 17 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 45
- Best College Reviews ranking: 5
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 7
- Number of championships since 2010: 7
Best sports: men’s basketball, women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse
5. University of Florida, 18 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 45
- Best College Reviews ranking: 5
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 7
- Number of championships since 2010: 7
Best sports: women’s tennis, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field
4. Duke University, 18 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 9
- Best College Reviews ranking: 10
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 18
- Number of championships since 2010: 7
Best sports: men’s basketball, women’s golf, men’s lacrosse
3. University of Southern California (USC), 20 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 30
- Best College Reviews ranking: 11
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 3
- Number of championships since 2010: 18
Best sports: football, baseball, men’s outdoor track and field, men’s water polo
2. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 20 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 38
- Best College Reviews ranking: 3
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 4
- Number of championships since 2010: 14
Best sports: men’s tennis, men’s basketball, men’s volleyball, softball, water polo
1. Stanford University, 25 Points
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- Forbes ranking: 2
- Best College Reviews ranking: 2
- Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking: 1
- Number of championships since 2010: 26
Best sports: women’s tennis, men’s tennis, women’s volleyball, women’s swimming
