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Ranking all 18 Big 10 football programs by 2026 academic progress rate
TL;DR
The Big Ten football programs are ranked by their 2026 academic progress rate, with one program achieving a perfect score of 1000. The APR measures the academic success and retention of student-athletes.
Key points
- Big Ten football programs ranked by 2026 APR
- One program achieved a perfect score of 1000
- APR measures academic progress of student-athletes
- APR accounts for eligibility and retention
- Big Ten is a standard in college football
Once again, the Big Ten continues to prove why they're the standard when it comes to college football's NCAA academic progress rate.
One of the top programs in the nation, in terms of both on-field success and academically, boasted another perfect score of 1000.
Remember, this is how the NCAA defines APR:
"The APR, or Academic Progress Rate, holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term."
As always, the APR is calculated like this:
- Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
- A team’s total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team’s Academic Progress Rate.
- In addition to a team’s current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.
Keep in mind, APR matters much more than some believe. Programs must retain an average APR of 930 to compete in postseason play.
Not only is a postseason ban on the line, but Minnesota's 2023 squad learned just how important APR can be in terms of tiebreakers. If 5-7 teams are needed to finalize the schedule, the highest APR often earns the bid.
Recently, the NCAA released a new four-year composite, which goes up to the 2024-25 school year. Below is the official 18-team ranking for the Big Ten, and also a comparison as to how each team did compared to last year's rankings.
18. Penn State
Apr 25, 2026; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Omarion Davis (27) attempts to tackle running back Quinton Martin Jr. (25) during the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
APR Score: 957
2025 APR: 947 (No. 17)
Even with a ten point increase, the Nittany Lions still fell to last place in the rankings.
17. Oregon
Oregon football coach Dan Lanning introduces the song “Shout†during the Ducks' game against Oregon State at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene April 22, 2026.
APR Score: 958
2025 APR: 946 (No. 18)
Simply put, Oregon and Penn State swapped places compared to last year. Overall, the Ducks are up 12 points.
16. Maryland
Nov 22, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) drops back to pass during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
APR Score: 960
2025 APR: 962 (No. 16)
The Terrapins haven't moved at all in the rankings, even though it's a bit alarming that their score dropped from 962 to 960.
15. UCLA
May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
APR Score: 961
2025 APR: 967 (No. 15)
Similar to Maryland, UCLA finds itself at the same spot in the rankings even though its 2026 score is below its number from a year ago.
14. Michigan State
Michigan State sings the fight song at the end of the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
APR Score: 967
2025 APR: 968 (No. 14)
The Spartans are more closely compared to Maryland, seeing as they maintain their spot in the rankings and only scored one point lower.
13. Purdue
Nov 28, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) hands the ball off to Purdue Boilermakers running back Antonio Harris (22) during the third quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
APR Score: 968
2025 APR: 972 (No. 12)
Purdue is the first team to fall in the rankings since Penn State. Overall, the Boilermakers are down four points, which is the second biggest decrease to this point.
12. Illinois
Jan 29, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) of Illinois waits for a rep during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
APR Score: 973
2025 APR: 971 (No. 13)
The Fighting Illini were able to increase their score by a pair of points which helped them leapfrog Purdue in the rankings.
11. Washington
Dec 13, 2025; Inglewood, CA, USA; Washington Huskies players celebrate after defeating the Boise State Broncos in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
APR Score: 977
2025 APR: 978 (T-8)
The Huskies are part of the biggest drop-up until this point, by far. There were numerous teams cluttered up in this portion of the rankings a year ago, which explains why things look so much different now.
10. USC
Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
APR Score: 978
2025 APR: 976 (T-10)
The Trojans don't see a ton of movement as things are extremely tight with just a few points separating each of these middle-of-the-road teams.
9. Nebraska
Nov 28, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback TJ Lateef (14) hands the ball off to running back Emmett Johnson (21) against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
APR Score: 979
2025 APR: 976 (T-10)
The Cornhuskers gained a point on USC, which allowed them to crack into the top ten of the 2026 rankings.
T-8. Indiana and Rutgers
Indiana's APR Score: 982
Indiana's 2025 APR: 982 (T-6)
Rutgers' APR Score: 982
Rutgers' 2025 APR: 978 (T-8)
The lone tie in this year's rankings just so happens to include the reigning National Champions. Indiana's score remained the same, which didn't work in their favor, while Rutgers increased their score but managed to stay at the same spot.
6. Wisconsin
Nov 29, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers players huddle during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
APR Score: 987
2025 APR: 991 (T-5)
Luke Fickell's Badgers fall a spot in the rankings with a notable four-point decrease in their APR from a year ago.
5. Iowa
Iowa quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski (10) passes the football April 25, 2026 during the team’s spring practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
APR Score: 992
2025 APR: 982 (T-6)
Kirk Ferentz manages to top himself each and every year as the Hawkeyes 10-point increase netted them a top-five ranking.
4. Northwestern
Nov 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats linebacker Braydon Brus (33) recovers a fumble against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
APR Score: 993
2025 APR: 993 (No. 3)
It's not that the Wildcats are complacent, but they failed to get their score above 993, and that somehow pushed them back a spot in the rankings.
3. Minnesota
Dec 26, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) against the New Mexico Lobos during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
APR Score: 995
2025 APR: 992 (No. 4)
The Golden Gophers made sure to leapfrog Northwestern as they finished 2026 five-point shy of a perfect score.
2. Michigan
Apr 18, 2026; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Tomas O'Meara (36) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the second half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images
APR Score: 996
2025 APR: 996 (No. 2)
The Michigan vs. Ohio State rivalry means everything, and with everything that happened this offseason, the last thing the Wolverines wanted to see was OSU top them in the rankings once again.
1. Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day walks to the field during the Ohio State football spring game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.
APR Score: 1000
2025 APR: 1000 (No. 1)
The Buckeyes have done it again. For the third year in a row, Ohio State has finished with a perfect score of 1000, something that has to be seen to be believed.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Ranking Big Ten football programs by 2026 NCAA academic progress rate
Q&A
Which Big Ten football program achieved a perfect APR score of 1000?
One of the top programs in the Big Ten achieved a perfect APR score of 1000.
What is the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR)?
The APR is a metric that holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes, considering eligibility and retention.
How is the Academic Progress Rate (APR) calculated?
The APR is calculated based on the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.
Why is the APR important for college football programs?
The APR is important as it reflects the academic success and accountability of college football programs, impacting their reputation and funding.
