Who is in the Big Ten? (Updated 2025)
The Big Ten Conference is one of the most historic and competitive college athletic conferences in the United States.
In the 2024-2025 season, the Big Ten expanded to 18 schools with the addition of USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington from the Pac-12. This move strengthens the conference’s national reach and secures even bigger media deals, making the Big Ten more competitive than ever.
While the Big Ten is best known for its powerhouse football programs, it’s a force in nearly every sport, from buzzer-beaters on the basketball court to Olympic-caliber wrestling and championship-winning hockey. Year after year, the Big Ten delivers top-tier athletics, unforgettable gamedays, and unmatched school spirit.
The Big Ten Conference: member universities
If you’re wondering who is in the Big Ten today, we’ve got you covered. Here is a brief overview of each university in the conference.
Indiana University
Home of the Indiana Hoosiers
Student population: 43,064
Percentage of students accepted: 80%
In-state tuition per year: $11,790
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
University of Maryland
Home of the Maryland Terrapins
Student population: 40,521
Percentage of students accepted: 52%
In-state tuition per year: $10,955
Location: College Park, Maryland
University of Michigan
Home of the Michigan Wolverines
Student population: 47,907
Percentage of students accepted: 26%
In-state tuition per year: $17,193
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan State University
Home of the Michigan State Spartans
Student population: 49,695
Percentage of students accepted: 76%
In-state tuition per year: $16,665
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Ohio State University
Home of the Ohio State Buckeyes
Student population: 61,369
Percentage of students accepted: 54%
In-state tuition per year: $11,936
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Pennsylvania State University
Home of the Penn State Nittany Lions
Student population: 46,810
Percentage of students accepted: 76%
In-state tuition per year: $18,454
Location: State College, Pennsylvania
Rutgers University
Home of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Student population: 50,411
Percentage of students accepted: 67%
In-state tuition per year: $15,804
Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey
University of Illinois
Home of the Illinois Fighting Illini
Student population: 52,697
Percentage of students accepted: 63%
In-state tuition per year: $17,634
Location: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
University of Iowa
Home of the Iowa Hawkeyes
Student population: 31,317
Percentage of students accepted: 84%
In-state tuition per year: $10,353
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
University of Minnesota
Home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Student population: 52,017
Percentage of students accepted: 70%
In-state tuition per year: $15,254
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
University of Nebraska
Home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Student population: 25,104
Percentage of students accepted: 78%
Tuition per year: $9,590
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Northwestern University
Home of the Northwestern Wildcats
Student population: 22,603
Percentage of students accepted: 9%
Tuition per year: $60,768
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Purdue University
Home of the Purdue Boilermakers
Student population: 46,655
Percentage of students accepted: 67%
Tuition per year: $9,992
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
University of Wisconsin
Home of the Wisconsin Badgers
Student population: 44,640
Percentage of students accepted: 57%
Tuition per year: $10,720
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
New to the Big Ten Conference in 2025
UCLA
Home of the UCLA Bruins
Student population: 46,000
Acceptance rate: 11%
Tuition per year: $16,500
Location: Los Angeles, California
Oregon
Home of the Oregon Ducks
Student population: 22,500
Acceptance rate: 93%
Tuition per year: $17,650
Location: Eugene, Oregon
USC
Home of the USC Trojans
Student population: 49,314
Acceptance rate: 10%
Tuition per year: $64,726
Location: Los Angeles, California
Washington
Home of the Washington Huskies
Student population: 29,843
Acceptance rate: 86%
Tuition per year: $17,950
Location: Pullman, Washington
In 2025, these schools officially joined the Big Ten Conference, expanding it to a coast-to-coast powerhouse. Their move from the Pac-12 brings greater financial stability, national visibility, and high-caliber competition.
Is a Big Ten college right for you?
Big Ten schools offer a lot more than top-tier athletics. Oftentimes, a Big Ten school influences the culture, spirit, social life, and even job opportunities of its hometown.
In fact, Big Ten schools anchor some of the best college towns in the United States, according to WalletHub.
Whether it’s the high-caliber athletic programs, the atmosphere on college gameday, the size of the student population, or the college town experience itself, there are a variety of reasons why a Big Ten school may be on your radar.
Big Ten schools are just a few of the country's many outstanding colleges and universities. If you are a high school student planning to attend college, you'll also want to learn about the many other colleges and their unique experiences.
To get a curated list of perfect-match colleges based on the attributes that are most important to you —from budget to academic majors, the school's location, campus services, clubs and organizations, and more, click the link below and create a free Appily account.
