The Big 12 is an athletic conference of 16 universities, stretching from Arizona and Utah through Texas and Kansas to Ohio, Florida and West Virginia. Thirteen are public and three (Baylor, BYU and TCU) are private. Eight have joined since 2023, so the list many people remember is out of date: Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC in 2024.
The 16 Big 12 schools at a glance
| School | State | Undergrads | Acceptance rate | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | AZ | 42,537 | 86.1% | $13,926 | $42,278 |
| Arizona State | AZ | 64,674 | 89.9% | $12,223 | $33,139 |
| Baylor (private) | TX | 14,785 | 51.3% | $58,100 | $58,100 |
| BYU (private) | UT | 32,952 | 67.8% | $6,688 | $6,688 |
| Cincinnati | OH | 29,882 | 85.3% | $13,976 | $29,310 |
| Colorado | CO | 31,939 | 78.1% | $15,666 | $44,918 |
| Houston | TX | 38,380 | 73.9% | $9,717 | $22,547 |
| Iowa State | IA | 25,367 | 88.7% | $10,787 | $28,881 |
| Kansas | KS | 21,217 | 93.5% | $12,102 | $30,432 |
| Kansas State | KS | 15,142 | 81.7% | $11,221 | $28,568 |
| Oklahoma State | OK | 21,773 | 75.0% | $10,234 | $25,754 |
| TCU (private) | TX | 11,026 | 44.5% | $61,740 | $61,740 |
| Texas Tech | TX | 32,394 | 72.7% | $11,852 | $24,451 |
| UCF | FL | 59,146 | 40.1% | $6,368 | $22,467 |
| Utah | UT | 27,264 | 86.0% | $9,620 | $30,860 |
| West Virginia | WV | 17,385 | 89.0% | $10,104 | $28,608 |
Sources: IPEDS (undergraduate enrollment; admissions for the fall 2024 entering class); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). BYU's figure is the rate for Latter-day Saint students; other students pay about twice as much. You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Who is in the Big 12, and when did they join?
- Members since the conference began play in 1996: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
- Joined in 2012: TCU and West Virginia.
- Joined in 2023: BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF.
- Joined in 2024: Arizona, Arizona State and Utah from the Pac-12, along with Colorado, which was an original Big 12 member from 1996 to 2011 and has now returned.
- Left in 2024: Oklahoma and Texas, for the SEC.
Five ways the Big 12 schools differ
1. How hard they are to get into
Most Big 12 universities admit a large share of applicants. For fall 2024, the highest acceptance rates were at Kansas (93.5%), Arizona State (89.9%), West Virginia (89.0%), Iowa State (88.7%) and Arizona (86.1%). The most selective were UCF (40.1%), TCU (44.5%), Baylor (51.3%) and BYU (67.8%).
2. Size
The conference runs from very large to mid-sized. Arizona State has about 64,700 undergraduates on its Phoenix-area campuses and UCF about 59,100, while TCU has about 11,000 and Baylor about 14,800.
3. What it costs at the public universities
In-state tuition is lowest at UCF ($6,368), Utah ($9,620) and Houston ($9,717). For out-of-state students, the lowest prices are at UCF ($22,467), Houston ($22,547) and Texas Tech ($24,451), and the highest are at Colorado ($44,918), Arizona ($42,278) and Arizona State ($33,139). Arizona and Utah take part in the Western Undergraduate Exchange, which can lower out-of-state tuition for students from western states. See which schools are on the WUE list →
4. Faith and the private universities
The three private universities are all religiously affiliated. BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which keeps its tuition low; Baylor describes itself as a research university that is distinctly Christian; and TCU has historic ties to the Disciples of Christ. Students who received aid paid about $13,565 a year on average at BYU, $39,271 at TCU and $37,911 at Baylor.
5. College town or city
Many Big 12 campuses are classic college towns: Ames, Lawrence, Manhattan, Stillwater, Boulder and Morgantown. Others are in or near big cities: Houston, Orlando, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Salt Lake City and the Phoenix area. Tucson, Lubbock, Waco and Provo sit in between.
Which Big 12 school might fit you?
Ask yourself:
- Do I want a very large university, or a mid-sized one?
- Would I rather be in a college town or a city?
- Am I in-state for any of these schools, or eligible for WUE?
- Would I like faith to be part of campus life?
Lens helps you figure out which kinds of colleges fit you, using seven research-backed assessments, before you build your list. Start with Lens →
FAQ
How many schools are in the Big 12? Sixteen, since 2024.
What are the Big 12 schools? Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah and West Virginia.
Who joined the Big 12 in 2024? Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, all from the Pac-12. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF joined a year earlier, in 2023.
Are Texas and Oklahoma still in the Big 12? No. Both moved to the SEC in 2024. See the SEC schools →
Which Big 12 schools are easiest to get into? By acceptance rate, the Big 12 schools that admitted the largest share of applicants for fall 2024 were Kansas (93.5%), Arizona State (89.9%), West Virginia (89.0%), Iowa State (88.7%) and Arizona (86.1%). Rates can differ by major and by whether you're in-state, so treat them as a starting point, not a prediction.
Which Big 12 schools are private? Baylor, BYU and TCU.
College pages in this group
- University of Arizona
- Arizona State University
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Houston
- Iowa State University
- University of Kansas
- Kansas State University
- Texas Christian University
- Texas Tech University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Utah