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The KU-MU rivalry isn’t confined to football or basketball. The two state universities continue to be neck-and-neck on the U.S. News & World Report’s Best College rankings. 

The 2023 list, released last week, shows the University of Kansas and University of Missouri tied at No. 121 on the national schools ranking. The two schools tied in the 2022 list, as well, though one notch lower on the ranking.

Kansas State University tied with nine other colleges at No. 166 on list.

Meanwhile, the University of Missouri-Kansas City continues to look up at the larger schools, ranking No. 263. That’s a slip of more than a dozen spots from the previous year.

Notable rankings among Kansas City-area schools included William Jewell College, which ranked No. 6, and Rockhurst University, ranking No. 26, in the Midwest regional colleges list. Liberty-based William Jewell moved up two spots, and Rockhurst slipped two from the 2022 lists.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are a source of controversy due to claims that some universities — including the biggest names in higher education — try to game the system to improve their standings. But the controversy exists because the lists rank high with families of students as they explore prospective colleges.