FOR 23 YEARS NOW, as part of our fall recruiting feature “Where They Are Going,” T&FN has annually been rating the nation’s top 5 schools. This year’s compilation is featured in the December edition of the magazine. Here’s a charting of all the years:
| MEN | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1995 | Tennessee | Texas A&M | Arizona | Arizona State | Arkansas |
| 1996 | Arkansas | USC | UCLA | LSU | Florida |
| 1997 | Stanford | Baylor | UCLA | Wisconsin | Georgia |
| 1998 | Stanford | Baylor | Clemson | BYU | Oklahoma |
| 1999 | Stanford | USC | Arkansas | Florida | Nebraska |
| 2000 | Oregon | Arkansas | Stanford | UCLA | Princeton |
| 2001 | Michigan | Indiana | Arkansas | Texas Tech | Tennessee |
| 2002 | Texas | SMU | Auburn | Texas Tech | USC |
| 2003 | Florida | Texas | Oregon | Auburn | Wisconsin |
| 2004 | Cal | Georgia | Texas | Florida State | South Carolina |
| 2005 | Arkansas | Georgia Tech | LSU | Kansas State | Cal |
| 2006 | UCLA | Baylor | Oregon | Florida | Florida State |
| 2007 | Kentucky | USC | Florida State | Arizona | Arkansas |
| 2008 | Florida | Oklahoma State | Stanford | LSU | USC |
| 2009 | Texas A&M | Texas | Oregon | Cal | Wisconsin |
| 2010 | Oregon | Florida | USC | UCLA | Auburn |
| 2011 | Texas | Oregon | Texas A&M | Arkansas | Harvard |
| 2012 | Florida State | Ohio State | Alabama | Texas A&M | Penn State |
| 2013 | Oregon | Florida | Texas | Florida State | Stanford |
| 2014 | Florida State | Oregon | UCLA | USC | Alabama |
| 2015 | Oregon | Houston | Alabama | Arkansas | Florida State |
| 2016 | UCLA | Oregon | Tennessee | LSU | Iowa State |
| 2017 | Stanford | Oregon | Baylor | LSU | Alabama |
| 2018 | Georgia | Texas A&M | Kansas | UCLA | USC |
| 2019 | Stanford | Georgia | Oregon | Texas A&M | Florida |
Most years in men’s top 5: 1. Oregon 12; 2. Arkansas 9; 3. tie, Florida, Stanford, UCLA & USC 8; 7. tie, Texas & Texas A&M 6; 9. LSU 5.
Most years in a row in the top 5: 1. Oregon 5; 2. tie, Arkansas, Stanford & Texas 3.
The No. 1s: 1. Stanford 5; 2. Oregon 4; 3. tie, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Texas & UCLA 2; 8. tie, Cal, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee & Texas A&M 1 (most No. 1s in a row: Stanford 3).
| WOMEN | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1995 | Texas | UCLA | LSU | Tennessee | North Carolina |
| 1996 | UCLA | LSU | Stanford | Notre Dame | UTEP |
| 1997 | Texas | BYU | UCLA | Stanford | USC |
| 1998 | LSU | South Carolina | Minnesota | Texas A&M | UCLA |
| 1999 | Stanford | Texas | UCLA | Kansas State | Florida |
| 2000 | UCLA | Texas | Stanford | USC | North Carolina |
| 2001 | South Carolina | UCLA | Stanford | USC | North Carolina |
| 2002 | Texas | UCLA | LSU | Arizona | South Carolina |
| 2003 | Texas | Arkansas | USC | Penn State | Duke |
| 2004 | LSU | South Carolina | Stanford | USC | Tennessee |
| 2005 | Oregon | Texas | LSU | Stanford | USC |
| 2006 | USC | Texas A&M | LSU | Nebraska | Florida |
| 2007 | Texas A&M | UCLA | Florida State | Oregon | Michigan |
| 2008 | Texas A&M | Florida State | USC | North Carolina | Stanford |
| 2009 | Texas A&M | Michigan | Arizona State | Kansas | Texas Tech |
| 2010 | Oregon | Texas | Miami | Stanford | USC |
| 2011 | Stanford | Oregon | USC | Texas A&M | Clemson |
| 2012 | Texas A&M | Stanford | Florida | Georgia | Cal |
| 2013 | Oregon | Texas | Duke | Stanford | Kentucky |
| 2014 | Florida State | Oregon | UCLA | USC | Alabama |
| 2015 | Texas | USC | Arkansas | Oregon | Stanford |
| 2016 | Stanford | Oregon | LSU | Wisconsin | USC |
| 2017 | Oregon | USC | Alabama | Stanford | Texas A&M |
| 2018 | Penn State | USC | Georgia | Oregon | Kentucky |
| 2019 | Georgia | Tennessee | LSU | Florida | Oregon |
Most years in women’s top 5: 1. tie, Stanford 15; 2. USC 14; 3. 4. Oregon 11; 5. tie, Texas & UCLA 10; 6. LSU 9. 7. Texas A&M 8.
Most years in a row in the top 5: 1. UCLA 8; 2. Oregon 7; 3. USC 5; 4. tie, Stanford (twice), Texas A&M & USC 4).
The No. 1s: 1. Texas 5; 2. tie, Oregon & Texas A&M 4; 4. Stanford 3; 5. tie, LSU & UCLA 2; 7. tie, Florida State, Georgia, Penn State, South Carolina & USC 1 (most No. 1s in a row: Texas A&M 3). ◻︎