At the start of every sports season, fans tune into ESPN or similar stations to read or listen to the latest updates on their favorite teams. Fans are constantly wondering if their team is projected to do well this year, how impressive their team’s roster is, and what challenges they may face in the upcoming season. Is your team ready to make a run for the championship title, or will its rivals have the upper hand this season? There’s always something new to discuss as the season unfolds.
The Institute of Competition Sciences is here to provide that same method of reporting for educational competitions. You could think of ICS as the ESPN of educational competitions. As you may have recently read in our recent article, leaderboards, badges, and organizational rankings were launched along with the new website and platform.
With the NHL pre-season having recently ended, teams are already fighting tooth and nail (yes, sometimes actually tooth) for their standings months ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April 2027, with the top teams in the country including the Hurricanes, Bruins, Mammoth and Oilers. If you enjoy following the rivalries to the top, we’ve got our own power rankings for academic competitors and the numbers are in.
Let’s take a look at how colleges and universities are lining up on the Critical Thinking badge leaderboard right now, based on four years of historical data. We’ll introduce you to 10 schools featured among the leaderboard’s top point totals in this badge category for the Plant the Moon Challenge.
Critical Thinking: Top 10 Colleges & Universities
- Minnesota West Community and Technical College – 1,600 points
- Cabrillo College – 800 points (tied for second)
- Vellore Institute of Technology – 800 points (tied for second)
- Lincoln Land Community College – 400 points (tied for fourth)
- University of the Ozarks – 400 points (tied for fourth)
- Estrella Mountain Community College – 400 points (tied for fourth)
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide – 400 points (tied for fourth)
- Case Western Reserve University – 400 points (tied for fourth)
- Purdue University-Main Campus – 400 points (tied for fourth)
- Florida Institute of Technology – 400 points (tied for fourth)
At first glance, we see Minnesota West Community and Technical College taking a dramatic lead with 1,600 points, double the 800 points held by Cabrillo College, which is tied for second with Vellore Institute of Technology.
The rest of the competitors are neck-and-neck for the next spots in the rankings, creating a prime opportunity for any of these institutions to climb the leaderboard. Who will make the next big move?
Another noteworthy aspect of this line up is that four of the top 10 schools on this leaderboard are located in the Midwest, a region with a long history of college athletics deeply rooted in its culture. Could that competitive spirit be showing up in the classroom, too?
Minnesota West Community and Technical College is leading the Critical Thinking leaderboard with 1,600 points, while schools from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are also represented. Maybe some of that Midwestern competitive nature is seeping its way into the educational competitions world.
We’re still in the early stages of developing our pilot badges and leaderboards, and we’re excited to share more regular updates on educational competitions. Right now, this initial information is based on a handful of competitions, and we’re still adding more every day.
Check back soon for more updates as we link more and more competitions and data.