In its original American broadcast on May 12, 2002, "Little Girl in the Big Ten" received a 6.4 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 6.8 million viewers. The episode finished in 40th place in the ratings for the week of May 6–12, 2002, making it the most watched program of the network tied with "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Boston Public". On August 24, 2010, "Little Girl in the Big Ten" was released as part of "The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season" DVD and Blu-ray set. Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Matt Selman, Tom Gammill, Max Pross and Robert Pinsky participated in the audio commentary of the episode.