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Each house in the Harry Potter franchise has its own traits that are found in all of its students. For example, Gryffindor is known for its bravery, while Hufflepuff is known for its loyalty. That being said, Ravenclaws are more bookish and intellectual, but instead of leaning on book smarts, they take their natural curiosity and push the boundaries of what is normal. This has led many fans to wonder why Hermione wasn't in Ravenclaw, as she seems to be the perfect fit for the Hogwarts house.
After all, Hermione was consistently at the top of the class, clearly thriving in an academic setting. She also proved to be an incredibly forward-thinking character, notably championing house-elves' rights in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire novel. While Hermione did exhibit certain characteristics of the archetypical Ravenclaw, she ultimately proved to be a better match for Gryffindor.
Hermione Behaves More Like a Gryffindor Than a Ravenclaw
Although Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat considered Ravenclaw for her. However, despite her intelligence, her values weren't necessarily always aligned with Ravenclaw's. Hermione was more brave than witty, as shown in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when the trio got trapped in Devil's Snare. Rather than come up with a clever solution to escape, she relied on her teachings and remembered the spell to save them. Instead of letting her mind wander to a solution, she focused more on the facts and found the inner fortitude to stay calm in the face of adversity.
Hermione also informed Harry there was more to her than books or being clever and showed this throughout the series. A great example is in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, where she used the Time-Turner to alter her timeline and save her friends. To save her friends, let alone change the timeline, took great bravery and would likely not be a Ravenclaw's first idea.
Hermione Lacked Some of Ravenclaw's Ideals
It's also important to note that there are qualities found in Ravenclaws that aren't seen in Hermione. One example is creativity. For Ravenclaws, finding creative out of scenarios was second nature to them, but Hermione relied on procedures and rules to guide her when she was lost. She also has a drive to be the best, which Ravenclaws aren't known for. As a result, her inherent competitive side would have clashed with a Ravenclaw's natural inclination to learn for the sake of learning.
As a franchise, Harry Potter showed that while a person may appear to be the perfect fit for one avenue, they could have traits that directly contradict them. Hermione was a prominent example of this as, on the surface, she appeared like someone who would fit right into Ravenclaw. But beyond her interests, her values define her as someone with a take-charge personality and bravery to spare. Unlike Ravenclaws, she didn't apply knowledge in unique ways. Instead, she applied them to a given situation, something that had helped her fellow Gryffindors on more than one occasion.