University Benchmarks

Ranking the Top 100 Academic Universities

UniversityBenchmarks.com ranks the universities that attract and produce the best academic students.

There are many 'University Rankings' on the internet. Most rankings rely heavily on subjective metrics like 'reputation' and 'selectivity'. UniversityBenchmarks is purely an academic ranking model. The rankings are based on the reported academic and financial metrics of the colleges. There are no subjective factors like 'reputation' that are used. The calculations are performed using normal statistical models. All universities are considered equal and there is no weighting of the ranking categories.

The university 2014-2015 dataset is comprised of over 2400 US Universities & Colleges and comes from multiple sources using the most favorable reported metrics for a university.

The universities are ranked against each other in each filtered set. It is an iterative process whereby lower ranking universities are removed and the set is re-ranked until the final set of 100 is reached.

Selecting 'Rank Top 10 Only' will show the Top 10 for each filter category ranked against each other.

The academic rankings of the universities within the major conferences (ACC, Big12, Big10, Pac12, SEC) are available.

The 2017 rankings will be available in August.

Notes:
  • It is possible for universities to be ranked higher/lower than one another depending on the filter set.
  • Conference averages are based on the top 8 schools in the conference.
  • Public Schools are highlighted
  • Clicking on the university's seal icon will take you to the university's website.

Ranking Fields

Rank - Overall rank based on the average of the ranking fields (Scores, Difficulty, Smartest, Brainpower, Faculty and Research).

Scores - SAT & ACT scores. The university's test scores are corrected for dropout rate when score level is Good, Excellent or Elite. This will slightly boost scores for highly competitive schools.

Difficulty - Academic rigor is estimated based on how difficult it is to get an "A" at the university. An estimated GPA at the university is calculated for the average US Student. University grade inflation, average GPA, and STEM density are factors.

Smartest - University that can field the highest scoring students based on the average US University size. Higher Smartest Rank = "Smartest for the Average University"

Brainpower - The average "smartest" rank using 5 reference populations (CalTech, MIT, Stanford, GaTech and Berkeley). Higher Brainpower Rank = "Higher Density of Smart Students". The university ranked higher can mathematically field 'X' number of smarter students than universities ranked below them.

Faculty - Ranking based on number of % of faculty with awards and academy membership.

Research - Ranking is achieved by iteratively ranking the average of 3 research metrics (r-pop, r-stem, r-other ). The lowest ranked college is then removed and the new set is re-ranked. The result is the schools with potentially the strongest research environments per student bubble up to the top regardless of size or research budget.

  • r-pop - Average research spending for student population
  • r-stem - STEM research spending
  • r-other - Other/Medical/Health research spending

Salary ROI - "Salary Return on Investment" is not used in the overall ranking but is provided for additional information. Using the undergraduate average starting and mid-career salaries, the rank is based on a 20yr salary accumulation (with raises) minus the cost of a 4 year education at the university. Salaries are normalized across the country using the average COLA for the university's geo-economic region (7 regions total). The COLA effect is diminished by the level of the university. Elite, Excellent and Good universities have a greater distribution of graduates across the country and a diminishing COLA effect. The resultant value would be the graduate's spending potential over the 20yr period.

Overall ROI - "Overall Return on Investment" is not used in the overall ranking but is provided for additional information. The average of Overall Rank and Salary ROI. This would be the "Best academic bang for the buck". Colleges that produce the best education, at the best price, with the best return will be ranked higher.

Color Key - ranks are colorized as follows 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 50 100

The 2016 University Academic Rankings

Horizon League Academic Rankings

Search :
examples: Yale "Wake Forest" "Big Ten" TX NC

2016 Horizon League : No Conference Affiliation Academic Rankings

2016 Horizon League : No Conference Affiliation Academic Rankings
rank value image public university state conference scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research r pop r stem r other salary ROI overall ROI scores value difficulty value smartest value brainpower value faculty value research value salary ROI value overall ROI value scores level stem drop gpa avg research undergrads grads salary price scores valid
-1.00
-Conf-Ivy League (Average)-Ivy League111111121112209|921.20|702241|932183|9118|941.33|991491251|751.00|992209/1473/33Elite2843.43580824691005957563427True
11.17
PublicUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon League121111111111665|692.70|331893|791794|7593|691.00|991444609|721.00|991665/1110/25AboveAverage46432.9537716718112515050041923True
-1.17
-Conf-Ivy League (Low)-Ivy League111112122112127|891.96|512172|912090|8735|881.67|981491251|751.00|992127/1418/32Elite2843.43217824691005957563427True
14.20
PublicCleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon League654422123311540|642.85|291750|731507|63116|621.67|981375545|692.00|981540/1027/23Average33672.80501182651104460028746True
-4.33
-Conf-Horizon League (Average)-Horizon League444453123751595|662.77|311769|741539|64216|282.00|981310227|665.00|951595/1064/24Average33462.85741026436294593338649True
34.40
PublicOakland UniversityMichiganHorizon League762344444231533|642.87|281805|751689|70190|374.00|961384190|692.50|981533/1022/23Average22532.80161693535844650035545True
34.40
PublicUniversity of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeWisconsinHorizon League773233132851467|612.96|261805|751709|71157|482.00|981237584|625.50|951467/978/22BelowAverage25552.80662267449224370032020True
54.50
PrivateValparaiso UniversityIndianaPioneer Football League / Hori...316755555441640|682.68|331518|631207|50300|05.00|951349891|674.50|961640/1093/25Average21292.800325112564910047760True
64.67
PrivateUniversity of Detroit MercyMichiganHorizon League237655555761660|692.70|331451|601217|51300|05.00|951303741|656.50|941660/1107/25AboveAverage48432.950276221834940052302True
75.57
PublicUniversity of Wisconsin-Green BayWisconsinHorizon League745555555991533|642.82|291630|681276|53300|05.00|951035363|528.00|921533/1022/23Average29432.80066742533550025623True
-5.78
-Conf-Horizon League (Low)-Horizon League765554545791533|642.86|281721|721473|61300|04.67|951310227|667.50|931533/1022/23Average33462.85161026436294593338649True
86.33
PublicWright State UniversityOhioHorizon League488855555561565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|05.00|951321124|666.50|941565/1043/23Unknown0562.8001268241604640029910False
86.33
PublicYoungstown State UniversityOhioMissouri Valley Conference / H...488855555681565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|05.00|951318802|667.00|931565/1043/23Unknown0602.8001126712364220021994False

Common Questions...

What are the best colleges in the Horizon League?

1. University of Illinois at Chicago

2. Cleveland State University

3. Oakland University

4. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

5. Valparaiso University

6. University of Detroit Mercy

7. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

2016 Top 10 Horizon League : No Conference Affiliation Academic Rankings

2016 Top 10 Horizon League : No Conference Affiliation Academic Rankings
rank value public name state conference scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI scores level stem drop gpa avg research undergrads grads salary price
-1.00-Conf-Ivy League (Average)-Ivy League111111112209/1473/33Elite2843.43580824691005957563427
11.17PublicUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon League121111111665/1110/25AboveAverage46432.9537716718112515050041923
-1.17-Conf-Ivy League (Low)-Ivy League111112112127/1418/32Elite2843.43217824691005957563427
14.20PublicCleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon League654422311540/1027/23Average33672.80501182651104460028746
-4.33-Conf-Horizon League (Average)-Horizon League444453751595/1064/24Average33462.85741026436294593338649
34.40PublicOakland UniversityMichiganHorizon League762344231533/1022/23Average22532.80161693535844650035545
34.40PublicUniversity of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeWisconsinHorizon League773233851467/978/22BelowAverage25552.80662267449224370032020
54.50PrivateValparaiso UniversityIndianaPioneer Football League / Hori...316755441640/1093/25Average21292.800325112564910047760
64.67PrivateUniversity of Detroit MercyMichiganHorizon League237655761660/1107/25AboveAverage48432.950276221834940052302
75.57PublicUniversity of Wisconsin-Green BayWisconsinHorizon League745555991533/1022/23Average29432.80066742533550025623
-5.78-Conf-Horizon League (Low)-Horizon League765554791533/1022/23Average33462.85161026436294593338649
86.33PublicWright State UniversityOhioHorizon League488855561565/1043/23Unknown0562.8001268241604640029910
86.33PublicYoungstown State UniversityOhioMissouri Valley Conference / H...488855681565/1043/23Unknown0602.8001126712364220021994