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

The 2016 University Academic Rankings: rank value university state scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salaryROI overallROI scores level ==================================================================================================================== 1 4.00 California Institute of Technology CA 1 1 14 2 2 4 18 3 2306/1537/35 Elite 2 7.17 Harvard University MA 2 10 1 1 1 28 24 9 2262/1508/34 Elite 3 8.00 Princeton University NJ 4 4 4 4 3 29 23 9 2259/1506/34 Elite 4 8.67 Yale University CT 5 14 3 5 12 13 59 23 2258/1505/34 Elite 5 9.17 Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA 6 2 10 11 24 2 9 2 2241/1494/34 Elite 6 9.33 Georgia Institute of Technology GA 23 3 12 6 4 8 1 1 2167/1445/33 Elite 7 11.83 Columbia University in the City of New York NY 9 11 6 7 21 17 62 26 2221/1481/33 Elite 8 13.17 Washington University in St Louis MO 7 13 5 8 35 11 15 6 2226/1484/33 Elite 9 13.67 Stanford University CA 11 32 11 14 4 10 26 14 2214/1476/33 Elite 10 13.83 University of Chicago IL 3 5 2 3 33 37 22 13 2261/1507/34 Elite 11 15.83 Northwestern University IL 13 16 8 9 16 33 20 12 2207/1471/33 Elite - 16.17 Ivy Group (Average) 13 17 9 10 16 32 30 17 2209/1473/33 Elite 12 17.00 University of Pennsylvania PA 17 23 9 10 27 16 13 7 2190/1460/33 Elite 13 18.67 Vanderbilt University TN 8 8 7 13 55 21 12 7 2223/1482/33 Elite 14 18.83 Duke University NC 16 21 13 20 36 7 5 3 2191/1461/33 Elite 15 21.33 Cornell University NY 31 30 16 17 20 14 56 28 2130/1420/32 Elite 16 22.50 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI 42 33 15 12 28 5 19 14 2078/1385/31 Excellent 17 22.67 University of California-Berkeley CA 50 29 18 15 4 20 41 21 2057/1371/31 Excellent 18 22.83 Johns Hopkins University MD 30 18 28 41 19 1 61 34 2132/1421/32 Elite 19 23.33 Dartmouth College NH 15 25 20 22 24 34 36 20 2195/1463/33 Elite 20 25.83 Rice University TX 18 12 26 27 14 58 2 5 2189/1459/33 Elite 21 28.67 Carnegie Mellon University PA 26 20 27 36 12 51 8 11 2150/1433/32 Elite 22 31.17 Tufts University MA 19 24 21 26 37 60 48 27 2181/1454/33 Elite 23 31.50 University of Southern California CA 38 35 17 18 43 38 79 50 2091/1394/31 Elite 24 33.17 Brown University RI 24 83 22 32 16 22 47 28 2161/1441/32 Elite 25 33.33 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign IL 56 49 25 19 11 40 17 17 2012/1341/30 Excellent 26 34.50 University of California-San Diego CA 72 50 39 35 8 3 70 46 1946/1298/29 Excellent 27 36.83 University of California-Los Angeles CA 67 64 32 24 22 12 80 52 1974/1316/30 Excellent 28 37.67 University of Notre Dame IN 28 38 23 23 51 63 7 14 2141/1428/32 Elite 29 37.83 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY 41 9 43 61 18 55 45 32 2084/1389/31 Excellent - 38.50 Ivy Group (Low) 33 47 27 32 33 59 30 22 2127/1418/32 Elite 30 39.00 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN 65 56 29 21 39 24 31 22 1977/1318/30 Excellent 31 39.17 University of Wisconsin-Madison WI 73 67 35 30 24 6 32 23 1945/1296/29 Excellent 32 41.17 Case Western Reserve University OH 43 27 49 74 28 26 10 17 2074/1383/31 Excellent 33 41.33 University of Virginia VA 55 40 31 28 42 52 35 25 2038/1359/31 Excellent 34 42.33 New York University NY 48 58 19 16 60 53 82 56 2063/1375/31 Excellent 35 42.50 University of Maryland-College Park MD 63 48 33 25 50 36 64 47 1982/1321/30 Excellent 36 44.83 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC 69 65 41 39 32 23 63 47 1964/1309/29 Excellent 37 45.17 The University of Texas at Austin TX 79 78 37 33 9 35 54 38 1896/1264/28 Good 38 45.67 Emory University GA 46 68 38 51 46 25 33 28 2067/1378/31 Excellent 39 46.50 Northeastern University MA 37 46 24 29 72 71 85 65 2103/1402/32 Elite 40 48.17 Franklin W Olin College of Engineering MA 10 7 64 44 82 82 52 40 2219/1479/33 Elite 41 48.67 Harvey Mudd College CA 12 6 72 38 82 82 6 17 2210/1473/33 Elite 42 49.33 Ohio State University OH 80 66 36 31 56 27 49 38 1893/1262/28 Good 43 49.67 Georgetown University DC 34 62 30 37 69 66 74 57 2115/1410/32 Elite 44 51.17 University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA 87 97 52 47 15 9 58 50 1840/1226/28 Good 45 52.33 Pomona College CA 14 17 76 43 82 82 91 71 2200/1467/33 Elite 46 53.17 University of Florida FL 77 74 40 34 64 30 42 37 1908/1272/29 Good 47 53.33 University of Rochester NY 53 41 51 81 53 41 78 68 2040/1360/31 Excellent 48 55.67 Boston College MA 49 71 34 45 58 77 66 55 2062/1375/31 Excellent 49 55.83 University of Miami FL 57 54 44 59 79 42 75 65 2008/1339/30 Excellent 50 57.00 Williams College MA 20 22 86 50 82 82 97 79 2180/1454/33 Elite 51 57.33 Brandeis University MA 54 57 75 87 4 67 89 74 2038/1359/31 Excellent 52 57.67 Bowdoin College ME 21 19 89 53 82 82 97 82 2175/1450/33 Elite 53 57.83 Pennsylvania State University PA 92 87 53 49 48 18 69 64 1785/1190/27 AboveAverage 54 58.00 Boston University MA 70 79 42 40 63 54 90 78 1964/1309/29 Excellent 55 59.67 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA 81 84 57 56 65 15 65 62 1889/1260/28 Good 56 60.17 Swarthmore College PA 22 28 90 57 82 82 38 42 2172/1448/33 Elite 57 60.67 University of California-Santa Barbara CA 85 92 65 64 9 49 86 75 1845/1230/28 Good 58 61.67 George Washington University DC 61 80 50 70 44 65 94 85 1988/1325/30 Excellent 59 61.83 Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ 89 86 55 52 41 48 84 75 1805/1203/27 AboveAverage 60 62.00 Purdue University IN 94 88 68 63 28 31 14 32 1775/1183/27 AboveAverage 60 62.00 Texas A & M University-College Station TX 97 95 60 55 33 32 11 28 1730/1153/26 AboveAverage 62 62.33 College of William and Mary VA 51 51 47 76 75 74 57 59 2052/1368/31 Excellent 63 63.83 University of California-Davis CA 92 85 70 65 52 19 93 88 1785/1190/27 AboveAverage 64 65.17 Carleton College MN 27 31 94 75 82 82 28 40 2145/1430/32 Elite 64 65.17 University of Iowa IA 86 93 62 60 47 43 60 65 1845/1230/28 Good 66 65.50 SUNY at Binghamton NY 66 63 46 67 78 73 87 87 1974/1316/30 Excellent 67 66.00 Brigham Young University-Provo UT 78 76 45 42 77 78 16 36 1899/1266/28 Good 67 66.00 North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC 90 81 71 72 37 45 27 42 1795/1197/27 AboveAverage 69 66.67 Wellesley College MA 29 45 91 71 82 82 96 93 2137/1425/32 Elite 70 67.00 Lehigh University PA 68 52 81 94 31 76 25 44 1970/1313/30 Excellent 71 67.17 Amherst College MA 25 59 93 62 82 82 95 94 2160/1440/32 Elite 72 67.33 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA 88 96 61 58 62 39 29 49 1834/1222/28 Good 73 67.50 University of Georgia GA 83 99 48 46 73 56 46 59 1877/1251/28 Good 74 67.67 Wesleyan University CT 36 60 66 80 82 82 88 92 2103/1402/32 Elite 75 68.33 Tulane University of Louisiana LA 59 82 56 78 73 62 72 79 1995/1330/30 Excellent 76 68.67 Colorado School of Mines CO 75 43 92 99 39 64 3 34 1926/1284/29 Good 77 68.83 Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA 62 36 82 93 61 79 30 52 1984/1322/30 Excellent 78 69.00 Wake Forest University NC 58 75 74 90 71 46 39 57 2001/1334/30 Excellent 78 69.00 Stony Brook University NY 82 77 63 66 67 59 73 84 1880/1253/28 Good 80 69.83 Florida State University FL 90 90 58 54 66 61 68 81 1795/1197/27 AboveAverage 81 70.00 Reed College OR 40 26 98 92 82 82 77 89 2084/1390/31 Excellent 82 70.17 Oberlin College OH 44 47 78 88 82 82 37 59 2071/1381/31 Excellent 82 70.17 The University of Texas at Dallas TX 76 73 59 73 68 72 43 68 1910/1273/29 Good 84 70.50 Haverford College PA 33 44 97 85 82 82 97 98 2116/1411/32 Elite 84 70.50 Polytechnic Institute of New York University NY 74 39 79 97 53 81 53 72 1940/1293/29 Good 86 70.67 Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art NY 47 15 100 98 82 82 34 62 2065/1377/31 Excellent 87 70.83 Vassar College NY 35 61 83 82 82 82 97 99 2110/1406/32 Elite 88 71.50 University of Colorado Boulder CO 95 91 77 77 45 44 44 70 1745/1163/26 AboveAverage 89 71.67 Claremont McKenna College CA 32 55 96 83 82 82 71 91 2127/1418/32 Elite 90 72.00 Stevens Institute of Technology NJ 71 34 95 100 57 75 21 54 1964/1309/29 Excellent 91 73.17 United States Air Force Academy CO 64 42 87 96 81 69 4 44 1982/1321/30 Excellent 92 73.33 Grinnell College IA 45 37 99 95 82 82 67 90 2070/1380/31 Excellent 92 73.33 Southern Methodist University TX 60 72 69 89 70 80 51 75 1989/1326/30 Excellent 94 73.50 University of Connecticut CT 84 89 67 68 76 57 83 97 1852/1235/28 Good 95 73.67 Middlebury College VT 39 70 85 84 82 82 81 96 2088/1392/31 Elite 95 73.67 University of Central Florida FL 96 94 54 48 80 70 76 95 1740/1160/26 AboveAverage 97 74.00 Colgate University NY 52 53 84 91 82 82 55 85 2051/1367/31 Excellent 97 74.00 University of Houston TX 99 69 80 79 49 68 40 72 1690/1127/25 AboveAverage 97 74.00 University of California-Irvine CA 100 100 88 86 23 47 92 100 1685/1123/25 AboveAverage 100 74.50 Arizona State University-Tempe AZ 98 98 73 69 59 50 50 83 1705/1137/26 AboveAverage ACC Academic Rankings: 1 1.33 Georgia Institute of Technology GA 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2167/1445/33 Elite 2 1.83 Duke University NC 1 2 2 2 3 1 2 2 2191/1461/33 Elite - 2.17 Ivy Group (Average) 1 2 1 2 2 5 7 4 2209/1473/33 Elite - 4.83 Atlantic Coast Conference (Average) 4 3 5 5 7 5 7 4 2071/1381/31 Excellent 3 5.00 University of Virginia VA 5 4 4 4 5 8 7 4 2038/1359/31 Excellent 4 5.17 University of Notre Dame IN 3 3 3 3 6 13 3 3 2141/1428/32 Elite 4 5.17 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC 8 6 6 5 2 4 9 4 1964/1309/29 Excellent - 5.33 Ivy Group (Low) 4 5 4 5 3 11 7 4 2127/1418/32 Elite 6 7.33 Boston College MA 4 7 5 6 7 15 11 8 2062/1375/31 Excellent 7 7.83 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA 9 10 8 8 9 3 10 8 1889/1260/28 Good 8 8.17 University of Miami FL 6 5 7 10 15 6 14 11 2008/1339/30 Excellent 9 9.17 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA 10 13 10 9 8 5 6 7 1834/1222/28 Good 9 9.17 North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC 11 9 11 11 4 9 5 4 1795/1197/27 AboveAverage 11 9.83 Florida State University FL 11 12 9 7 10 10 13 13 1795/1197/27 AboveAverage 12 10.00 Wake Forest University NC 7 8 12 13 13 7 8 11 2001/1334/30 Excellent - 11.00 Atlantic Coast Conference (Low) 8 7 8 12 16 15 7 11 1966/1310/29 Excellent 13 11.83 Clemson University SC 11 11 13 12 12 12 4 8 1795/1197/27 AboveAverage 14 13.67 Syracuse University NY 14 15 14 14 11 14 15 15 1730/1153/26 AboveAverage 15 14.00 University of Louisville KY 15 14 15 15 14 11 12 14 1610/1073/24 Average Big 10 Academic Rankings: 1 2.00 Northwestern University IL 1 1 1 1 2 6 4 1 2207/1471/33 Elite 2 2.17 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI 2 2 2 2 4 1 3 1 2078/1385/31 Excellent - 2.50 Ivy Group (Average) 1 2 2 2 2 6 5 4 2209/1473/33 Elite 3 3.83 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign IL 3 4 3 3 1 9 2 1 2012/1341/30 Excellent 4 4.67 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN 5 5 4 4 6 4 5 4 1977/1318/30 Excellent 5 5.00 University of Wisconsin-Madison WI 6 7 6 6 3 2 6 5 1945/1296/29 Excellent - 5.00 Big Ten Conference (Average) 4 5 4 5 6 6 7 7 1997/1332/30 Excellent - 6.00 Ivy Group (Low) 2 3 4 8 6 13 5 5 2127/1418/32 Elite 5 6.17 University of Maryland-College Park MD 4 3 5 5 10 10 12 8 1982/1321/30 Excellent 7 7.17 Ohio State University OH 7 6 7 7 11 5 8 7 1893/1262/28 Good 8 7.83 Pennsylvania State University PA 10 9 8 8 9 3 13 11 1785/1190/27 AboveAverage 9 9.00 University of Iowa IA 8 11 10 10 8 7 11 9 1845/1230/28 Good 9 9.00 Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ 9 8 9 9 7 12 14 12 1805/1203/27 AboveAverage 9 9.00 Purdue University IN 11 10 11 11 4 7 1 5 1775/1183/27 AboveAverage - 11.00 Big Ten Conference (Low) 9 15 9 10 11 12 7 9 1834/1223/28 Good 12 12.50 Michigan State University MI 14 13 13 13 11 11 7 9 1640/1093/25 Average 13 13.00 Indiana University-Bloomington IN 13 14 12 12 13 14 10 12 1740/1160/26 AboveAverage 14 13.17 University of Nebraska-Lincoln NE 12 12 14 14 14 13 9 12 1745/1163/26 AboveAverage SEC Academic Rankings: PAC 12 Academic Rankings: Big 12 Academic Rankings: Power 5 Academic Rankings: