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

Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix

2016 University Academic Rankings

Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix campus is one of four campuses of Arizona State University. It is commonly referred to as ASU Downtown. The campus, distinguished by its name, is located in the downtown area of Phoenix, Arizona.

The school was built in line with ASU President Michael M. Crow's "One University, Many Places" initiative and was built with cooperation from the state of Arizona and local governments.

Campus

The campus is located in the downtown area of Phoenix, in an area bound by Van Buren Street, Fillmore Street, 1st Avenue, and 7th Street. Classes began there in August 2006 with students from the College of Public Programs and College of Nursing attending classes there (in renovated existing office buildings adjacent to Arizona Center).

Academics | Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

In 2008, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication moved to ASU Downtown, with the headquarters and studios of KAET (the PBS member affiliate for the greater Phoenix area, operated by ASU) moving to ASU Downtown in 2009.

College of Public Service and Community Solutions

In 2006, the College of Public Programs relocated from Wilson Hall on the university's Tempe campus to Arizona State University's Downtown Phoenix campus. On January 1, 2015, The College of Public Programs officially renamed itself to the College of Public Service & Community Solutions. The College of Public Service and Community Solutions offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees and is organized into four schools and 17 research centers. The programs are divided between the School of Social Work, the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the School of Public Affairs and the School of Community Resources and Development. The college also houses a number of distinguished divisions and research centers, including the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, the Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center.

College of Nursing & Health Innovation

In August 2006, the College of Nursing & Health Innovation moved to the new Downtown Phoenix Campus. The new building, previously called Park Place, was a 1980s-era office building, and was extensively renovated to meet education and research requirements. An additional building adjacent to the new college building houses the ASU Health Center and Academy for Continuing Education.

College of Health Solutions | College of Letters and Sciences

The College of Letters and Sciences is based on Arizona State University's Downtown Phoenix campus and offers the liberal arts core curriculum for the campus, as well as bachelor's degree programs in Communication, General Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Instruction ranges from humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. It also collaborates with other colleges and schools such as College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, College of Public Service and Community Solutions, and Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The College also has a presence on the ASU Tempe, Polytechnic, and Online campuses.

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

The university has announced that a new building for the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law will be built on the Downtown Phoenix Campus, relocating faculty and students from the Tempe Campus. The university plans to establish the Arizona Center for Law and Society in 2016.

Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College

The Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, offers programs leading to the B.A., M.Ed., and Ed.D. in many fields, such as early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, special education, and educational administration/supervi ... [more on wikipedia]

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

Arizona State University Details

Arizona State University Details
detail value
stateArizona
conferencePacific 12 Conference
publicPublic
scores1615/1077/24
levelAverage
rank[357
overall ROI rank[234
sizemedium-small
undergrads9150
grads2066
price40941
drop0
stem0
research0
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix?

1. number 357 for Academics.

2. number 234 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix?

1. Savannah College of Art and Design

2. University of Idaho

3. University of Maine

4. Louisiana Tech University

5. University of Colorado Colorado Springs

6. South Dakota State University

7. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Arizona State University National Academic Rankings

Arizona State University National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Div1 Public947579969691914875
Power5656359666666664461
Pacific - 12 Conference131311131312131012
South West Region283535293333334027
State of Arizona455444475
Top Ten State of Arizona455444475


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

(mathematically similar student body, size, academics, stem, salary... etc)

Arizona State University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Arizona State University

Arizona State University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Arizona State University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
73.29
Savannah College of Art and DesignGeorgiaNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAverage409404
73.24
University of IdahoIdahoSun Belt Conference / Big Sky ...PublicAverage379216
73.20
University of MaineMaineAtlantic 10 Conference / Ameri...PublicAverage248245
73.07
Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisianaConference USAPublicAverage392213
73.00
University of Colorado Colorado SpringsColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicAverage451347
72.24
South Dakota State UniversitySouth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage354263
72.01
Southern Illinois University-EdwardsvilleIllinoisOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage438368
71.88
The University of MontanaMontanaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage372232
71.88
University of New OrleansLouisianaSouthland ConferencePublicAverage405309
71.76
Wichita State UniversityKansasMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage382307
71.75
University of Southern MississippiMississippiConference USAPublicAverage493423
71.70
North Dakota State UniversityNorth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage261196
71.66
University of Nebraska at OmahaNebraskaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage491364
71.44
Quinnipiac UniversityConnecticutMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage353433
71.42
University of New HampshireNew HampshireColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage221225
71.40
CUNY City CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage293347
71.16
University of Rhode IslandRhode IslandColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage270328


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Arizona State University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Arizona State University

Arizona State University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Arizona State University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
98.69
University of LouisvilleKentuckyAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAverage258224
97.69
Tennessee Technological UniversityTennesseeOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage374212
97.11
University of IdahoIdahoSun Belt Conference / Big Sky ...PublicAverage379216
97.11
University of North DakotaNorth DakotaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage363266
97.06
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
96.78
Arizona State University-PolytechnicArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage-1-1
96.69
Arizona State University-WestArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage-1-1
96.69
Regis UniversityColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage360303
96.62
Southern Conference (Average)-Southern Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-361
96.38
University of MississippiMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAverage232197
95.75
Ball State UniversityIndianaMid American ConferencePublicAverage337326
95.13
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
94.48
Quinnipiac UniversityConnecticutMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage353433
94.13
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368
93.62
Point Loma Nazarene UniversityCaliforniaPacific West ConferencePrivateAboveAverage357440
93.47
South Dakota State UniversitySouth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage354263
93.47
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
93.29
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
93.00
SUNY College at OswegoNew YorkState University of New York A...PublicAboveAverage361450
92.14
Northern Arizona UniversityArizonaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage336333
91.47
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
89.42
VanderCook College of MusicIllinoisNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage355454