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

Big Ten Conference (Low)

2016 University Academic Rankings
The Big Ten Conference (B1G), formerly Western Conference and Big Nine Conference, is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference competes in the NCAA Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I, the highest level of NCAA competition in that sport. The conference includes the flagship public university in each of 11 states stretching from New Jersey to Nebraska, as well as two additional public land grant schools and a private university.

The Big Ten Conference established itself almost 120 years ago as the premiere collective of academic institutions in the country when, in 1895, Purdue University president James H. Smart and representatives from the University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, and University of Wisconsin gathered at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago to set policies aimed at regulating intercollegiate athletics. In 1905, the conference was officially incorporated as the "Intercollegiate Conference Athletic Association". The conference uses the "B1G" character combination in its branding, noting that it "allows fans to see 'BIG' and '10' in a single word."

Big Ten member institutions are predominantly major flagship research universities that have large financial endowments and are well-regarded academically. Large student enrollment is also a hallmark of Big Ten universities, as 12 of the 14 members feature enrollments of 30,000 or more students. Northwestern University, one of just two full members with a total enrollment of fewer than 30,000 students (the other is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln), is the lone private university among Big Ten membership. Collectively, Big Ten universities educate more than 520,000 total students and have 5.7 million living alumni. Big Ten universities engage in $9.3 billion in funded research each year. Though the Big Ten existed for nearly a century as an assemblage of universities located primarily in the Midwest, the conference now has a geographic footprint which spans from the state of Nebraska in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east.

Big Ten universities-or, in two cases, their parent university systems-are also members of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), a leading academic consortium of Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago. In 2012, CIC members generated more than $10 billion in research expenditures. Eleven of the conference's 13 public universities are considered "Public Ivies", publicly funded universities considered comparable to the quality of education at an Ivy League institution. Despite the conference's name, the Big Ten has grown to fourteen members, with the following universities accepting invitations to join in the years shown: Pennsylvania State University in 1990, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2011, the University of Maryland and Rutgers University in 2014. Johns Hopkins University was invited in 2012 to join the Big Ten as an associate member participating in men's lacrosse only. In 2015, it was also accepted as an associate member in women's lacrosse. In 2017, Notre Dame will be leaving the Hockey East Conference to join Big Ten Ice Hockey .

Member schools | Members | Associate member

^ On July 1, 2014, Johns Hopkins University joined the conference as an associate member in men's lacrosse. On July 1, 2016, the school will also become an associate member in women's lacrosse.

Future associate member | Former member | Membership timeline | Sports | Men's sponsored sports by school

* Notre Dame joined the Big Ten in 2016-2017 school year as an affiliate member in men's ice hockey. It continues to field its other sports in the ACC except in football where it will continue ... [more on wikipedia]

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Big Ten Conference (Low)", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

Big Ten Conference Details

Big Ten Conference Details
detail value
state-
conferenceBig Ten Conference
public-Conf-
scores1810/1207/27
levelGood
rank[-
overall ROI rank[51
sizelarge
undergrads28699
grads12546
price45725
drop18
stem31
research445
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Big Ten Conference (Low)?

1. number - for Academics.

2. number 51 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Big Ten Conference (Low)?

1. University of Florida

2. The University of Texas at Austin

3. University of Maryland-College Park

4. University of Washington-Seattle Campus

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

7. Rutgers University-New Brunswick


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Big Ten Conference National Academic Rankings

Big Ten Conference National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Top250-152229555363565951
Conferences9284810879109
Big Ten Conference-915910111279
Top Ten Top250-152229555363565951


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

Big Ten Conference Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Big Ten Conference

Big Ten Conference Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Big Ten Conference
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.16
University of FloridaFloridaSoutheastern ConferencePublicGood4338
98.17
The University of Texas at AustinTexasBig Twelve ConferencePublicGood3851
92.95
University of Maryland-College ParkMarylandBig Ten ConferencePublicExcellent3460
92.90
University of Washington-Seattle CampusWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicGood5566
92.47
University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignIllinoisBig Ten ConferencePublicExcellent2417
92.24
University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinnesotaBig Ten ConferencePublicExcellent3022
92.21
Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew JerseyBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage56115
91.70
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennesseeSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage116188
91.45
Arizona State University-TempeArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage10182
91.29
University at BuffaloNew YorkMid American ConferencePublicAboveAverage124190
86.62
Iowa State UniversityIowaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage12971
86.60
University of Michigan-Ann ArborMichiganBig Ten ConferencePublicExcellent1716
86.46
University of California-Los AngelesCaliforniaPacific 12 ConferencePublicExcellent2984
86.33
Purdue UniversityIndianaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage5720
86.31
Brigham Young University-ProvoUtahOther / West Coast ConferencePrivateGood7227
86.23
University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsinBig Ten ConferencePublicExcellent3325
85.94
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLouisianaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage14888
85.64
University of CincinnatiOhioAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage202106
85.63
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginiaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicGood7540
85.50
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginiaAtlantic 10 ConferencePublicAboveAverage178207
85.48
Colorado State University-Fort CollinsColoradoMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage143139
85.17
University of Massachusetts-AmherstMassachusettsMid - American Conference / At...PublicAboveAverage88144
84.88
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage13754
84.79
Auburn UniversityAlabamaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage13979
84.64
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998
84.49
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
84.47
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCaliforniaBig Sky Conference / Big West ...PublicGood9688
84.36
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPennsylvaniaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicGood5075
84.28
Ohio State UniversityOhioBig Ten ConferencePublicGood4043
84.27
University of ConnecticutConnecticutBig East ConferencePublicGood87139
84.06
Texas A & M University-College StationTexasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage7122
83.88
University of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon LeaguePublicAboveAverage159111
83.83
Stony Brook UniversityNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicGood62109
83.32
The University of Texas at DallasTexasAmerican Southwest ConferencePublicGood7055
79.74
University of California-DavisCaliforniaBig Sky Conference / Big West ...PublicAboveAverage58142
79.50
University of Colorado BoulderColoradoPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage7959
79.02
University of California-IrvineCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAboveAverage108162
78.89
University of UtahUtahPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage14286
78.05
Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvaniaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage5384
77.34
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
77.26
Drexel UniversityPennsylvaniaColonial Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage120134
77.16
University of VirginiaVirginiaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicExcellent3227
75.31
University of DaytonOhioPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateAboveAverage278138
74.90
The College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicGood164193
74.36
United States Military AcademyNew YorkDivision I-A Independents / Pa...PublicGood14578
74.14
University of TulsaOklahomaAmerican Athletic ConferencePrivateGood13975
74.14
Webster UniversityMissouriSt.Louis Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateAboveAverage458421
72.91
University of GeorgiaGeorgiaSoutheastern ConferencePublicGood8265
72.83
University of South FloridaFloridaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage94113
72.35
North Carolina State University at RaleighNorth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage5831


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Big Ten Conference Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Big Ten Conference

Big Ten Conference Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Big Ten Conference
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
96.73
University of GeorgiaGeorgiaSoutheastern ConferencePublicGood8265
96.34
Southeastern Conference (Average)-Southeastern Conference-Conf-Good-53
93.63
American Athletic Conference (Average)-American Athletic Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-98
93.35
Colonial Athletic Association (Average)-Colonial Athletic Association-Conf-Excellent-112
92.88
University of Colorado BoulderColoradoPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage7959
92.23
Colorado School of MinesColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicGood8424
91.97
University of South FloridaFloridaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage94113
91.46
University of HoustonTexasAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage8960
91.38
Pacific - 12 Conference (Average)-Pacific 12 Conference-Conf-Excellent-32
91.23
Southern Methodist UniversityTexasAmerican Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent8073
90.51
Patriot League (Average)-Patriot League-Conf-Excellent-43
90.40
Stevens Institute of TechnologyNew JerseyEmpire EightPrivateExcellent9943
90.32
Atlantic Coast Conference (Low)-Atlantic Coast Conference-Conf-Excellent-42
89.57
United States Air Force AcademyColoradoMountain West ConferencePublicExcellent9130
89.24
University Athletic Association (Low)-University Athletic Association-Conf-Excellent-32
89.02
New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (Average)-New England Women's & Men's At...-Conf-Excellent-60
86.33
New England Small College Ath Conf (Low)-New England Small College Ath Conf-Conf-Excellent-165
84.95
Vassar CollegeNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateElite82177
84.57
Oberlin CollegeOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent8155
83.94
Amherst CollegeMassachusettsNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite86158
83.87
Middlebury CollegeVermontNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite90135
82.84
Wellesley CollegeMassachusettsNew England Women's & Men's At...PrivateElite78158
82.51
Carleton CollegeMinnesotaMidwest ConferencePrivateElite8443
82.24
Ivy League (Low)-Ivy League-Conf-Elite-21