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

College of William and Mary

2016 University Academic Rankings

The College of William & Mary in Virginia (also known as William & Mary, or W&M) is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Royally founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States after Harvard University and the oldest in the American South. William & Mary is one of the original eight "Public Ivies," a term coined by Richard Moll in 1985 for publicly funded universities providing a quality of education considered comparable to that available in the Ivy League.

William & Mary educated U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler as well as other key figures important to the development of the nation, including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, sixteen members of the Continental Congress, and four signers of the Declaration of Independence. W&M students founded the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society in 1776 and W&M was the first school of higher education in the United States to install an honor code of conduct for students. The establishment of graduate programs in law and medicine in 1779 makes it one of the first universities in the United States.

In addition to its undergraduate program (which includes an international joint degree program with the University of St Andrews and a joint engineering program with Columbia University), W&M is home to several graduate programs (including computer science, public policy, physics, and colonial history) and four professional schools (law, business, education, and marine science).

History | Colonial era: 1693-1776

A school of higher education for both Native American young men and the sons of the colonists was one of the earliest goals of the leaders of the Colony of Virginia. The College was founded on February 8, 1693, under a royal charter (legally, letters patent) to "make, found and establish a certain Place of Universal Study, a perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages, and other good arts and sciences...to be supported and maintained, in all time coming." Named in honor of the reigning monarchs King William III and Queen Mary II, the College is the second oldest college in the United States. The original plans for the College date back to 1618 but were thwarted by the Indian Massacre of 1622, a change in government (in 1624, the Virginia Company's charter was revoked by King James I and the Virginia Colony was transferred to royal authority as a crown colony), events related to the English Civil War, and Bacon's Rebellion. In 1695 before the town of Williamsburg existed, construction began on the College Building, now known as the Sir Christopher Wren Building, in what was then called Middle Plantation (Virginia). It is the oldest college building in America. The College is one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution. The Charter named James Blair as the College's first president (a lifetime appointment which he held until his death in 1743). William & Mary was founded as an Anglican institution; students were required to be members of the Church of England, and professors were required to declare adherence to the Thirty-Nine Articles.

In 1693, the College was given a seat in the House of Burgesses and it was determined the College would be supported by tobacco taxes and export duties on furs and animal skins. The College acquired a 330 acres (1.3 km2) parcel for the new school, 8 miles (13 km) from Jamestown. In 1694, the new school opened in temporary buildings.

Williamsburg was granted a royal charter as a city in 1722 by the Crown and served as the capital of Colonial Virginia from 1699 to 1780. During this time, the College served as a law center and lawmakers frequently used its buildings ... [more on wikipedia]

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "College of William and Mary", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

College of William and Mary Details

College of William and Mary Details
detail value
stateVirginia
conferenceColonial Athletic Association
publicPublic
scores2035/1357/31
levelExcellent
rank[54
overall ROI rank[60
sizemedium-small
undergrads6299
grads2138
price53435
drop9
stem16
research57
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for College of William and Mary?

1. number 54 for Academics.

2. number 60 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to College of William and Mary?

1. Wake Forest University

2. Brandeis University

3. Southern Methodist University

4. Brown University

5. University of San Diego

6. Santa Clara University

7. Emory University



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

College of William and Mary National Academic Rankings

College of William and Mary National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Top250545456478111112810960
All625151477675745759
All Nonivy544545397072715552
Public26412163961825232
Colonial Athletic Association322236821
New England Region243128223645472821
State of Virginia222234454
Top Ten Top250545456478111112810960
Top Ten Colonial Athletic Association322236621
Top Ten State of Virginia222234444


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

College of William and Mary Peer Universities, Similar Universities to College of William and Mary

College of William and Mary Peer Universities, Similar Universities to College of William and Mary
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
91.82
Wake Forest UniversityNorth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePrivateExcellent6650
90.61
Brandeis UniversityMassachusettsUniversity Athletic AssociationPrivateExcellent46116
86.57
Southern Methodist UniversityTexasAmerican Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent8073
86.41
Brown UniversityRhode IslandIvy LeaguePrivateElite2534
86.08
University of San DiegoCaliforniaPioneer Football League / West...PrivateGood203195
85.81
Santa Clara UniversityCaliforniaWest Coast ConferencePrivateExcellent12398
85.36
Emory UniversityGeorgiaUniversity Athletic AssociationPrivateExcellent3629
84.97
University of Notre DameIndianaAtlantic Coast ConferencePrivateElite3112
84.54
Dartmouth CollegeNew HampshireIvy LeaguePrivateElite1921
82.33
Boston UniversityMassachusettsPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent45116
79.56
The College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicGood164193
79.41
University of ChicagoIllinoisUniversity Athletic AssociationPrivateElite1014
79.13
Yale UniversityConnecticutIvy LeaguePrivateElite337
77.59
Boston CollegeMassachusettsAtlantic Coast ConferencePrivateExcellent4775
77.24
George Washington UniversityWashington DCAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateExcellent51135
76.87
University of RichmondVirginiaColonial Athletic Association ...PrivateExcellent128150
76.47
Oberlin CollegeOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent8155
76.38
Colgate UniversityNew YorkPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent9283
76.36
Baylor UniversityTexasBig Twelve ConferencePrivateGood134128
76.06
Barnard CollegeNew YorkIvy LeaguePrivateExcellent104176
75.99
Miami University-OxfordOhioMid American ConferencePublicGood11867
75.92
Gettysburg CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent170148
75.91
Wheaton CollegeIllinoisCollege Conference of Illinois...PrivateExcellent149114
75.84
Dickinson CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent187201
75.64
Lewis & Clark CollegeOregonNorthwest ConferencePrivateExcellent179221
75.62
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicExcellent3764
75.57
University of Southern CaliforniaCaliforniaPacific 12 ConferencePrivateElite2281
75.53
Macalester CollegeMinnesotaMinnesota Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateExcellent133146
75.50
Colorado CollegeColoradoSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateExcellent149160
75.49
Occidental CollegeCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateExcellent158162
75.48
Rhodes CollegeTennesseeSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateExcellent191147
75.41
University of California-Santa BarbaraCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicGood63122
75.21
Davidson CollegeNorth CarolinaPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateExcellent155129
75.09
Kenyon CollegeOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent14791
74.90
University of GeorgiaGeorgiaSoutheastern ConferencePublicGood8265
73.11
Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicGood10532
72.02
Lehigh UniversityPennsylvaniaPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent6932
71.99
Tulane University of LouisianaLouisianaAmerican Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent61106
71.38
Colorado School of MinesColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicGood8424
71.15
Worcester Polytechnic InstituteMassachusettsUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateExcellent7340
70.30
University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaIvy LeaguePrivateElite127
69.77
Wesleyan UniversityConnecticutNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite73137
69.64
Furman UniversitySouth CarolinaSouthern ConferencePrivateGood232192
69.54
Union UniversityTennesseeGulf South ConferencePrivateGood225213
69.37
University of Puget SoundWashingtonNorthwest ConferencePrivateGood227223
69.34
Middlebury CollegeVermontNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite90135
69.25
Muhlenberg CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateGood223217
69.13
Wellesley CollegeMassachusettsNew England Women's & Men's At...PrivateElite78158
69.10
Clark UniversityMassachusettsNew England Women's & Men's At...PrivateGood201224
69.08
Denison UniversityOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateGood204170


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

College of William and Mary Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to College of William and Mary

College of William and Mary Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to College of William and Mary
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
96.54
Boston CollegeMassachusettsAtlantic Coast ConferencePrivateExcellent4775
95.03
University Athletic Association (Low)-University Athletic Association-Conf-Excellent-32
94.12
Tulane University of LouisianaLouisianaAmerican Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent61106
92.74
George Washington UniversityWashington DCAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateExcellent51135
92.03
SUNY at BinghamtonNew YorkAmerica EastPublicExcellent65125
91.67
Carleton CollegeMinnesotaMidwest ConferencePrivateElite8443
91.29
Pomona CollegeCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateElite52125
90.13
Williams CollegeMassachusettsNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite58161
89.84
Stony Brook UniversityNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicGood62109
89.53
The University of Texas at DallasTexasAmerican Southwest ConferencePublicGood7055
87.42
University of Washington-Seattle CampusWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicGood5566
87.37
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPennsylvaniaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicGood5075
87.07
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginiaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicGood7540
85.97
Southeastern Conference (Average)-Southeastern Conference-Conf-Good-53
85.78
University of IowaIowaBig Ten ConferencePublicGood6879
84.78
University of California-Santa BarbaraCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicGood63122
84.02
Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvaniaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage5384
83.29
Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew JerseyBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage56115
81.66
North Carolina State University at RaleighNorth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage5831
81.02
University of California-DavisCaliforniaBig Sky Conference / Big West ...PublicAboveAverage58142
80.37
Purdue UniversityIndianaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage5720
79.36
Texas A & M University-College StationTexasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage7122
78.38
University of Colorado BoulderColoradoPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage7959