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

DePaul University

2016 University Academic Rankings

DePaul University is a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Catholic university by enrollment in the United States. Following in the footsteps of its founders, DePaul places special emphasis on recruiting first-generation students and others from disadvantaged backgrounds.

DePaul's two main campuses are located in Lincoln Park and the Loop. The Lincoln Park Campus is home to the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Science and Health, and Education. It also houses the School of Music, the Theatre School, and the John T. Richardson Library. The Loop campus houses the Colleges of Communication, Computing and Digital Media, the School for New Learning, and Law. It is also home to the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, which is part of the nationally ranked Driehaus College of Business - the tenth oldest business school in the nation.

The university enrolls around 16,000 undergraduate and about 7,600 graduate/law students, making DePaul the 13th largest private university by enrollment in the United States, and the largest private university in Illinois. The student body represents a wide array of religious, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds, including over 60 foreign countries.

DePaul's intercollegiate athletic teams, known as the Blue Demons, compete in the Big East Conference. DePaul's men's basketball team has made 18 NCAA tournament appearances and appeared in two Final Fours.

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Originally named St. Vincent's College, DePaul University was founded in 1898 by the Congregation of the Mission priests and brothers, known as the Vincentians. Followers of 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul, they founded the university to serve Roman Catholic children of immigrants.

Student enrollment grew from 70 in 1898 to 200 in 1903 in what is now the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. In that year, James Quigley, Archbishop of Chicago, announced plans to create a preparatory seminary, now Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, for the archdiocese and allow the Jesuit Saint Ignatius College, now Loyola University Chicago to move its collegiate programs to the north side, threatening St. Vincent College's survival. In response, the Vincentians re-chartered in 1907 as DePaul University, expressly offering all of its courses of study to men and women of any religious background. DePaul began admitting women in 1911 and awarded degrees to its first female graduates in 1912. It was one of the first Catholic universities to admit female students in a co-educational setting.

In 1912, DePaul established the School of Music and the College of Commerce, the latter becoming one of the oldest business schools in the nation. In 1914, the College began offering courses in Chicago's Loop, the precursor of DePaul's second primary campus. In 1915, the Illinois College of Law completed its affiliation with the university and became the DePaul University College of Law. Enrollment totaled more than 1,100. With the entry of the United States into World War I in 1918, DePaul formed a unit of the US Army Reserve Officer Training Corps and converted its College Theatre into Army barracks.

Although finances were rocky, the university continued to grow and build in the 1920s. In 1926, the university was first accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities. When DePaul's first sports teams were formed in the early 1900s, the monogram "D" was selected for the uniforms. From this originated t ... [more on wikipedia]

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

DePaul University Details

DePaul University Details
detail value
stateIllinois
conferenceBig East Conference
publicPrivate
scores1730/1153/26
levelAboveAverage
rank[193
overall ROI rank[150
sizemedium
undergrads16153
grads7646
price50791
drop32
stem16
research5
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for DePaul University?

1. number 193 for Academics.

2. number 150 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to DePaul University?

1. CUNY Hunter College

2. Syracuse University

3. University of Kansas

4. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

5. University of Kentucky

6. University of Massachusetts-Amherst

7. George Mason University



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

DePaul University National Academic Rankings

DePaul University National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Top25019319421413413715115592150
Private899797626351524478
Big East Conference587445544
Mid West Region294957192039403932
State of Illinois69114491096
Top Ten Top25019319421413413715115592150
Top Ten Big East Conference587445545
Top Ten State of Illinois678447876


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

DePaul University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to DePaul University

DePaul University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to DePaul University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
93.05
CUNY Hunter CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAboveAverage193228
92.95
Syracuse UniversityNew YorkAtlantic Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage172216
92.23
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
91.64
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennesseeSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage116188
91.51
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
91.51
University of Massachusetts-AmherstMassachusettsMid - American Conference / At...PublicAboveAverage88144
91.49
George Mason UniversityVirginiaAtlantic 10 ConferencePublicAboveAverage156143
86.13
CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAboveAverage135182
85.84
Western Washington UniversityWashingtonGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage297338
85.68
University of DelawareDelawareColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage107138
85.39
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998
85.35
University of North Carolina WilmingtonNorth CarolinaColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage221228
85.24
University of OregonOregonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage174221
85.11
Saint Louis UniversityMissouriAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage169165
85.10
University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasPuerto RicoIndependent Southeast RegionPublicAboveAverage176232
84.93
University of ArkansasArkansasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage171119
84.84
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
84.82
University of IowaIowaBig Ten ConferencePublicGood6879
84.77
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
84.62
Kent State University at KentOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage347358
84.57
Ohio UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage215174
84.54
University of VermontVermontAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage136191
84.43
University of CincinnatiOhioAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage202106
84.33
University of South Carolina-ColumbiaSouth CarolinaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage93130
84.26
Loyola University ChicagoIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage228206
83.90
University of Missouri-ColumbiaMissouriSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage12198
83.81
Temple UniversityPennsylvaniaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage168199
83.62
University of North TexasTexasConference USAPublicAboveAverage192165
83.27
Florida State UniversityFloridaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage76104
82.85
Hofstra UniversityNew YorkColonial Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage231298
82.83
University of San FranciscoCaliforniaWest Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage226241
82.33
University of DenverColoradoThe Summit LeaguePrivateAboveAverage204186
79.95
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
79.89
Ball State UniversityIndianaMid American ConferencePublicAverage337326
79.86
Miami University-OxfordOhioMid American ConferencePublicGood11867
79.84
CUNY Queens CollegeNew YorkEast Coast ConferencePublicAverage307400
79.76
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
79.74
Sam Houston State UniversityTexasSouthland ConferencePublicAverage472383
79.69
Oakland UniversityMichiganHorizon LeaguePublicAverage417270
79.65
University of North Carolina at GreensboroNorth CarolinaSouthern ConferencePublicAverage449439
79.64
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
79.31
Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage254236
79.26
Illinois State UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage279222
79.21
Eastern Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicAverage445385
79.15
Bowling Green State UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage442351
79.15
Missouri State University-SpringfieldMissouriMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage301266
79.06
Towson UniversityMarylandColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAverage264365
79.05
Baylor UniversityTexasBig Twelve ConferencePrivateGood134128
78.94
University of Rhode IslandRhode IslandColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage270328
78.69
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

DePaul University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to DePaul University

DePaul University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to DePaul University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
100.00
CUNY Hunter CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAboveAverage193228
96.42
James Madison UniversityVirginiaColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage196170
95.92
Saint Louis UniversityMissouriAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage169165
95.72
University of ArkansasArkansasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage171119
95.72
Temple UniversityPennsylvaniaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage168199
95.43
University of Missouri-Kansas CityMissouriWestern Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage197155
94.86
Marquette UniversityWisconsinBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage197121
94.44
Pacific - 12 Conference (Low)-Pacific 12 Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-115
94.41
New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNew JerseyIndependent Northeast RegionPublicAboveAverage195185
94.15
University of North TexasTexasConference USAPublicAboveAverage192165
93.65
Rochester Institute of TechnologyNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateAboveAverage151195
92.54
San Diego State UniversityCaliforniaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage183218
92.52
Mountain West Conference (Average)-Mountain West Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-193
92.20
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
92.14
Big Sky Conference (Average)-Big Sky Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-170
92.11
Truman State UniversityMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicAboveAverage208189
91.78
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
90.37
Elon UniversityNorth CarolinaColonial Athletic AssociationPrivateGood200178
89.61
Chapman UniversityCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateGood208242
88.41
Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyIndianaHeartland Collegiate Athletic ...PrivateExcellent15960
86.51
Rhodes CollegeTennesseeSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateExcellent191147
84.42
Union CollegeKentuckyMid - South Conference / Appal...PrivateBelowAverage162178
84.19
New College of FloridaFloridaNo Conference AffiliationPublicExcellent190237
83.77
Occidental CollegeCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateExcellent158162
82.96
Davidson CollegeNorth CarolinaPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateExcellent155129
82.56
Washington State UniversityWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage189193
82.56
Liberty UniversityVirginiaBig South ConferencePrivateAverage230248