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

Drury University

2016 University Academic Rankings
Drury University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Missouri. The university enrolls about 1,600 undergraduates, 450 graduate students in six master's programs, and 3,160 students in the College of Continuing Professional Studies.

Established in 1873, Drury is consistently ranked among the best liberal arts universities in the American Midwest. In 2013, the Drury Panthers Men's Basketball team won the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship.

History

Drury was founded as Springfield College in 1873 by Congregationalist church missionaries in the mold of other Congregationalist universities such as Dartmouth College and Yale University. Rev. Nathan Morrison, Samuel Drury, and James and Charles Harwood provided the school's initial endowment and organization; Samuel Drury's gift was the largest of the group and the school was soon renamed in honor of Drury's recently deceased son.

The early curriculum emphasized educational, religious, and musical strengths. Students came to the new college from a wide area, including the Indian Territories of Oklahoma. The first graduating class included four women.

When classes began in 1873, they were held in a single building on a campus occupying less than 1 1⁄2 acres (0.61 ha). Twenty-five years later the 40-acre (16.2 ha) campus included Stone Chapel, the President's House and three academic buildings. Today, the university occupies a 115-acre (46.5 ha) campus, including the original historic buildings.

On April 28, 1960, Drury College was the setting for an episode of NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. Tennessee Ernie Ford sang his trademark "Sixteen Tons" and the hymn "Take My Hand, Precious Lord".

The current president is David P. Manuel, formerly Chancellor of Louisiana State University at Alexandria. He began duties as president on June 1, 2013.

Religious affiliations

Drury, like Dartmouth and Yale, was founded by Congregationalist missionaries, and like these schools, it is no longer a religious institution. It remains affiliated with the Congregationalist church and its successor, the United Church of Christ. It has also been affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since the founding of the Drury School of Religion in 1909.

Academics

Drury is a mid-size undergraduate and graduate research university, accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. The university offers 54 undergraduate majors and several professional degrees through the Hammons School of Architecture, Breech School of Business Administration, and School of Education & Child Development.

Awards

Drury has been at or near the top of the U.S. News and World Report "Great Schools at Great Prices" list for the Midwest since 1999, including five years in the #1 slot. It was ranked No. 8 on U.S. News and World Report's Best Regional Universities (Midwest) for 2014. It has been included in Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges since 2010. Other accolades include Honorable Mention for Best Liberal Arts School in the Nation by Time Magazine, a top producer of Fulbright Scholars in 2011 according to the Institute of International Education, and one of 13 "Institutions of Excellence" by the Policy Center on the First Year of College.

Housing

Drury is a residential university. Full-time day school students live on campus until they are a minimum of 21 at the start of an academic year, unless they meet specific criteria to be exempt from the housing policy.

Freshmen live in one of the three residence halls: Smith, Wallace, and Sunderland halls. Smith Hall and Wallace Hall are suite-style double-occupancy rooms, where four students share a bathroom. Sunderland Hall has suite-style single-occupancy rooms, with four students and two ... [more on wikipedia]

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

Drury University Details

Drury University Details
detail value
stateMissouri
conferenceGreat Lakes Valley Conference
publicPrivate
scores1688/1125/25
levelAboveAverage
rank[295
overall ROI rank[378
sizesmall
undergrads3918
grads297
price36241
drop46
stem75
research0
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Drury University?

1. number 295 for Academics.

2. number 378 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Drury University?

1. Florida Institute of Technology

2. Wentworth Institute of Technology

3. University of Alabama in Huntsville

4. Nova Southeastern University

5. Clarkson University

6. Regis University

7. University of Illinois at Springfield


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Drury University National Academic Rankings

Drury University National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Stem High393534373932324745
South East Region576222697348478977
State of Missouri81041011652414
Top Ten State of Missouri9849105599


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

Drury University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Drury University

Drury University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Drury University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
86.19
Florida Institute of TechnologyFloridaGulf South Conference / Sunshi...PrivateAboveAverage260130
86.03
Wentworth Institute of TechnologyMassachusettsCommonwealth Coast ConferencePrivateAverage348352
84.65
University of Alabama in HuntsvilleAlabamaGulf South ConferencePublicAboveAverage181103
78.89
Nova Southeastern UniversityFloridaSunshine State ConferencePrivateAverage488397
78.86
Clarkson UniversityNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateAboveAverage211187
78.55
Regis UniversityColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage360303
78.50
University of Illinois at SpringfieldIllinoisGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicAverage403397
78.09
Lawrence Technological UniversityMichiganWolverine - Hoosier Athletic ConfPrivateAboveAverage319146
77.95
Michigan Technological UniversityMichiganGreat Lakes Intercollegiate At...PublicAboveAverage14658
77.71
Southern Polytechnic State UniversityGeorgiaNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage267128
77.54
South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologySouth DakotaGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage281111
76.98
University of Michigan-DearbornMichiganWolverine - Hoosier Athletic ConfPublicAboveAverage312185
76.79
New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNew JerseyIndependent Northeast RegionPublicAboveAverage195185
76.28
Kettering UniversityMichiganNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage332139
76.27
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage229244
75.81
Saint Martin's UniversityWashingtonGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage-1-1
75.63
University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyMarylandAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage130174
75.22
University of Missouri-St LouisMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicAboveAverage242211
74.40
North Carolina State University at RaleighNorth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage5831
74.17
University of South FloridaFloridaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage94113
72.93
University of Mary WashingtonVirginiaCapital Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage424386
72.53
Colorado School of MinesColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicGood8424
72.29
Cedarville UniversityOhioPrivateAboveAverage287278
72.15
University of Northwestern-St PaulMinnesotaUpper Midwest Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage412246
71.94
Illinois Institute of TechnologyIllinoisDivision III IndependentsPrivateGood12255
71.93
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachFloridaFlorida Sun ConferencePrivateAverage401210
71.41
Messiah CollegePennsylvaniaMiddle Atlantic States Athleti...PrivateAboveAverage387436
71.08
Milwaukee School of EngineeringWisconsinNorthern Athletics Collegiate ...PrivateGood184102
69.88
Montana Tech of the University of MontanaMontanaFrontier ConferencePublicAboveAverage399203
68.69
CUNY City CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage293347
68.61
Rochester Institute of TechnologyNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateAboveAverage151195
68.61
Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage368278
68.60
University of Colorado DenverColoradoNo Conference AffiliationPublicAverage283217
68.09
Wayne State UniversityMichiganGreat Lakes Intercollegiate At...PublicAverage414286
67.85
Portland State UniversityOregonBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage308408
67.83
California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage288356
67.61
Centenary College of LouisianaLouisianaSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateAverage-1-1
67.54
The University of Texas at ArlingtonTexasSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage240157
66.63
Calvin CollegeMichiganMichigan Intercollegiate Athle...PrivateAboveAverage255209


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Drury University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Drury University

Drury University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Drury University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
95.98
South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologySouth DakotaGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage281111
95.73
Western Washington UniversityWashingtonGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage297338
95.67
University of Michigan-DearbornMichiganWolverine - Hoosier Athletic ConfPublicAboveAverage312185
95.47
CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage296394
95.26
Florida Institute of TechnologyFloridaGulf South Conference / Sunshi...PrivateAboveAverage260130
94.79
CUNY City CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage293347
94.70
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (Average)-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-197
93.54
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage229244
93.27
Hendrix CollegeArkansasSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage294425
92.53
California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage288356
91.54
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityIllinoisCollege Conference of Illinois...PrivateAboveAverage298225
91.35
Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf (Average)-Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf-Conf-AboveAverage-242
90.53
Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage368278
90.27
Austin CollegeTexasSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateAboveAverage291415
90.20
University of North Carolina at CharlotteNorth CarolinaDivision I-AA Independents / C...PublicAverage292207
90.17
Portland State UniversityOregonBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage308408
85.12
St Louis College of PharmacyMissouriAmerican Midwest ConferencePrivateExcellent298417
83.50
Wayne State UniversityMichiganGreat Lakes Intercollegiate At...PublicAverage414286