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

George Mason University

2016 University Academic Rankings

George Mason University (also Mason), located in Fairfax, Virginia, United States, is the largest public research university in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The university was founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1957 and became an independent institution in 1972. Today, Mason is recognized for its programs in economics, law, creative writing, computer science, and business. In recent years, George Mason faculty have twice won the Nobel Prize in Economics. The university enrolls 33,917 students, making it the largest university by head count in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

History | From Center to University

1956University College, the Northern Virginia branch of the University of VirginiaArlington, Bailey's CrossroadsDirector John Norville Gibson Finley

University of Virginia (1949-1972)

The University of Virginia in Charlottesville created an extension center to serve Northern Virginia. "… the University Center opened, on October 1, 1949..." The extension center offered both for credit and non-credit informal classes in the evenings in the Vocational Building of the Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia. The first for credit classes offered were: "Government in the Far East, Introduction to International Politics, English Composition, Principles of Economics, Mathematical Analysis, Introduction to Mathematical Statistics, and Principles of Lip Reading." By the end of 1952, enrollment increased to 1,192 students from 665 students the previous year.

A resolution of the Virginia General Assembly in January 1956 changed the extension center into University College, the Northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia. John Norville Gibson Finley served as director. Seventeen freshmen students attended classes at University College in a small renovated elementary school building in Bailey's Crossroads starting in September 1957. In 1958 University College became George Mason College.

The city of Fairfax purchased and donated 150 acres (0.61 km2) of land to the University of Virginia for the college's new site, which is now referred to as the Fairfax Campus. In 1959, the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia selected a permanent name for the college: George Mason College of the University of Virginia. The Fairfax campus construction planning that began in early 1960 showed visible results when the development of the first 40 acres (160,000 m2) of Fairfax Campus began in 1962. In the Fall of 1964 the new campus welcomed 356 students.

During the 1966 Session of the Virginia General Assembly, Alexandria delegate James M. Thomson, with the backing of the University of Virginia, introduced a bill in the General Assembly to make George Mason College a four-year institution under the University of Virginia's direction. The measure, known as H 33, passed the Assembly easily and was approved on March 1, 1966 making George Mason College a degree-granting institution. During that same year, the local jurisdictions of Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church agreed to appropriate $3 million to purchase land adjacent to Mason to provide for a 600-acre (2.4 km2) Fairfax Campus with the intention that the institution would expand into a regional university of major proportions, including the granting of graduate degrees.

George Mason University (1972-present)

On Friday, April 7, 1972, a contingent from George Mason College, led by Chancellor Lorin A. Thompson, met with Virginia Governor A. Linwood Holton at Richmond. They were there to participate in the governor's signing into law Virginia General Assembly Bill H 210 separating George Mason College from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and renaming it George Mason Universit ... [more on wikipedia]

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

George Mason University Details

George Mason University Details
detail value
stateVirginia
conferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
publicPublic
scores1720/1147/26
levelAboveAverage
rank[156
overall ROI rank[143
sizemedium-large
undergrads22349
grads11380
price45648
drop32
stem20
research87
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for George Mason University?

1. number 156 for Academics.

2. number 143 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to George Mason University?

1. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

2. University of Cincinnati

3. University of South Carolina-Columbia

4. University of Kansas

5. University of Missouri-Columbia

6. Temple University

7. University of North Texas



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

George Mason University National Academic Rankings

George Mason University National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Top250156194217106101142131113143
Public806981535482845475
Atlantic 10 Conference477437731
New England Region698889454155483048
State of Virginia478445665
Top Ten Top250156194217106101142131113143
Top Ten Atlantic 10 Conference577437621
Top Ten State of Virginia477445555


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

George Mason University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to George Mason University

George Mason University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to George Mason University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
93.13
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennesseeSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage116188
92.80
University of CincinnatiOhioAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage202106
92.66
University of South Carolina-ColumbiaSouth CarolinaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage93130
92.44
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
92.06
University of Missouri-ColumbiaMissouriSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage12198
91.93
Temple UniversityPennsylvaniaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage168199
91.67
University of North TexasTexasConference USAPublicAboveAverage192165
91.49
DePaul UniversityIllinoisBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage193150
91.19
Florida State UniversityFloridaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage76104
86.67
University of IowaIowaBig Ten ConferencePublicGood6879
86.64
University of Massachusetts-AmherstMassachusettsMid - American Conference / At...PublicAboveAverage88144
86.64
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
86.63
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
86.61
Indiana University-Purdue University-IndianapolisIndianaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage427342
86.51
University of ArkansasArkansasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage171119
86.32
Ohio UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage215174
86.30
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginiaAtlantic 10 ConferencePublicAboveAverage178207
86.27
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage13754
86.14
Utah State UniversityUtahMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage165120
85.96
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998
85.83
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLouisianaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage14888
85.65
University of DelawareDelawareColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage107138
85.61
University of Colorado BoulderColoradoPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage7959
85.60
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPennsylvaniaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicGood5075
85.54
University of GeorgiaGeorgiaSoutheastern ConferencePublicGood8265
85.49
University of ConnecticutConnecticutBig East ConferencePublicGood87139
85.42
Illinois State UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage279222
85.16
Iowa State UniversityIowaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage12971
85.15
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
85.03
CUNY Hunter CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAboveAverage193228
84.93
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
84.72
Miami University-OxfordOhioMid American ConferencePublicGood11867
84.54
Syracuse UniversityNew YorkAtlantic Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage172216
84.52
University of ArizonaArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage12486
84.31
Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew JerseyBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage56115
83.16
Texas A & M University-College StationTexasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage7122
83.08
Loyola University ChicagoIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage228206
82.83
University of Central FloridaFloridaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage103141
82.51
Marquette UniversityWisconsinBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage197121
81.03
Webster UniversityMissouriSt.Louis Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateAboveAverage458421
79.94
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
79.83
University of New MexicoNew MexicoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage265153
79.72
Kent State University at KentOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage347358
79.65
Kennesaw State UniversityGeorgiaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAverage290291
79.58
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
79.58
Washington State UniversityWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage189193
79.38
Middle Tennessee State UniversityTennesseeConference USAPublicAverage384372
79.37
University of California-Santa BarbaraCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicGood63122
79.33
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368
79.22
Georgia State UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage253230


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

George Mason University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to George Mason University

George Mason University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to George Mason University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.42
Southeastern Conference (Low)-Southeastern Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-115
97.42
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage229244
96.81
Conference USA (Average)-Conference USA-Conf-AboveAverage-148
96.36
Saint Louis UniversityMissouriAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage169165
95.57
University of Alabama at BirminghamAlabamaConference USAPublicAboveAverage153148
95.31
Big West Conference (Average)-Big West Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-202
94.53
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLouisianaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage14888
94.15
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
93.80
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
93.70
University of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon LeaguePublicAboveAverage159111
93.70
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
93.09
Big East Conference (Average)-Big East Conference-Conf-Good-144
92.44
University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasPuerto RicoIndependent Southeast RegionPublicAboveAverage176232
92.15
Florida International UniversityFloridaConference USAPublicAverage163170
92.01
West Coast Conference (Average)-West Coast Conference-Conf-Good-155
91.76
Utah State UniversityUtahMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage165120
91.12
Oregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage152202
90.80
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
89.31
Patriot League (Low)-Patriot League-Conf-Good-84
88.14
The College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicGood164193
85.89
Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyIndianaHeartland Collegiate Athletic ...PrivateExcellent15960
85.69
New College of FloridaFloridaNo Conference AffiliationPublicExcellent190237
85.08
Division I Independents (Average)-Division I Independents-Conf-Excellent-59
84.46
Davidson CollegeNorth CarolinaPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateExcellent155129
84.27
Occidental CollegeCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateExcellent158162
83.59
Colby CollegeMaineNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateExcellent132155
82.88
Whitman CollegeWashingtonNorthwest ConferencePrivateExcellent153154
82.58
Bryn Mawr CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent137205
82.32
Macalester CollegeMinnesotaMinnesota Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateExcellent133146
81.38
No Conference Affiliation (Average)-No Conference Affiliation-Conf-Excellent-180