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

Kent State University at Kent

2016 University Academic Rankings
Kent State University (also known as Kent, Kent State, and KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. In addition to the main campus in Kent, which is the largest and oldest campus and serves as the administrative center, Kent State operates seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ashtabula, Burton, East Liverpool, Jackson Township, New Philadelphia, Salem, and Warren, Ohio, with additional facilities in Cleveland, Independence, and Twinsburg, Ohio, New York City, and Florence, Italy.

As of September 2015, Kent State is one of the largest universities in Ohio with an enrollment of 41,005 students in the eight-campus system and 30,067 students at the main campus in Kent. It is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the top 77 public research universities in the US and one of the top 76 in community engagement. In 2010, Kent State was ranked as one of the top 200 universities in the world by Times Higher Education. Kent State offers over 300 degree programs, among them 250 baccalaureate, 40 associate's, 50 master's, and 23 doctoral programs of study, which include such notable programs as nursing, business, history, library science, aeronautics, journalism, fashion design and the Liquid Crystal Institute.

The university was established in 1910 as the Kent State Normal School as a teacher-training school. The first classes were held in 1912 at various locations and in temporary buildings in Kent. Since then, the university has grown to include many additional baccalaureate and graduate programs of study in the arts and sciences, research opportunities, as well as over 1,000 acres (405 ha) and 119 buildings on the Kent campus. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the university was known internationally for its student activism in opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, due mainly to the Kent State shootings in 1970.

History | Early history

Kent State University was established in 1910 as an institution for training public school teachers. It was part of the Lowry Bill which also created a sister school in Bowling Green, Ohio - now known as Bowling Green State University. It was initially known under the working name of the Ohio State Normal College At Kent, but was named Kent State Normal School in 1911 in honor of William S. Kent (son of Kent, Ohio, namesake Marvin Kent), who donated the 53 acres (21 ha) used for the original campus. As such, it is the only public university in Ohio named for an individual. The first president was John Edward McGilvrey, who served from 1912 to 1926. McGilvrey had an ambitious vision for the school as a large university, instructing architect George F. Hammond, who designed the original campus buildings, to produce a master plan. Classes began in 1912 before any buildings had been completed at the campus in Kent. These classes were held at extension centers in 25 cities around the region. By May 1913, classes were being held on the campus in Kent with the opening of Merrill Hall. The school graduated 34 students in its first commencement on July 29, 1914. In 1915, the school was renamed Kent State Normal College due to the addition of four-year degrees. By then additional buildings had been added or were under construction. Kent State's enrollment growth was particularly notable during its summer terms. In 1924, the school's registration for summer classes was the largest of any teacher-training school in the United States. In 1929, the state of Ohio changed the name to Kent State College as it allowed the school to establish a college of arts and sciences.

McGilvrey's vision for Kent was not shared by many others outside the school, particularly at the state level and at other state schools. Hi ... [more on wikipedia]

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

Kent State University at Kent Details

Kent State University at Kent Details
detail value
stateOhio
conferenceMid American Conference
publicPublic
scores1545/1030/23
levelAverage
rank[347
overall ROI rank[358
sizemedium-large
undergrads23328
grads6149
price33486
drop47
stem16
research27
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Kent State University at Kent?

1. number 347 for Academics.

2. number 358 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Kent State University at Kent?

1. East Carolina University

2. Northern Arizona University

3. Ohio University

4. West Virginia University

5. Georgia State University

6. Old Dominion University

7. San Diego State University


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Kent State University at Kent National Academic Rankings

Kent State University at Kent National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Mid - American Conference6775598119
Mid West Region588886302733348877
State of Ohio18332877883024
Top Ten Mid - American Conference677557687


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

Kent State University at Kent Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Kent State University at Kent

Kent State University at Kent Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Kent State University at Kent
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.69
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
93.33
Northern Arizona UniversityArizonaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage336333
93.26
Ohio UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage215174
93.11
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
92.81
Georgia State UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage253230
92.42
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368
92.14
San Diego State UniversityCaliforniaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage183218
92.06
Western Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicBelowAverage446320
91.89
University of North TexasTexasConference USAPublicAboveAverage192165
91.51
Oakland UniversityMichiganHorizon LeaguePublicAverage417270
91.50
Texas State UniversityTexasSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage364290
91.42
California State University-FullertonCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage362435
91.17
St John's University-New YorkNew YorkBig East ConferencePrivateAverage309444
86.59
Kennesaw State UniversityGeorgiaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAverage290291
86.53
University of Nevada-Las VegasNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicBelowAverage421449
86.36
University of Massachusetts-AmherstMassachusettsMid - American Conference / At...PublicAboveAverage88144
86.35
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
86.25
University of South Carolina-ColumbiaSouth CarolinaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage93130
86.24
University of ArkansasArkansasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage171119
86.19
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennesseeSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage116188
86.18
Grand Valley State UniversityMichiganGreat Lakes Intercollegiate At...PublicAverage247239
85.91
Central Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicBelowAverage454402
85.79
Middle Tennessee State UniversityTennesseeConference USAPublicAverage384372
85.71
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998
85.63
University of Missouri-ColumbiaMissouriSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage12198
85.53
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
85.50
Temple UniversityPennsylvaniaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage168199
85.37
Towson UniversityMarylandColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAverage264365
85.37
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
85.29
Missouri State University-SpringfieldMissouriMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage301266
85.24
Eastern Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicAverage445385
85.19
Illinois State UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage279222
85.15
Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage254236
84.88
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
84.82
CUNY Hunter CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAboveAverage193228
84.81
Sam Houston State UniversityTexasSouthland ConferencePublicAverage472383
84.72
Florida State UniversityFloridaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage76104
84.65
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
84.62
DePaul UniversityIllinoisBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage193150
84.54
Montclair State UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicBelowAverage447463
84.51
CUNY Queens CollegeNew YorkEast Coast ConferencePublicAverage307400
84.45
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
84.03
Bowling Green State UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage442351
83.69
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
83.49
University of Nebraska at OmahaNebraskaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage491364
82.48
Pace University-New YorkNew YorkNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAverage476465
79.74
Utah State UniversityUtahMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage165120
79.73
University of CincinnatiOhioAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage202106
79.72
George Mason UniversityVirginiaAtlantic 10 ConferencePublicAboveAverage156143
79.68
University of North Carolina at CharlotteNorth CarolinaDivision I-AA Independents / C...PublicAverage292207


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Kent State University at Kent Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Kent State University at Kent

Kent State University at Kent Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Kent State University at Kent
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
96.35
Mid - American Conference (Low)-Mid American Conference-Conf-Average-266
94.48
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
94.08
Wentworth Institute of TechnologyMassachusettsCommonwealth Coast ConferencePrivateAverage348352
93.56
University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage350253
93.56
The Richard Stockton College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAverage350429
92.26
Howard UniversityWashington DCMid Eastern Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage343429
91.51
Duquesne UniversityPennsylvaniaNortheast Conference / Atlanti...PrivateAboveAverage346374
86.79
Butler UniversityIndianaPioneer Football League / Big ...PrivateAboveAverage349204
86.31
Stetson UniversityFloridaPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateAboveAverage344395
85.78
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage345462