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

Rhodes College

2016 University Academic Rankings

Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee. Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), Rhodes is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and enrolls approximately 2,000 students.

History

Rhodes College was founded in 1848 in Clarksville, Tennessee as the Masonic University of Tennessee (and briefly as Montgomery Masonic College), the Institution was renamed Stewart College in 1850 in honor of its president, William M. Stewart. Under Stewart's leadership in 1855, control of the college passed to the Presbyterian Church. In 1875, the college added an undergraduate School of Theology and became Southwestern Presbyterian University. The School of Theology operated until 1917.

In 1925, president Charles Diehl led the move to the present campus in Memphis, Tennessee (the Clarksville campus later became Austin Peay State University). The college shortened its name to Southwestern. In 1945, the college adopted the name Southwestern at Memphis, to distinguish itself from other colleges and universities containing the name "Southwestern."

Finally, in 1984, the college's name was changed to Rhodes College to honor former college president, and Diehl's successor, Peyton Nalle Rhodes. Since 1984, Rhodes has grown from a regionally recognized institution to a nationally ranked liberal arts college. As enrollment has increased over the past 20 years, so has the proportion of students from outside Tennessee and the Southeast region.

Dr. James Daughdrill served as president for over a quarter century, from 1973 to 1999. His successor is Dr. William E. Troutt, the 19th president of the college. On 14 April Dr. Troutt announced that the Board of Trustees had accepted his retirement date of June 2017, at which time he will have been president of Rhodes for 18 years, and have spent 35 years as a college president.

Academics

The academic environment at Rhodes centers around small classes and an emphasis on student research and writing. Students are encouraged to participate in off-campus activities and "service learning". They are also given the opportunity to participate in a variety of research-based programs, such as the Summer Plus program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies, the Center for Outreach and Development of the Arts, the Mike Curb Institute for Music, and the Rhodes Service Fellows program.

About one third of Rhodes students go on to graduate or professional school. The acceptance rates of Rhodes alumni to law and business schools are around 95%, and the acceptance rate to medical schools is nearly twice the national average.

Rhodes is featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives and on the cover of the 2008 Princeton Review Complete Book of Colleges. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Rhodes among the nation's "top-tier" liberal arts colleges, ranking the school 47th among liberal arts colleges in 2010. Forbes rated Rhodes 47th among all American colleges and universities in its 2010 publication of America's Best Colleges Rhodes has been home to a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1949, one of 283 chapters nationwide.

Campus

The campus covers a 100-acre (0.40 km2) tract in Midtown, Memphis across from Overton Park and the Memphis Zoo. Often cited for its beauty, the campus design is notable for its stone Gothic architecture buildings, thirteen of which are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

When the entirely white Hein Park district adjacent to campus walled off access to the neighborhood through West Drive, predominately black neighbors from across Jackson Avenue sued under the Civil Rights Act of 1866. In 1981 a ... [more on wikipedia]

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

Rhodes College Details

Rhodes College Details
detail value
stateTennessee
conferenceSouthern Athletic Association
publicPrivate
scores1900/1267/29
levelExcellent
rank[191
overall ROI rank[147
sizesmall
undergrads2031
grads23
price55644
drop25
stem19
research0
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Rhodes College?

1. number 191 for Academics.

2. number 147 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Rhodes College?

1. Colorado College

2. Oberlin College

3. Reed College

4. Occidental College

5. Macalester College

6. Lewis & Clark College

7. Davidson College



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Rhodes College National Academic Rankings

Rhodes College National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Top2501919612223621115315988147
South East Region351215815348472726
State of Tennessee3221458742
Top Ten Top2501919612223621115315988147
Top Ten State of Tennessee322955532


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

Rhodes College Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Rhodes College

Rhodes College Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Rhodes College
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
93.27
Colorado CollegeColoradoSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateExcellent149160
91.24
Oberlin CollegeOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent8155
91.18
Reed CollegeOregonNo Conference AffiliationPrivateExcellent106144
86.64
Occidental CollegeCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateExcellent158162
86.53
Macalester CollegeMinnesotaMinnesota Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateExcellent133146
86.21
Lewis & Clark CollegeOregonNorthwest ConferencePrivateExcellent179221
85.81
Davidson CollegeNorth CarolinaPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateExcellent155129
85.73
Dickinson CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent187201
85.69
Grinnell CollegeIowaMidwest ConferencePrivateExcellent114123
85.53
Gettysburg CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent170148
85.46
Kenyon CollegeOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent14791
84.92
Whitman CollegeWashingtonNorthwest ConferencePrivateExcellent153154
84.71
Colgate UniversityNew YorkPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent9283
79.94
The College of WoosterOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateGood277317
79.87
Williams CollegeMassachusettsNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite58161
79.58
Hamilton CollegeNew YorkNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite115153
79.54
Washington and Lee UniversityVirginiaOld Dominion Athletic ConferencePrivateElite11746
79.38
Trinity UniversityTexasSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateGood212170
79.28
Denison UniversityOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateGood204170
79.26
Bowdoin CollegeMaineNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite64162
79.22
Clark UniversityMassachusettsNew England Women's & Men's At...PrivateGood201224
79.22
Amherst CollegeMassachusettsNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite86158
79.16
Wellesley CollegeMassachusettsNew England Women's & Men's At...PrivateElite78158
78.88
Muhlenberg CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateGood223217
78.75
Pomona CollegeCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateElite52125
78.69
Middlebury CollegeVermontNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite90135
78.64
University of Puget SoundWashingtonNorthwest ConferencePrivateGood227223
78.39
Swarthmore CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateElite6748
78.32
Union UniversityTennesseeGulf South ConferencePrivateGood225213
78.15
Furman UniversitySouth CarolinaSouthern ConferencePrivateGood232192
78.14
Yeshiva UniversityNew YorkSkyline ConferencePrivateGood141208
78.13
Kalamazoo CollegeMichiganMichigan Intercollegiate Athle...PrivateGood285415
77.96
Wesleyan UniversityConnecticutNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite73137
77.89
Centre CollegeKentuckySouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateGood244198
77.63
Bryn Mawr CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent137205
77.38
University of RichmondVirginiaColonial Athletic Association ...PrivateExcellent128150
76.96
Brandeis UniversityMassachusettsUniversity Athletic AssociationPrivateExcellent46116
75.80
Santa Clara UniversityCaliforniaWest Coast ConferencePrivateExcellent12398
75.77
SUNY College at GeneseoNew YorkState University of New York A...PublicExcellent111184
75.48
College of William and MaryVirginiaColonial Athletic AssociationPublicExcellent5460
75.45
Southern Methodist UniversityTexasAmerican Athletic ConferencePrivateExcellent8073
75.24
Villanova UniversityPennsylvaniaColonial Athletic Association ...PrivateExcellent9968
75.06
Emory UniversityGeorgiaUniversity Athletic AssociationPrivateExcellent3629
74.59
George Washington UniversityWashington DCAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateExcellent51135
74.15
University of VirginiaVirginiaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicExcellent3227
74.08
Boston UniversityMassachusettsPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent45116
74.07
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicExcellent3764
70.94
Beloit CollegeWisconsinMidwest ConferencePrivateGood250233
70.59
Haverford CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateElite97182
69.82
Dartmouth CollegeNew HampshireIvy LeaguePrivateElite1921


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Rhodes College Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Rhodes College

Rhodes College Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Rhodes College
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
95.65
Dickinson CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent187201
95.53
Skidmore CollegeNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateGood210220
95.08
New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNew MexicoNo Conference AffiliationPublicGood18093
95.07
Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPrivateExcellent186233
94.51
New College of FloridaFloridaNo Conference AffiliationPublicExcellent190237
91.85
Clark UniversityMassachusettsNew England Women's & Men's At...PrivateGood201224
85.01
DePaul UniversityIllinoisBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage193150
85.01
CUNY Hunter CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAboveAverage193228
82.36
James Madison UniversityVirginiaColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage196170
81.65
Montana State UniversityMontanaBig Sky ConferencePublicAboveAverage217168
81.45
Mid - American Conference (Average)-Mid American Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-185
80.54
University of North TexasTexasConference USAPublicAboveAverage192165
79.81
University of New HampshireNew HampshireColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage221225
78.95
New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNew JerseyIndependent Northeast RegionPublicAboveAverage195185
77.45
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
69.83
Washington State UniversityWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage189193