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

South Dakota State University

2016 University Academic Rankings
South Dakota State University is a public research university located in Brookings, South Dakota. It is the state's largest and second oldest university. A land-grant university and sun grant university, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act. In step with this land-grant heritage and mission, SDSU has a special focus on academic programs in agriculture, engineering, nursing, and pharmacy, as well as the liberal arts. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies SDSU as a Research University with high research activity. The graduate program is classified as Doctoral/Science, Technology, Engineering, Math dominant. SDSU is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs the state's six public universities and two special schools.

History

The university was founded in the Dakota Territory on February 21, 1881, as Dakota Agriculture College. The first building, with funding from the territorial legislature, was built in 1883, six years before the State of South Dakota was formed. Numerous expansions were funded in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The name was changed in 1904 to South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1964, the name was changed to South Dakota State University. The name change was largely the result of Alumni Association. Initiated in 1962, this name change reflected the more comprehensive education offered at the university.

In 1923, SDSU's instructional program was organized under five divisions: Agriculture, Engineering, General Science, Home Economics, and Pharmacy. In 1956, a Nursing program was established, and in 1957 a formal graduate school was formed. When the University changed its name in 1964, the colleges were renamed Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Home Economics, Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Graduate School. In 1974, the College of General Registration (now the College of General Studies) was formed. In 1975, the Division of Education was created. An Honors College was formed in 1999. Two colleges and seven departments combined in 2009 to create the College of Education and Human Sciences. The current names of these colleges are; Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Sciences, Engineering, General Studies, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Honors Colleges and the Graduate School.

Campus

The Hilton M. Briggs Library consists of more than 635,000 bound volumes, 315,000 government documents, 79,000 maps, and 1,800 journal titles (with 28,000 additional titles available online). The Coughlin Campanile, formerly used as the campus bell tower, is a familiar sight around campus. The campus also has two museums, the South Dakota State Art Museum (featuring works by Harvey Dunn and Oscar Howe, among others), and the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. The art museum is home to over 6,000 works of art, while the agricultural museum is home to over 100,000 objects. Both museums are open free to the public. The university operates its own dairy plant, processing 10,000 lb (4.5 t) of milk weekly into cheese and ice cream, operates a cattle and sheep breeding operation, has an on-campus meat processing facility, and has a student-operated pharmacy. Also close to campus are the McCrory Gardens and South Dakota Arboretum. These gardens include a 20-acre (8.1 ha) public display and a 45-acre (18 ha) arboretum. The gardens are open daily to the public. SDSU is also home to State University Theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre, which produce numerous plays and musicals during the school year and summer breaks.

The University Student Union is at the center of campus and houses many amenities for both students and the public. The Union is the home to numerous meeting rooms, a ballro ... [more on wikipedia]

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

South Dakota State University Details

South Dakota State University Details
detail value
stateSouth Dakota
conferenceMissouri Valley Conference / T...
publicPublic
scores1560/1040/23
levelAverage
rank[354
overall ROI rank[263
sizemedium
undergrads10937
grads1606
price27783
drop38
stem24
research69
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for South Dakota State University?

1. number 354 for Academics.

2. number 263 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to South Dakota State University?

1. University of Maine

2. University of New Hampshire

3. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

4. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

5. University of Minnesota-Duluth

6. North Dakota State University

7. University of Colorado Colorado Springs


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

South Dakota State University National Academic Rankings

South Dakota State University National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Div1 Public919387979785645983
Missouri Valley Conference101210884468
Mountain West Region1218141212971814
State of South Dakota133111121
Top Ten Missouri Valley Conference101010883449
Top Ten State of South Dakota133111121


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

South Dakota State University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to South Dakota State University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.03
University of MaineMaineAtlantic 10 Conference / Ameri...PublicAverage248245
99.02
University of New HampshireNew HampshireColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage221225
98.02
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
92.95
The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaTennesseeSouthern ConferencePublicAverage434464
92.75
University of Minnesota-DuluthMinnesotaNorthern Sun Intercollegiate C...PublicAverage464346
92.68
North Dakota State UniversityNorth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage261196
92.54
University of Colorado Colorado SpringsColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicAverage451347
92.33
University of IdahoIdahoSun Belt Conference / Big Sky ...PublicAverage379216
92.03
University of Rhode IslandRhode IslandColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage270328
91.83
University of Hawaii at ManoaHawaiiMountain West Conference / Big...PublicAverage204245
91.23
University of LouisvilleKentuckyAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAverage258224
91.20
California State University-ChicoCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage392409
91.15
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
86.63
University of VermontVermontAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage136191
86.38
Southern Illinois University-EdwardsvilleIllinoisOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage438368
86.32
University of North DakotaNorth DakotaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage363266
86.29
Tennessee Technological UniversityTennesseeOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage374212
86.21
University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage350253
86.18
University of Northern IowaIowaMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAboveAverage252248
86.17
Cleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon LeaguePublicAverage440299
86.09
Wichita State UniversityKansasMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage382307
86.07
University of Southern MississippiMississippiConference USAPublicAverage493423
85.99
University of Wisconsin-La CrosseWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage302258
85.97
University of Nebraska at OmahaNebraskaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage491364
85.64
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
85.62
University of North Carolina WilmingtonNorth CarolinaColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage221228
85.49
University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage466414
85.48
Montana State UniversityMontanaBig Sky ConferencePublicAboveAverage217168
85.30
Pace University-New YorkNew YorkNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAverage476465
85.20
University of DaytonOhioPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateAboveAverage278138
85.17
CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage296394
84.72
Northern Illinois UniversityIllinoisMid American ConferencePublicAverage435289
84.62
CUNY Queens CollegeNew YorkEast Coast ConferencePublicAverage307400
84.53
University of ToledoOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage405285
84.52
Rutgers University-NewarkNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAverage371392
84.40
University of Louisiana at MonroeLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage485352
84.33
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
83.88
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
83.59
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
83.48
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
83.09
Kennesaw State UniversityGeorgiaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAverage290291
83.05
Oregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage152202
81.98
Valparaiso UniversityIndianaPioneer Football League / Hori...PrivateAverage407281
81.88
Michigan State UniversityMichiganBig Ten ConferencePublicAverage11174
81.75
Canisius CollegeNew YorkMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage467484
81.58
Arcadia UniversityPennsylvaniaMiddle Atlantic States Athleti...PrivateAverage467478
79.70
College of CharlestonSouth CarolinaColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage219233
79.63
Loyola University ChicagoIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage228206
79.58
University of Alabama at BirminghamAlabamaConference USAPublicAboveAverage153148
79.40
Rowan UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage306392


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

South Dakota State University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to South Dakota State University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
98.03
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
98.03
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
96.70
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368
96.42
University of IdahoIdahoSun Belt Conference / Big Sky ...PublicAverage379216
96.36
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
94.42
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
94.42
Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage368278
94.42
University of North DakotaNorth DakotaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage363266
94.37
Mid - American Conference (Low)-Mid American Conference-Conf-Average-266
94.12
Quinnipiac UniversityConnecticutMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage353433
93.59
Arizona State University-Downtown PhoenixArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage357234
93.50
University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage350253
93.50
The Richard Stockton College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAverage350429
92.30
Southern Conference (Average)-Southern Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-361
87.43
Point Loma Nazarene UniversityCaliforniaPacific West ConferencePrivateAboveAverage357440
87.30
VanderCook College of MusicIllinoisNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage355454