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

University of Alabama in Huntsville

2016 University Academic Rankings

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (also known as UAHuntsville or UAH) is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in eight colleges: business administration, education, engineering, honors college, liberal arts, nursing, science and graduate studies.

UAH is one of three members of the University of Alabama System, which includes the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama located in Tuscaloosa. All three institutions operate independently, with only the president of each university reporting to the Board of Trustees of the system. The university enrollment is approximately 7,500.

History

The genesis for a publicly funded institution of higher education in Huntsville was many years in the making. Beginning in January 1950 as an extension of the University of Alabama and known as the University of Alabama Huntsville Center, classes were first taught at West Huntsville High School.

However, the university was formally founded in 1961, upon the recommendations of Wernher von Braun, a German rocket scientist brought to the United States under Operation Paperclip after working for the Nazi regime. Even though Huntsville had been home to Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College since 1875, and Oakwood University since 1896, this was still the era of segregation; the Germans insisted that engineering should be taught near their base at the Redstone Arsenal at a new university that white students could attend, and Alabama A&M was for black students only.

UAH's first undergraduate degrees were awarded in May 1968 as part of the spring commencement ceremony at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, (although a "cap and gown" ceremony was held in Huntsville). One year later, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees voted to make UAH an independent and autonomous campus. Dr. Benjamin Graves, a graduate of the University of Mississippi in 1942, who was president of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi was tapped as UAH's first president in 1970. He returned to faculty status in 1979 and retired in 1989. The first degree awarded for work completed entirely on the UAH campus was awarded to Julian Palmore in 1964. Mr. Palmore was at the time a United States Navy ensign assigned to NASA's Research Projects Division. The first official on-campus graduation ceremony at UAH was in June 1970. The first woman to earn a PhD from UAH was Virginia Kobler in 1979, in Industrial Engineering.

UAH's second president, Dr. John Wright was Vice Chancellor of the West Virginia University and began his service in 1979. Wright's term ended in 1988 and Dr. Louis Padulo, former Stanford professor and dean of engineering of Boston University, became UAH's third president.

Huntsville leader Joseph Moquin took over the UAH presidency on an interim basis in 1990. Dr. Frank Franz, who was then provost at West Virginia University, was chosen as UAH's fourth president. His wife, Dr. Judy Franz, accompanied him and was granted full professorship in the physics faculty. Her renown in the scientific community was reaffirmed when she was named executive officer of the American Physical Society in 1994. At the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year, Frank Franz announced his plan to step down as president after that year. On July 1, 2007, Dr. David B. Williams, formerly a professor of materials science and engineering and the vice provost for research at Lehigh University, began serving as UAH's fifth president. He left in 2011 to join The Ohio State University as dean of engineering. Robert Altenkirch was hired as the university's sixth president in September 2011. Dr. Altenkirch served as president of the New ... [more on wikipedia]

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

University of Alabama in Huntsville Details

University of Alabama in Huntsville Details
detail value
stateAlabama
conferenceGulf South Conference
publicPublic
scores1730/1153/26
levelAboveAverage
rank[181
overall ROI rank[103
sizemedium-small
undergrads5618
grads1730
price35606
drop50
stem100
research80
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for University of Alabama in Huntsville?

1. number 181 for Academics.

2. number 103 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to University of Alabama in Huntsville?

1. Michigan Technological University

2. Colorado School of Mines

3. New Jersey Institute of Technology

4. Southern Polytechnic State University

5. Missouri University of Science and Technology

6. Drury University

7. Lawrence Technological University



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

University of Alabama in Huntsville National Academic Rankings

University of Alabama in Huntsville National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Top2501811941122042371347634103
Public736330959776481443
Stem High253026323624142021
South East Region25441254632617610
State of Alabama321452232
Top Ten Top2501811941122042371347634103
Top Ten State of Alabama321452212


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

University of Alabama in Huntsville Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of Alabama in Huntsville

University of Alabama in Huntsville Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of Alabama in Huntsville
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.95
Michigan Technological UniversityMichiganGreat Lakes Intercollegiate At...PublicAboveAverage14658
91.95
Colorado School of MinesColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicGood8424
91.63
New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNew JerseyIndependent Northeast RegionPublicAboveAverage195185
86.27
Southern Polytechnic State UniversityGeorgiaNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage267128
85.74
Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicGood10532
84.65
Drury UniversityMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage295378
83.32
Lawrence Technological UniversityMichiganWolverine - Hoosier Athletic ConfPrivateAboveAverage319146
82.05
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage229244
78.91
Nova Southeastern UniversityFloridaSunshine State ConferencePrivateAverage488397
78.68
Polytechnic Institute of New York UniversityNew YorkNo Reported AffiliationPrivateGood7672
77.65
Florida Institute of TechnologyFloridaGulf South Conference / Sunshi...PrivateAboveAverage260130
77.19
Clarkson UniversityNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateAboveAverage211187
76.27
South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologySouth DakotaGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage281111
76.03
University of Missouri-St LouisMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicAboveAverage242211
75.58
Montana Tech of the University of MontanaMontanaFrontier ConferencePublicAboveAverage399203
75.39
Kettering UniversityMichiganNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage332139
73.08
Belmont UniversityTennesseeOhio Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage246291
72.68
Adelphi UniversityNew YorkNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage365444
72.41
Gonzaga UniversityWashingtonWest Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage235214
72.15
Xavier UniversityOhioBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage436336
71.99
Harding UniversityArkansasGreat American ConferencePrivateAboveAverage395316
71.96
University of Michigan-FlintMichiganNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage189264
71.89
University of Michigan-DearbornMichiganWolverine - Hoosier Athletic ConfPublicAboveAverage312185
71.86
Biola UniversityCaliforniaGolden State Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage397467
71.51
Loyola University MarylandMarylandPatriot LeaguePrivateAboveAverage249245
71.41
University of ScrantonPennsylvaniaLandmark ConferencePrivateAboveAverage399368
71.19
University of the PacificCaliforniaWest Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage251344
71.15
University of RedlandsCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateAboveAverage380460
70.34
Illinois Institute of TechnologyIllinoisDivision III IndependentsPrivateGood12255
70.07
University of VermontVermontAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage136191
69.75
Milwaukee School of EngineeringWisconsinNorthern Athletics Collegiate ...PrivateGood184102
69.57
CUNY City CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage293347
68.71
Wayne State UniversityMichiganGreat Lakes Intercollegiate At...PublicAverage414286
68.60
New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNew MexicoNo Conference AffiliationPublicGood18093
67.73
United States Coast Guard AcademyConnecticutNew England Football Conferenc...PublicGood18597
66.67
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateExcellent2734
66.64
University of DenverColoradoThe Summit LeaguePrivateAboveAverage204186


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

University of Alabama in Huntsville Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of Alabama in Huntsville

University of Alabama in Huntsville Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of Alabama in Huntsville
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
95.65
Rochester Institute of TechnologyNew YorkUpstate Collegiate Athletic As...PrivateAboveAverage151195
95.10
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
94.92
University of DenverColoradoThe Summit LeaguePrivateAboveAverage204186
94.41
New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNew JerseyIndependent Northeast RegionPublicAboveAverage195185
94.10
University of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon LeaguePublicAboveAverage159111
93.88
Michigan Technological UniversityMichiganGreat Lakes Intercollegiate At...PublicAboveAverage14658
92.20
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
91.83
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginiaAtlantic 10 ConferencePublicAboveAverage178207
91.54
San Diego State UniversityCaliforniaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage183218
91.54
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
91.51
Oregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage152202
91.19
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
90.54
Texas Tech UniversityTexasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage176104
90.19
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
90.19
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
90.09
New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNew MexicoNo Conference AffiliationPublicGood18093
89.77
Milwaukee School of EngineeringWisconsinNorthern Athletics Collegiate ...PrivateGood184102
89.68
The College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicGood164193
89.56
Illinois Institute of TechnologyIllinoisDivision III IndependentsPrivateGood12255
88.41
Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyIndianaHeartland Collegiate Athletic ...PrivateExcellent15960
88.19
Lafayette CollegePennsylvaniaPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent165106
87.01
United States Coast Guard AcademyConnecticutNew England Football Conferenc...PublicGood18597
86.85
The University of Texas at ArlingtonTexasSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage240157
85.96
Lewis & Clark CollegeOregonNorthwest ConferencePrivateExcellent179221
85.60
United States Naval AcademyMarylandDivision I Independents / Patr...PublicExcellent12648
84.29
Gettysburg CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent170148