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 California-Irvine

2016 University Academic Rankings

This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (May 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The University of California, Irvine (UCI, UC Irvine, or Irvine), is a public research university located in Irvine, California, United States, and one of the 10 campuses in the University of California (UC) system. UC Irvine is considered a Public Ivy and offers 80 undergraduate degrees and 98 graduate and professional degrees. The university is designated as having very high research activity in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, and in fiscal year 2013 had $348 million in research and development expenditures according to the National Science Foundation. UC Irvine became a member of the Association of American Universities in 1996, and is the youngest university to hold membership. The university also administers the UC Irvine Medical Center, a large teaching hospital in Orange, and its affiliated health sciences system; the University of California, Irvine, Arboretum; and a portion of the University of California Natural Reserve System.

UCI was one of three new UC campuses established in the 1960s to accommodate growing enrollments across the UC system. A site in Orange County was identified in 1959, and in the following year the Irvine Company sold the University of California 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land for one dollar to establish the new campus. President Lyndon B. Johnson dedicated the campus in 1964.

The UC Irvine Anteaters compete in 18 men's and women's sports in the NCAA Division I as members of the Big West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Anteaters have won 28 national championships in nine different team sports, 64 Anteaters have won individual national championships, and 53 Anteaters have competed in the Olympics.

History | Early years

The University of California, Irvine was one of three new University of California campuses established in the 1960s under the California Master Plan for Higher Education with the San Diego and Santa Cruz campuses. During the 1950s, the University of California saw the need for the new campuses to handle both the large number of college-bound World War II veterans (largely due to the G. I. Bill) and the expected increase in enrollment from the post-war baby boom. One of the new campuses was to be in the Los Angeles area; the location selected was Irvine Ranch, an area of agricultural land bisecting Orange County from north to south. This site was chosen to accommodate the county's growing population, complement the growth of nearby UCLA and UC Riverside, and allow for the construction of a master planned community in the surrounding area.

Unlike most other University of California campuses, UCI was not named for the city it was built in; at the time of the university's founding (1965), the current city of Irvine (incorporated in 1971) did not exist. The name "Irvine" is a reference to James Irvine, a landowner who administered the 94,000-acre (38,000 ha) Irvine Ranch. In 1960, The Irvine Company sold 1,000 acres (400 ha) of the Irvine Ranch to the University of California for one dollar, since a company policy prohibited the donation of property to a public entity. The University purchased an additional 510 acres (210 ha) in 1964 for housing and commercial developments. Much of the land that was not purchased by UCI (which is now occupied by the cities of Irvine, Tustin, Newport Beach, and Newport Coast) is now held under The Irvine Company. During this time, the University also hired William Pereira and Associates as the Master Planner of the Irvine Ranch area. Pereira intended for the UC Irvine campus to complement ... [more on wikipedia]

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

University of California Details

University of California Details
detail value
stateCalifornia
conferenceBig West Conference
publicPublic
scores1685/1123/25
levelAboveAverage
rank[108
overall ROI rank[162
sizemedium-large
undergrads24489
grads5562
price54455
drop14
stem39
research341
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for University of California-Irvine?

1. number 108 for Academics.

2. number 162 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to University of California-Irvine?

1. University of Utah

2. Colorado State University-Fort Collins

3. University of Colorado Boulder

4. Iowa State University

5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

6. Oregon State University

7. University of California-Davis



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

University of California National Academic Rankings

University of California National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Top2501082132151201102356201162
All971001008886234792100
All Nonivy929999848217419199
Public46767962599328273
Stem Low709595726719429393
Big West Conference444442234
West Coast Region15383814148123418
State of California1428271313781814
Top Ten Top2501082132151201102356201162
Top Ten Big West Conference444442234


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

University of California Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of California

University of California Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of California
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.84
University of UtahUtahPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage14286
99.76
Colorado State University-Fort CollinsColoradoMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage143139
99.48
University of Colorado BoulderColoradoPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage7959
98.98
Iowa State UniversityIowaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage12971
93.27
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginiaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicGood7540
93.17
Oregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage152202
92.59
University of California-DavisCaliforniaBig Sky Conference / Big West ...PublicAboveAverage58142
92.39
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage13754
92.28
Auburn UniversityAlabamaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage13979
92.07
Purdue UniversityIndianaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage5720
91.61
University of HoustonTexasAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage8960
91.37
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
91.17
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
89.85
University of Alabama at BirminghamAlabamaConference USAPublicAboveAverage153148
86.61
The University of Texas at San AntonioTexasConference USAPublicAverage330180
86.41
Florida Atlantic UniversityFloridaConference USAPublicAverage305303
86.12
San Jose State UniversityCaliforniaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage386389
86.05
University of North Carolina at CharlotteNorth CarolinaDivision I-AA Independents / C...PublicAverage292207
86.03
Portland State UniversityOregonBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage308408
85.93
University of New MexicoNew MexicoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage265153
85.70
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
85.70
Texas Tech UniversityTexasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage176104
85.53
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
85.41
University at BuffaloNew YorkMid American ConferencePublicAboveAverage124190
85.37
University of Akron Main CampusOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage331251
85.32
University of Washington-Seattle CampusWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicGood5566
85.26
University of South FloridaFloridaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage94113
85.16
California State University-Long BeachCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage318387
85.11
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPennsylvaniaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicGood5075
85.01
University of ConnecticutConnecticutBig East ConferencePublicGood87139
84.97
University of FloridaFloridaSoutheastern ConferencePublicGood4338
84.95
University of ArizonaArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage12486
84.73
Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew JerseyBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage56115
84.60
Drexel UniversityPennsylvaniaColonial Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage120134
84.55
University of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon LeaguePublicAboveAverage159111
84.49
Stony Brook UniversityNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicGood62109
84.03
Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvaniaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage5384
83.85
University of Hawaii at ManoaHawaiiMountain West Conference / Big...PublicAverage204245
83.62
Montana State UniversityMontanaBig Sky ConferencePublicAboveAverage217168
83.53
University of Massachusetts-LowellMassachusettsAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage247275
83.47
Texas A & M University-College StationTexasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage7122
83.10
University of Central FloridaFloridaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage103141
82.85
University of Missouri-Kansas CityMissouriWestern Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage197155
81.24
Mercer UniversityGeorgiaSouthern ConferencePrivateAboveAverage237242
79.72
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLouisianaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage14888
79.43
California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage288356
79.38
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
79.34
Brigham Young University-ProvoUtahOther / West Coast ConferencePrivateGood7227
78.80
The University of Texas at ArlingtonTexasSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage240157
78.77
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

University of California Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of California

University of California Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of California
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
98.83
University at BuffaloNew YorkMid American ConferencePublicAboveAverage124190
95.70
University of HoustonTexasAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage8960
95.56
University of DelawareDelawareColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage107138
94.83
Arizona State University-TempeArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage10182
94.56
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennesseeSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage116188
94.26
Michigan State UniversityMichiganBig Ten ConferencePublicAverage11174
93.84
Indiana University-BloomingtonIndianaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage10292
93.35
University of ArizonaArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage12486
93.04
American Athletic Conference (Average)-American Athletic Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-98
92.84
University of Central FloridaFloridaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage103141
92.66
University of VermontVermontAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage136191
92.56
University of Missouri-ColumbiaMissouriSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage12198
91.61
University of Massachusetts-AmherstMassachusettsMid - American Conference / At...PublicAboveAverage88144
89.87
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
88.17
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCaliforniaBig Sky Conference / Big West ...PublicGood9688
87.99
University of ConnecticutConnecticutBig East ConferencePublicGood87139
87.80
Yeshiva UniversityNew YorkSkyline ConferencePrivateGood141208
87.36
Miami University-OxfordOhioMid American ConferencePublicGood11867
87.20
Fordham UniversityNew YorkPatriot League / Atlantic 10 C...PrivateGood109167
86.96
Atlantic 10 Conference (Average)-Atlantic 10 Conference-Conf-Good-158
85.40
Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicGood10532
85.27
United States Naval AcademyMarylandDivision I Independents / Patr...PublicExcellent12648
85.18
Illinois Institute of TechnologyIllinoisDivision III IndependentsPrivateGood12255
85.07
Santa Clara UniversityCaliforniaWest Coast ConferencePrivateExcellent12398
82.96
SUNY College at GeneseoNew YorkState University of New York A...PublicExcellent111184
80.61
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPrivateExcellent10969
78.71
Middlebury CollegeVermontNew England Small College Ath ConfPrivateElite90135
78.16
Colgate UniversityNew YorkPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent9283
78.16
Barnard CollegeNew YorkIvy LeaguePrivateExcellent104176
77.84
Reed CollegeOregonNo Conference AffiliationPrivateExcellent106144
77.41
Grinnell CollegeIowaMidwest ConferencePrivateExcellent114123