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-Riverside

2016 University Academic Rankings

The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside), is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus sits on 1,900 acres (769 ha) in a suburban district of Riverside, California, United States, with a branch campus of 20 acres (8 ha) in Palm Desert. Founded in 1907 as the UC Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside pioneered research in biological pest control and the use of growth regulators responsible for extending the citrus growing season in California from four to nine months. Some of the world's most important research collections on citrus diversity and entomology, as well as science fiction and photography, are located at Riverside.

UCR's undergraduate College of Letters and Science opened in 1954. The Regents of the University of California declared UCR a general campus of the system in 1959, and graduate students were admitted in 1961. To accommodate an enrollment of 21,000 students by 2015, more than $730 million has been invested in new construction projects since 1999. Preliminary accreditation of the UC Riverside School of Medicine granted in October 2012 and the first class of 50 students was enrolled in August 2013. It is the first new research-based public medical school in 40 years.

UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United States. The 2016 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings places UCR tied for 58th among top public universities, tied for 121st nationwide and ranks 16+ graduate school programs including the Graduate School of Education and the Bourns College of Engineering based on peer assessment, student selectivity, financial resources, and other factors. Washington Monthly ranked UCR 2nd in the United States in terms of social mobility, research and community service, while U.S. News ranks UCR as the fifth most ethnically diverse and, by the number of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants (42 percent), the 15th most economically diverse student body in the nation. Nearly two-thirds of all UCR students graduate within six years without regard to economic disparity. UCR's extensive outreach and retention programs have contributed to its reputation as a "campus of choice" for minority students, including LGBT students. In 2005, UCR became the first public university campus in the nation to offer a gender-neutral housing option.

UCR's sports teams are known as the Highlanders and play in the Big West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Their nickname was inspired by the high altitude of the campus, which lies on the foothills of Box Springs Mountain. The UCR women's basketball team won back to back Big West championships in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, the men's baseball team won its first conference championship and advanced to the regionals for the second time since the university moved to Division I in 2001.

History

The original UC Citrus Experiment Station which now houses the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management at the UCR School of Business Administration.

At the turn of the 20th century, Southern California was a major producer of citrus, the region's primary agricultural export. The industry developed from the country's first navel orange trees, planted in Riverside in 1873. Lobbied by the citrus industry, the UC Regents established the UC Citrus Experiment Station (CES) on February 14, 1907, on 23 acres (9 ha) of land on the east slope of Mount Rubidoux in Riverside. The station conducted experiments in fertilization, irrigation and crop improvement. In 1917, the station was moved to a larger site, 475 acres (192 ha) near Box Springs Mountain.

The 1944 passage of the GI Bill during World War II set in motion a rise in coll ... [more on wikipedia]

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "University of California-Riverside", 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
scores1625/1083/24
levelAverage
rank[167
overall ROI rank[212
sizemedium
undergrads18790
grads2708
price55517
drop31
stem24
research133
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

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

1. number 167 for Academics.

2. number 212 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to University of California-Riverside?

1. University of Rhode Island

2. University of New Hampshire

3. Eastern Michigan University

4. Boise State University

5. Illinois State University

6. Georgia Southern University

7. Middle Tennessee State University



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
Top25016723821916915733103226212
Public809683877614679092
Big West Conference555773565
West Coast Region22524021249155533
State of California19362818208113425
Top Ten Top25016723821916915733103226212
Top Ten Big West Conference555773565


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
98.15
University of Rhode IslandRhode IslandColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage270328
97.89
University of New HampshireNew HampshireColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage221225
93.17
Eastern Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicAverage445385
93.15
Boise State UniversityIdahoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage389329
93.11
Illinois State UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage279222
93.05
Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage254236
92.85
Middle Tennessee State UniversityTennesseeConference USAPublicAverage384372
92.83
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
92.72
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
92.68
Oakland UniversityMichiganHorizon LeaguePublicAverage417270
92.64
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
92.53
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
92.33
University of LouisvilleKentuckyAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAverage258224
92.26
CUNY Queens CollegeNew YorkEast Coast ConferencePublicAverage307400
92.19
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
91.98
Kennesaw State UniversityGeorgiaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAverage290291
91.92
Washington State UniversityWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage189193
91.83
Utah State UniversityUtahMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage165120
91.68
University of Hawaii at ManoaHawaiiMountain West Conference / Big...PublicAverage204245
91.67
CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage296394
90.97
North Dakota State UniversityNorth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage261196
89.98
University of MaineMaineAtlantic 10 Conference / Ameri...PublicAverage248245
89.96
University of IdahoIdahoSun Belt Conference / Big Sky ...PublicAverage379216
86.48
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
86.36
University of Akron Main CampusOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage331251
86.30
University at BuffaloNew YorkMid American ConferencePublicAboveAverage124190
86.27
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998
86.23
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368
86.19
Western Kentucky UniversityKentuckyConference USAPublicBelowAverage491433
86.12
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
85.98
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
85.96
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage13754
85.78
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennesseeSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage116188
85.78
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
85.75
University of New MexicoNew MexicoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage265153
85.71
University of ToledoOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage405285
85.71
California State University-ChicoCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage392409
85.64
University of North Carolina at CharlotteNorth CarolinaDivision I-AA Independents / C...PublicAverage292207
85.64
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
85.63
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
85.56
Indiana University-Purdue University-IndianapolisIndianaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage427342
85.55
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
85.48
Northern Illinois UniversityIllinoisMid American ConferencePublicAverage435289
85.37
Kent State University at KentOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage347358
85.31
Ohio UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage215174
85.31
Colorado State University-Fort CollinsColoradoMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage143139
85.24
University of UtahUtahPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage14286
84.95
Georgia State UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage253230
84.92
Florida Atlantic UniversityFloridaConference USAPublicAverage305303
84.90
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLouisianaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage14888


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
97.39
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
96.01
Temple UniversityPennsylvaniaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage168199
96.00
Florida International UniversityFloridaConference USAPublicAverage163170
95.55
Conference USA (Average)-Conference USA-Conf-AboveAverage-148
95.39
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
94.60
University of KentuckyKentuckySoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage159130
94.48
Utah State UniversityUtahMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage165120
94.48
George Mason UniversityVirginiaAtlantic 10 ConferencePublicAboveAverage156143
93.01
University of ArkansasArkansasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage171119
91.93
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryNew YorkNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage229244
91.93
University of Alabama in HuntsvilleAlabamaGulf South ConferencePublicAboveAverage181103
89.11
University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasPuerto RicoIndependent Southeast RegionPublicAboveAverage176232
89.04
Saint Louis UniversityMissouriAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage169165
87.04
University of DenverColoradoThe Summit LeaguePrivateAboveAverage204186
85.21
University of San DiegoCaliforniaPioneer Football League / West...PrivateGood203195
83.05
The College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicGood164193
81.78
Lafayette CollegePennsylvaniaPatriot LeaguePrivateExcellent165106
80.90
New College of FloridaFloridaNo Conference AffiliationPublicExcellent190237
79.93
Gettysburg CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateExcellent170148
77.13
Whitman CollegeWashingtonNorthwest ConferencePrivateExcellent153154