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 Idaho

2016 University Academic Rankings
The University of Idaho (officially abbreviated UI, locally referred to as "the U of I") is the U.S. state of Idaho's oldest public university, located in the city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university. The University of Idaho was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963, and its College of Law, established in 1909, was first accredited by the American Bar Association in 1925, and is one of two accredited law schools in the state of Idaho.

Formed by the territorial legislature on January 30, 1889, the university opened its doors in 1892 on October 3, with an initial class of 40 students. The first graduating class in 1896 contained two men and two women. It presently has an enrollment exceeding 12,000, with over 11,000 on the Moscow campus. The university offers 142 degree programs, from accountancy to wildlife resources, including bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and specialists' degrees. Certificates of completion are offered in 30 areas of study. At 25% and 53%, its 4 and 6 year graduation rates are the highest of any public university in Idaho, and it generates 74 percent of all research money in the state, with research expenditures of $100 million in 2010 alone.

As a land-grant university and the primary research university in the state, UI has the largest campus in the state at 1,585 acres (6.4 km2), located in the rolling hills of the Palouse region at an elevation of 2,600 feet (790 m) above sea level. The school is home to the Idaho Vandals, who will compete on the Division I FBS (formerly I-A) level through the 2017 season, and will drop down to the FCS level in 2018. In addition to the main campus in Moscow, the UI has branch campuses in Coeur d'Alene, Boise, Twin Falls, and Idaho Falls. It also operates a research park in Post Falls and dozens of extension offices statewide.

Timeline | Campus

According to the UI Facts Books, the Moscow campus is an 1,585 acres (6.41 km2) including 253 buildings with a replacement value of $812 million, 10 miles (16 km), 49 acres (20 ha) of parking lots, 1.22 miles (1.96 km) of bike paths, 22 computer labs, an 18-hole golf course on 150 acres (61 ha), 80 acres (32 ha) of arboreta, and 860 acres (3.5 km2) of farms.

Administration Building

The east-facing Administration Building, with its 80-foot (24 m) clock tower and Collegiate Gothic-style structure, was built from 1907-09 and has become an icon of the university. The building holds classrooms, an auditorium, and administrative offices, including the offices of the President and Provost. Multiple expansions were made, with the north wing added in 1912, the south wing in 1916 (extended in 1936 for the library), and the functional annex in 1950, incorporated into the Albertson addition of 2002. The UI library was housed in the Admin. building until 1957, when the Library building was completed.

The original Administration Building, with a single tall spire reaching to 163 feet (50 m), was constructed through the decade of the 1890s and ultimately finished in 1899. Unfortunately, it was reduced to embers on March 30, 1906; the cause of the fire, which began in the basement, was never precisely determined, but was likely accidental. After the fire, there was debate whether to rebuild from the remains or start from scratch; the remaining structure was eventually deemed infeasible to recover and was demolished with dynamite. The original building's steps were saved and currently climb the small hill immediately southeast of the south wing.

In the meantime, classes were held at various sites in Moscow; the Carnegie library, the Methodist church, and local lodge halls. Insurance policies paid $135,000, but the new building cost twice that. To appease the state legislature, the UI Regents ... [more on wikipedia]

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

University of Idaho Details

University of Idaho Details
detail value
stateIdaho
conferenceSun Belt Conference / Big Sky ...
publicPublic
scores1585/1057/24
levelAverage
rank[379
overall ROI rank[216
sizemedium-small
undergrads9283
grads2419
price33160
drop46
stem35
research94
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for University of Idaho?

1. number 379 for Academics.

2. number 216 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to University of Idaho?

1. University of Maine

2. North Dakota State University

3. Louisiana Tech University

4. University of Colorado Colorado Springs

5. University of Dayton

6. South Dakota State University

7. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

University of Idaho National Academic Rankings

University of Idaho National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Div1 Public938665989884562363
Sun Belt Conference552787322
Mountain West Region1014813138577
State of Idaho222442131
Top Ten Sun Belt Conference552776322
Top Ten State of Idaho222442131


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

University of Idaho Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of Idaho

University of Idaho Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of Idaho
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.96
University of MaineMaineAtlantic 10 Conference / Ameri...PublicAverage248245
98.44
North Dakota State UniversityNorth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage261196
93.16
Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisianaConference USAPublicAverage392213
93.09
University of Colorado Colorado SpringsColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicAverage451347
92.79
University of DaytonOhioPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateAboveAverage278138
92.33
South Dakota State UniversitySouth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage354263
92.09
Southern Illinois University-EdwardsvilleIllinoisOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage438368
91.83
Wichita State UniversityKansasMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage382307
91.82
University of Southern MississippiMississippiConference USAPublicAverage493423
91.80
University of New OrleansLouisianaSouthland ConferencePublicAverage405309
91.70
Howard UniversityWashington DCMid Eastern Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage343429
91.51
New Mexico State UniversityNew MexicoSun Belt Conference / Western ...PublicBelowAverage486360
90.34
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
89.96
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
86.20
University of Minnesota-DuluthMinnesotaNorthern Sun Intercollegiate C...PublicAverage464346
86.11
University of WyomingWyomingMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage250152
86.04
Marquette UniversityWisconsinBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage197121
86.00
Tennessee Technological UniversityTennesseeOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage374212
85.54
The Richard Stockton College of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAverage350429
85.32
Rutgers University-NewarkNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAverage371392
85.23
Cleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon LeaguePublicAverage440299
85.15
Rowan UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage306392
84.65
Montana State UniversityMontanaBig Sky ConferencePublicAboveAverage217168
84.60
Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage368278
84.38
CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage296394
84.38
University of Hawaii at ManoaHawaiiMountain West Conference / Big...PublicAverage204245
83.88
University of LouisvilleKentuckyAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAverage258224
83.20
Boise State UniversityIdahoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage389329
83.04
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
82.95
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
82.59
Oregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage152202
82.18
University of Illinois at SpringfieldIllinoisGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicAverage403397
81.60
Michigan State UniversityMichiganBig Ten ConferencePublicAverage11174
79.25
University of Missouri-Kansas CityMissouriWestern Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage197155
78.63
University of Alabama at BirminghamAlabamaConference USAPublicAboveAverage153148
78.42
University of Michigan-FlintMichiganNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage189264
78.10
University of Massachusetts-LowellMassachusettsAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage247275
77.89
University of Rhode IslandRhode IslandColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage270328
77.72
University of North FloridaFloridaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAboveAverage219214
77.34
Northern Illinois UniversityIllinoisMid American ConferencePublicAverage435289
77.18
California State University-ChicoCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage392409
77.18
University of ToledoOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage405285
77.08
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
77.04
University of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon LeaguePublicAboveAverage159111
76.92
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
76.47
University of Akron Main CampusOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage331251
76.46
The University of Texas at El PasoTexasConference USAPublicBelowAverage499294
76.45
University at BuffaloNew YorkMid American ConferencePublicAboveAverage124190
76.33
Auburn UniversityAlabamaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage13979
76.28
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage13754


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

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

University of Idaho Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of Idaho
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.06
Missouri Valley Conference (Low)-Missouri Valley Conference-Conf-Average-270
98.00
University of North DakotaNorth DakotaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage363266
97.14
Arizona State University-Downtown PhoenixArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage357234
96.41
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
96.40
South Dakota State UniversitySouth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage354263
96.09
Wichita State UniversityKansasMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage382307
96.00
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
95.45
Tennessee Technological UniversityTennesseeOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage374212
95.37
Ball State UniversityIndianaMid American ConferencePublicAverage337326
94.41
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
92.91
Catholic University of AmericaWashington DCOld Dominion Athletic Conferen...PrivateAboveAverage381458
92.79
University of RedlandsCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateAboveAverage380460
90.62
Transylvania UniversityKentuckyHeartland Collegiate Athletic ...PrivateAboveAverage378417
89.51
Seattle Pacific UniversityWashingtonGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage383384
88.62
Simmons CollegeMassachusettsGreat Northeast Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage376452
88.62
Birmingham Southern CollegeAlabamaSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage376268
87.38
Coe CollegeIowaIowa Intercollegiate Athletic ConfPrivateAboveAverage375340