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 North Carolina at Charlotte

2016 University Academic Rankings
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, also known as UNC Charlotte, UNCC, or Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 21 doctoral, 64 master's, and 90 bachelor's degree programs through nine colleges: the College of Arts + Architecture, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Belk College of Business, the College of Computing and Informatics, the College of Education, the William States Lee College of Engineering, the College of Health and Human Services, the Honors College, and the University College.

UNC Charlotte has three campuses: Charlotte Research Institute Campus, Center City Campus, and the main campus, located in University City. The main campus sits on 1,000 wooded acres with approximately 85 buildings about 8 miles (13 km) from Uptown Charlotte.

The university is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region, which is the second largest banking center in the United States.

History

The city of Charlotte had sought a public university since 1871 but was never able to sustain one. For years, the nearest state-supported university was 90 miles (140 km) away. The city submitted a bid in the late 1880s for what would become North Carolina State University, but lost to the city of Raleigh after a local farmer offered to donate land for the campus. In 1946, the city sought a state-run medical school; instead, the state expanded the existing two-year school at UNC-Chapel Hill.

On September 23, 1946, the State of North Carolina opened the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina with an enrollment of 278 students. It was originally founded to serve the education needs of returning World War II veterans. Like many of the United States' "post-World War II" universities, it owes its inception to the G.I. Bill and its effects on public education. In 1949, when the state began closing the centers, the Charlotte Center was taken over by the city school district and became Charlotte College, a two-year institution. It was first funded by student tuition payments, then by local property taxes. Classes were held at Central High School near uptown Charlotte, but by 1957, enrollment increased to 492, and the school's leaders began searching for a permanent site for the campus. They decided on a 250-acre (1 km²) tract of land northeast of the city near the Cabarrus County border. The college became state-supported in 1958 upon joining the newly formed North Carolina Community College System and moved to its current location in 1961.

In 1963, Charlotte College became a four-year college. It adopted its current name July 1, 1965, upon becoming part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina, since 1972 called the University of North Carolina. In 1969, the university began offering programs leading to master's degrees. In 1992, it was authorized to offer programs leading to doctoral degrees.

Campuses | Main Campus - University City

The University operates several campuses in Charlotte. The Main Campus is situated on just under 1,000 acres (4 km²) of rolling land between U.S. Route 29 and N.C. Highway 49, about 10 miles (16 km) from Uptown Charlotte in the University City neighborhood. The campus is self-contained, meaning that no major roads run through the campus. The campus boasts several man-made lakes, and is heavily wooded. Near the center of campus are two gardens that attract over 300,000 visitors a year. The architecture of the original central campus, particularly the oldest buildings, are precast concrete and utilitarian-looking because they were built with limited state funds in the 1960s and 1970s. Starting in 2014, these buildings are being renovated to today's standards. Under the campus' third chancellor, James Woodward, the campus underwen ... [more on wikipedia]

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

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Details

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Details
detail value
stateNorth Carolina
conferenceDivision I-AA Independents / C...
publicPublic
scores1580/1053/24
levelAverage
rank[292
overall ROI rank[207
sizemedium-large
undergrads22216
grads5022
price32542
drop44
stem33
research28
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for University of North Carolina at Charlotte?

1. number 292 for Academics.

2. number 207 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to University of North Carolina at Charlotte?

1. Northern Illinois University

2. West Virginia University

3. University of New Mexico

4. Oklahoma State University

5. Washington State University

6. Oregon State University

7. Kansas State University


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

University of North Carolina at Charlotte National Academic Rankings

University of North Carolina at Charlotte National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Conference Usa7656571157
South East Region619371423133413244
State of North Carolina101511865677
Top Ten Conference Usa665656944
Top Ten State of North Carolina10109865557


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of North Carolina at Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of North Carolina at Charlotte
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
97.97
Northern Illinois UniversityIllinoisMid American ConferencePublicAverage435289
93.23
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
93.21
University of New MexicoNew MexicoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage265153
92.95
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
92.87
Washington State UniversityWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage189193
92.86
Oregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage152202
92.77
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
92.77
The University of Texas at San AntonioTexasConference USAPublicAverage330180
92.58
University of Akron Main CampusOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage331251
92.48
Florida Atlantic UniversityFloridaConference USAPublicAverage305303
92.33
Western Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicBelowAverage446320
92.22
San Jose State UniversityCaliforniaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage386389
91.84
Texas Tech UniversityTexasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage176104
91.79
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
91.50
University of ToledoOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage405285
91.46
University of LouisvilleKentuckyAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAverage258224
91.35
California State University-Long BeachCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage318387
86.66
University of Massachusetts-AmherstMassachusettsMid - American Conference / At...PublicAboveAverage88144
86.58
Indiana University-Purdue University-IndianapolisIndianaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage427342
86.53
University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeWisconsinHorizon LeaguePublicBelowAverage420367
86.31
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage13754
86.28
Kennesaw State UniversityGeorgiaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAverage290291
86.26
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginiaAtlantic 10 ConferencePublicAboveAverage178207
86.19
Auburn UniversityAlabamaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage13979
86.05
University of California-IrvineCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAboveAverage108162
86.00
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998
85.80
Boise State UniversityIdahoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage389329
85.79
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLouisianaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage14888
85.71
San Francisco State UniversityCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicBelowAverage428458
85.64
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
85.58
University of Colorado BoulderColoradoPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage7959
85.37
University of California-DavisCaliforniaBig Sky Conference / Big West ...PublicAboveAverage58142
85.18
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
85.13
Iowa State UniversityIowaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage12971
85.05
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
84.96
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
84.88
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
84.83
California State University-ChicoCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage392409
84.49
University of ArizonaArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage12486
84.24
University of Hawaii at ManoaHawaiiMountain West Conference / Big...PublicAverage204245
83.55
Cleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon LeaguePublicAverage440299
83.14
University of Missouri-Kansas CityMissouriWestern Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage197155
82.22
Rutgers University-NewarkNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAverage371392
79.99
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
79.68
Kent State University at KentOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage347358
79.68
Northern Arizona UniversityArizonaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage336333
79.61
Colorado State University-Fort CollinsColoradoMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage143139
79.53
University of UtahUtahPacific 12 ConferencePublicAboveAverage14286
79.43
University of CincinnatiOhioAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage202106
79.30
University at BuffaloNew YorkMid American ConferencePublicAboveAverage124190


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of North Carolina at Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of North Carolina at Charlotte
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
96.75
Kennesaw State UniversityGeorgiaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAverage290291
96.68
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
95.68
California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage288356
95.64
CUNY City CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage293347
92.93
CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage296394
90.63
Drury UniversityMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage295378
89.33
Big East Conference (Low)-Big East Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-224
88.27
Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf (Average)-Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf-Conf-AboveAverage-242
87.27
Austin CollegeTexasSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateAboveAverage291415
86.27
Hendrix CollegeArkansasSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage294425