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 Dakota

2016 University Academic Rankings
Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state. UND was founded as a university with a strong liberal arts foundation and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as high research activity institution. UND is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report. UND offers a variety of professional and specialized programs, including the only schools of law and medicine in the state, but is perhaps best known for its John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, which trains pilots and air traffic controllers from around the world. It is the first university to offer a degree in unmanned aircraft systems operations.

UND specializes in aerospace, health sciences, nutrition, energy and environmental protection, and engineering research. Several research institutions are located on the UND campus including the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center.

The athletic teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most teams compete as members of the Big Sky Conference, with the exceptions of men's hockey (National Collegiate Hockey Conference), women's hockey (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), baseball (Western Athletic Conference), and swimming (Western Athletic Conference). The men's ice hockey team has won eight national championships, and plays in the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

History | Founding

UND was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state. Grand Forks native George H. Walsh submitted the bill to the Territorial Legislature of Dakota Territory that called for the new state of North Dakota's university to be located in Grand Forks. The first classes were held on September 8, 1884. The first building at UND, Old Main, housed all classrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and a library. In the 1880s, UND consisted of only a few acres of property, surrounded by farms and fields, nearly two miles west of the city of Grand Forks. Students living off campus had to take a train or a horse and carriage bus, dubbed the "Black Maria", from downtown to the campus.

20th century

Gradually, as the university grew, more buildings were constructed on campus and a trolley system was built to connect the growing university to downtown Grand Forks. However, there were several major interruptions in the life of the university. In 1918, UND was the hardest-hit single institution in the country by the flu epidemic which killed 1,400 people in North Dakota alone. Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I. During the Great Depression, UND provided free housing to students willing to do manual labor on campus. "Camp Depression," as it was called, consisted of railroad cabooses that housed eight male students each. "Camp Depression" students did not get regular meals from the cafeteria and had to be satisfied with only free leftovers. However, a number of Grand Forks citizens often opened their homes and kitchen tables to many of these young men.

After World War II, enrollment quickly grew to more than 3,000. A large amount of housing had to be built on campus as well as several new academic buildings. The 1950s saw the rise of the Fighting Sioux hockey tradition. In the 1960s and 1970s, many student protests occurred at UND. The largest occurred in May 1970 when over 1,500 students gathered to protest the Kent State shootings. In 1975, enrollment swelled to a record 8,500. The 1970s also saw the establishment of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND. During the 1980s a ... [more on wikipedia]

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

University of North Dakota Details

University of North Dakota Details
detail value
stateNorth Dakota
conferenceBig Sky Conference
publicPublic
scores1585/1057/24
levelAverage
rank[363
overall ROI rank[266
sizemedium
undergrads11537
grads3369
price31921
drop43
stem22
research77
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for University of North Dakota?

1. number 363 for Academics.

2. number 266 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to University of North Dakota?

1. Wichita State University

2. University of Rhode Island

3. University of Toledo

4. University of Nevada-Reno

5. The University of Montana

6. North Dakota State University

7. University of Nebraska at Omaha


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

University of North Dakota National Academic Rankings

University of North Dakota National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Div1 Public958674959572765885
Mountain West Region914131111561712
State of North Dakota222221232
Top Ten State of North Dakota222221232


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

University of North Dakota Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of North Dakota

University of North Dakota Peer Universities, Similar Universities to University of North Dakota
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.76
Wichita State UniversityKansasMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage382307
98.99
University of Rhode IslandRhode IslandColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage270328
98.11
University of ToledoOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage405285
97.90
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
93.24
The University of MontanaMontanaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage372232
93.01
North Dakota State UniversityNorth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage261196
92.96
University of Nebraska at OmahaNebraskaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage491364
92.66
University of New HampshireNew HampshireColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage221225
92.62
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
91.69
Pace University-New YorkNew YorkNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAverage476465
91.60
University of DaytonOhioPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateAboveAverage278138
91.54
CUNY Queens CollegeNew YorkEast Coast ConferencePublicAverage307400
91.24
Sam Houston State UniversityTexasSouthland ConferencePublicAverage472383
91.21
Oakland UniversityMichiganHorizon LeaguePublicAverage417270
91.17
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
90.49
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368
90.34
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
86.50
Cleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon LeaguePublicAverage440299
86.40
Rowan UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage306392
86.32
South Dakota State UniversitySouth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage354263
86.22
Saint Louis UniversityMissouriAtlantic 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage169165
85.96
The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaTennesseeSouthern ConferencePublicAverage434464
85.96
Tennessee Technological UniversityTennesseeOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage374212
85.89
University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage350253
85.77
University of Minnesota-DuluthMinnesotaNorthern Sun Intercollegiate C...PublicAverage464346
85.67
University of Wisconsin-La CrosseWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage302258
85.56
University of Colorado Colorado SpringsColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePublicAverage451347
85.40
University of MaineMaineAtlantic 10 Conference / Ameri...PublicAverage248245
85.20
University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointWisconsinWisconsin Intercollegiate Ath ConfPublicAverage466414
84.98
Northern Illinois UniversityIllinoisMid American ConferencePublicAverage435289
84.94
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
84.86
Marquette UniversityWisconsinBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage197121
84.84
Montclair State UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicBelowAverage447463
84.82
University of LouisvilleKentuckyAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAverage258224
84.78
California State University-ChicoCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage392409
84.73
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
84.65
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
84.46
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
84.28
Rutgers University-NewarkNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAverage371392
84.27
Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage254236
84.24
Illinois State UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage279222
84.19
Eastern Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicAverage445385
84.09
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
84.09
Towson UniversityMarylandColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAverage264365
84.05
Howard UniversityWashington DCMid Eastern Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage343429
83.98
Boise State UniversityIdahoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage389329
83.90
University of Akron Main CampusOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage331251
83.80
Middle Tennessee State UniversityTennesseeConference USAPublicAverage384372
83.78
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
83.52
University of ArkansasArkansasSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage171119


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

University of North Dakota Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of North Dakota

University of North Dakota Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to University of North Dakota
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
98.00
University of IdahoIdahoSun Belt Conference / Big Sky ...PublicAverage379216
97.45
Tennessee Technological UniversityTennesseeOhio Valley ConferencePublicAverage374212
97.37
Ball State UniversityIndianaMid American ConferencePublicAverage337326
97.14
Arizona State University-Downtown PhoenixArizonaPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage357234
96.05
Big South Conference (Average)-Big South Conference-Conf-Average-392
95.69
Citadel Military College of South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouthern ConferencePublicAverage-1-1
95.45
Regis UniversityColoradoRocky Mountain Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage360303
95.07
Northern Arizona UniversityArizonaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage336333
95.07
Texas State UniversityTexasSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage364290
95.07
California State University-FullertonCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage362435
95.04
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
94.94
SUNY OneontaNew YorkState University of New York A...PublicAverage365466
94.41
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
94.40
South Dakota State UniversitySouth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage354263
93.20
SUNY College at OswegoNew YorkState University of New York A...PublicAboveAverage361450
92.91
Seton Hall UniversityNew JerseyBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage365390
92.35
Adelphi UniversityNew YorkNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage365444
88.68
Northwest Conference (Average)-Northwest Conference-Conf-AboveAverage-440