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

Virginia Military Institute

2016 University Academic Rankings

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a state-supported military college in Lexington, Virginia, the oldest such institution in the United States. Unlike any other senior military college in the United States, and in keeping with its founding principles, VMI enrolls only military cadets and awards baccalaureate degrees exclusively. VMI offers cadets strict military discipline combined with a spartan, physically and academically demanding environment. The Institute grants degrees in 14 disciplines in engineering, the sciences, and the liberal arts.

While VMI has been called the "West Point of the South", it differs from the federal service academies in several respects. For example, the living conditions at VMI are far more austere than at the service academies. Also, while all cadets must participate in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), they are afforded the flexibility of pursuing civilian endeavors or accepting a commission in any of the active or reserve components of any of the U.S. military branches upon graduation.

Governance

The Board of Visitors is the supervisory board of the Virginia Military Institute. Although the Governor is ex officio the commander-in-chief of the Institute, and no one may be declared a graduate without his signature, he delegates to the Board the responsibility for developing the Institute's policy. The Board appoints the Superintendent and approves appointment of members of the faculty and staff on the recommendation of the Superintendent. The Board may make bylaws and regulations for their own government and the management of the affairs of the Institute, and while the Institute is exempt from the Administrative Process Act in accordance with Va. Code § 2.2-4002(A)(6) (which exempts educational institutions operated by the Commonwealth), some of its regulations are codified at 8VAC 100. The Executive Committee conducts the business of the Board during recesses.

The Board has 17 members, including ex officio the Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Regular members are appointed by the Governor for a four-year term and may be reappointed once. Of the sixteen appointed members, twelve must be alumni of the Institute, eight of whom must be residents of Virginia and four must be non-residents; and the remaining four members must be non-alumni Virginia residents. The Executive Committee consists of the Board's President, three Vice Presidents, and one non-alumnus at large, and is appointed by the Board at each annual meeting.

Under the militia bill (the Virginia Code of 1860) officers of the Institute were recognized as part of the military establishment of the state, and the Governor had authority to issue commissions to them in accordance with Institute regulations. Current law makes provision for officers of the Virginia Militia to be subject to orders of the Governor. The cadets are a military corps (the Corps of Cadets) under the command of the Superintendent and under the administration of the Commandant of Cadets, and constitute the guard of the Institute.

History | Early history

In the years after the War of 1812, the state of Virginia built and maintained several arsenals to store weapons intended for use by the state militia in the event of invasion or insurrection. In the 1830s Lexington attorney John Thomas Lewis Preston belonged to a debate club known as the Franklin Society. In 1836 he made the case to the society that the arsenal in Lexington could be put to better use as a normal school for providing education on practical subjects, as well as military training to individuals who could be expected to serve as officers in the militia if needed.

After debate and rev ... [more on wikipedia]

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Virginia Military Institute", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

Virginia Military Institute Details

Virginia Military Institute Details
detail value
stateVirginia
conferenceBig South Conference
publicPublic
scores1695/1130/25
levelAboveAverage
rank[444
overall ROI rank[227
sizesmall
undergrads1700
grads0
price49096
drop29
stem31
research0
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Virginia Military Institute?

1. number 444 for Academics.

2. number 227 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Virginia Military Institute?

1. Ursinus College

2. Wofford College

3. University of the Sciences

4. University of Minnesota-Morris

5. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

6. Allegheny College

7. Eckerd College



National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Virginia Military Institute National Academic Rankings

Virginia Military Institute National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Div1 Public824754100999191945
State of Virginia109920158726


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

Virginia Military Institute Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Military Institute Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Virginia Military Institute
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
86.59
Ursinus CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateAboveAverage327378
86.50
Wofford CollegeSouth CarolinaSouthern ConferencePrivateAboveAverage340211
86.38
University of the SciencesPennsylvaniaCentral Atlantic Collegiate ConfPrivateAboveAverage338272
85.97
University of Minnesota-MorrisMinnesotaUpper Midwest Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage321161
85.71
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottArizonaNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage402205
85.60
Allegheny CollegePennsylvaniaNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage322411
85.44
Eckerd CollegeFloridaSunshine State ConferencePrivateAboveAverage495417
85.10
Westmont CollegeCaliforniaGolden State Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage311400
84.65
Birmingham Southern CollegeAlabamaSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage376268
84.61
Gustavus Adolphus CollegeMinnesotaMinnesota Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateAboveAverage239210
84.52
Grove City CollegePennsylvaniaPresidents' Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage235202
79.69
Berea CollegeKentuckyIndependent Southeast RegionPrivateAboveAverage497494
79.52
Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityNebraskaGreat Plains Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage481440
79.24
Alfred UniversityNew YorkEmpire EightPrivateAverage471475
77.59
Cornell CollegeIowaMidwest ConferencePrivateAboveAverage339327
77.31
Transylvania UniversityKentuckyHeartland Collegiate Athletic ...PrivateAboveAverage378417
77.30
Ohio Northern UniversityOhioOhio Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage332170
77.10
Madonna UniversityMichiganWolverine - Hoosier Athletic ConfPrivateAboveAverage418377
76.61
Hope CollegeMichiganMichigan Intercollegiate Athle...PrivateAboveAverage244227
76.61
Webster UniversityMissouriSt.Louis Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateAboveAverage458421
76.42
University of PortlandOregonWest Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage235245
76.31
University of the PacificCaliforniaWest Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage251344
76.12
Creighton UniversityNebraskaBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage273190
75.81
Mercer UniversityGeorgiaSouthern ConferencePrivateAboveAverage237242
75.80
Bradley UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage326177
75.56
Christopher Newport UniversityVirginiaUSA South Athletic Conference ...PublicAboveAverage268320
75.25
Truman State UniversityMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePublicAboveAverage208189
74.93
University of Michigan-FlintMichiganNo Conference AffiliationPublicAboveAverage189264
74.68
Marquette UniversityWisconsinBig East ConferencePrivateAboveAverage197121
74.66
University of DaytonOhioPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateAboveAverage278138
74.45
University of WyomingWyomingMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage250152
74.45
University of Northern IowaIowaMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAboveAverage252248
74.42
College of CharlestonSouth CarolinaColonial Athletic AssociationPublicAboveAverage219233
74.42
University of Missouri-Kansas CityMissouriWestern Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage197155
74.30
University of Alabama at BirminghamAlabamaConference USAPublicAboveAverage153148
74.28
Rowan UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage306392
74.21
University of Massachusetts-LowellMassachusettsAmerica EastPublicAboveAverage247275
74.19
Montana State UniversityMontanaBig Sky ConferencePublicAboveAverage217168
74.14
University of North FloridaFloridaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAboveAverage219214
74.02
Mississippi State UniversityMississippiSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage197130
74.01
University of Illinois at ChicagoIllinoisHorizon LeaguePublicAboveAverage159111
74.00
Drexel UniversityPennsylvaniaColonial Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage120134
73.99
Clemson UniversitySouth CarolinaAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAboveAverage9851
73.92
University of KansasKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage172130
73.90
University at BuffaloNew YorkMid American ConferencePublicAboveAverage124190
73.90
University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraskaBig Ten ConferencePublicAboveAverage11998
73.88
Auburn UniversityAlabamaSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage13979
73.87
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAboveAverage13754
73.86
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennesseeSoutheastern ConferencePublicAboveAverage116188
73.84
University of Massachusetts-AmherstMassachusettsMid - American Conference / At...PublicAboveAverage88144


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Virginia Military Institute Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Military Institute Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Virginia Military Institute
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
97.83
Saint Anselm CollegeNew HampshireNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage443423
96.12
Wittenberg UniversityOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage441295
96.12
University of Northern IowaIowaMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAboveAverage252248
92.80
North Dakota State UniversityNorth DakotaMissouri Valley Conference / T...PublicAverage261196
92.06
Illinois State UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage279222
92.06
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
91.37
Missouri State University-SpringfieldMissouriMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage301266
91.05
High Point UniversityNorth CarolinaBig South ConferencePrivateAverage448438
90.69
Portland State UniversityOregonBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage308408
89.35
Florida Atlantic UniversityFloridaConference USAPublicAverage305303
86.94
The University of Texas at San AntonioTexasConference USAPublicAverage330180
86.49
Bowling Green State UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage442351
86.38
Eastern Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicAverage445385
85.94
Cleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon LeaguePublicAverage440299
82.43
Western Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicBelowAverage446320
80.10
Montclair State UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicBelowAverage447463