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

Western Michigan University

2016 University Academic Rankings
"Western State Normal School" redirects here. For the institution in Maine formerly known as "Western State Normal School", see University of Maine at Farmington.

Western Michigan University (WMU) is a public research university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2014 semester, its enrollment was 23,914.

WMU has one of the largest aviation programs in the United States, and it is the site of the annual International Congress on Medieval Studies. The university's athletic teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are collectively known as the Western Michigan Broncos. They compete in the Mid-American Conference for most sports.

History

On May 27, 1903, Michigan Governor Aaron T. Bliss signed a bill authorizing the creation of the State's fourth teacher-training facility. The three other normal schools were in Ypsilanti (Eastern), Mount Pleasant (Central), and Marquette (Northern). Kalamazoo was chosen as the new school's location on August 28, 1903. Other locations considered included Allegan, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Decatur, Three Oaks, and Hastings. The first building, then known as the Administration Building, and now known as East Hall, was constructed in 1904.

The University was first officially known as Western State Normal School, and originally offered a two-year training program. The first principal and president was Dwight B. Waldo, who served from 1904 until 1936. The school was renamed several times throughout its early history, beginning with Western State Teachers College in 1927, Michigan College of Education in 1941, and Western Michigan College in 1955. On February 26, 1957, Governor G. Mennen Williams signed into law a bill making Western Michigan College the state's fourth public university, giving the school its current name of Western Michigan University.

Most of the oldest and original WMU buildings and "classrooms" are collectively known as East Campus, located directly East from the more centrally located "West Campus".

Access to the East Campus site was an issue because of the steep grade elevating it above the city. The Western State Normal Railroad was established in 1907 to carry students and staff up and down the hill via a funicular. It operated until 1949.

Campus | West Campus

West Campus is the primary and largest WMU campus in Kalamazoo, and is usually referred to as "Main Campus." Most of the university academic and administrative buildings are located on West Campus, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Haworth College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, College of Fine Arts, the Lee Honors College and Waldo Library. Many of the residence halls are found scattered throughout West Campus, while other dormitories (affectionately referred to as "The Valleys") are located adjacent to West Campus in Goldsworth Valley.

The Bernhard Center is a centrally located multi-purpose Student Union which provides student and community groups with meeting space. Located within the Bernhard Center is the Bronco Mall, a one-stop-shop for students which includes a large 24-hour computer lab, a food court and dining area, a full service bank, and one of two school bookstores. Waldo Library and the attached University Computing Center are located on West Campus, as is the Dalton Musical Center. Recently constructed buildings on West Campus include the Richmond Center for Visual Arts and the new Chemistry Building, which replaces aging McCracken Hall.

West Campus is also the site of Miller Auditorium. A large entertainment venue seating nearly 3500 people, it is Michigan's fourth largest auditorium. Miller Auditorium hosts many events ranging from popular musicals and concerts to gra ... [more on wikipedia]

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

Western Michigan University Details

Western Michigan University Details
detail value
stateMichigan
conferenceMid American Conference
publicPublic
scores1467/978/22
levelBelowAverage
rank[446
overall ROI rank[320
sizemedium
undergrads18889
grads5025
price37103
drop41
stem24
research24
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Western Michigan University?

1. number 446 for Academics.

2. number 320 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Western Michigan University?

1. Central Michigan University

2. Oakland University

3. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

4. East Carolina University

5. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

6. Northern Illinois University

7. Kent State University at Kent


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Western Michigan University National Academic Rankings

Western Michigan University National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Mid - American Conference12131311118759
Mid West Region899998504432325475
State of Michigan182926108551012


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

Western Michigan University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Western Michigan University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
92.76
Central Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicBelowAverage454402
92.64
Oakland UniversityMichiganHorizon LeaguePublicAverage417270
92.33
University of North Carolina at CharlotteNorth CarolinaDivision I-AA Independents / C...PublicAverage292207
92.33
East Carolina UniversityNorth CarolinaAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage312325
92.22
University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeWisconsinHorizon LeaguePublicBelowAverage420367
92.11
Northern Illinois UniversityIllinoisMid American ConferencePublicAverage435289
92.06
Kent State University at KentOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage347358
91.96
University of Nevada-Las VegasNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicBelowAverage421449
91.52
San Francisco State UniversityCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicBelowAverage428458
86.47
Eastern Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicAverage445385
86.39
University of Akron Main CampusOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage331251
86.26
Old Dominion UniversityVirginiaConference USAPublicAverage356368
86.20
Kansas State UniversityKansasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage249168
86.16
Western Kentucky UniversityKentuckyConference USAPublicBelowAverage491433
86.03
University of MemphisTennesseeAmerican Athletic ConferencePublicAverage359314
86.01
Oklahoma State UniversityOklahomaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage182124
85.78
University of New MexicoNew MexicoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage265153
85.68
University of ToledoOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage405285
85.63
University of LouisvilleKentuckyAtlantic Coast ConferencePublicAverage258224
85.58
West Virginia UniversityWest VirginiaBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage320192
85.57
CUNY Queens CollegeNew YorkEast Coast ConferencePublicAverage307400
85.34
Ohio UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage215174
85.28
Washington State UniversityWashingtonPacific 12 ConferencePublicAverage189193
84.99
University of Hawaii at ManoaHawaiiMountain West Conference / Big...PublicAverage204245
84.97
Georgia State UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage253230
84.94
Florida Atlantic UniversityFloridaConference USAPublicAverage305303
84.72
San Jose State UniversityCaliforniaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage386389
84.71
California State University-SacramentoCaliforniaBig Sky ConferencePublicBelowAverage453472
84.56
SUNY at AlbanyNew YorkColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage188218
83.54
California State University-NorthridgeCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicBelowAverage459474
79.97
University of California-RiversideCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage167212
79.85
Boise State UniversityIdahoMountain West ConferencePublicAverage389329
79.74
Illinois State UniversityIllinoisMissouri Valley ConferencePublicAverage279222
79.69
Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgiaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage254236
79.55
Middle Tennessee State UniversityTennesseeConference USAPublicAverage384372
79.28
University of Nevada-RenoNevadaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage289340
79.08
University of California-Santa CruzCaliforniaDivision III IndependentsPublicAverage157208
79.01
California State University-ChicoCaliforniaCalifornia Collegiate Athletic...PublicAverage392409
78.92
Indiana University-Purdue University-IndianapolisIndianaThe Summit LeaguePublicAverage427342
78.83
University of Louisiana at LafayetteLouisianaSun Belt ConferencePublicAverage350248
78.67
Kennesaw State UniversityGeorgiaAtlantic Sun ConferencePublicAverage290291
78.32
CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNew YorkCity University of New York At...PublicAverage296394
78.13
University of Rhode IslandRhode IslandColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage270328
77.86
University of New HampshireNew HampshireColonial Athletic Association ...PublicAverage221225
77.77
San Diego State UniversityCaliforniaMountain West ConferencePublicAverage183218
77.73
Texas Tech UniversityTexasBig Twelve ConferencePublicAverage176104
77.51
Cleveland State UniversityOhioHorizon LeaguePublicAverage440299
77.41
University of North DakotaNorth DakotaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage363266
77.31
California State University-Long BeachCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage318387
77.18
California State University-FullertonCaliforniaBig West ConferencePublicAverage362435


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Western Michigan University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Western Michigan University
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
97.85
Montclair State UniversityNew JerseyNew Jersey Athletic ConferencePublicBelowAverage447463
96.45
Eastern Michigan UniversityMichiganMid American ConferencePublicAverage445385
93.81
University of North Carolina at GreensboroNorth CarolinaSouthern ConferencePublicAverage449439
92.49
Bowling Green State UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage442351
88.82
High Point UniversityNorth CarolinaBig South ConferencePrivateAverage448438
88.00
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (Average)-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference-Conf-Average-458
86.98
John Carroll UniversityOhioOhio Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage449276
85.07
College Conference of Illinois and Wisc (Average)-College Conference of Illinois...-Conf-AboveAverage-386
84.53
Virginia Military InstituteVirginiaBig South ConferencePublicAboveAverage444227
83.79
Southern California Intercoll Ath Conf (Low)-Southern California Intercoll ...-Conf-AboveAverage-427
82.52
Saint Anselm CollegeNew HampshireNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage443423