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

Wofford College

2016 University Academic Rankings
Wofford College, established in 1854, is an independent, national liberal arts college of around 1,580 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic 175-acre (71 ha) campus is recognized as a national arboretum and is one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the American Civil War that still operates on its original campus. The College features “The Village," which provides distinctive apartment-style housing for seniors, and is listed on the President's Community Service Honor Roll and in the annual “Open Doors" report for providing studies abroad opportunities for its students.

Wofford was founded with a bequest of $100,000 from the Rev. Benjamin Wofford (1780-1850), a Methodist minister and Spartanburg native who sought to create a college for "literary, classical, and scientific education in my native district of Spartanburg." The college's Main Building is the oldest structure on campus and was designed by the noted Charleston architect Edward C. Jones. In 1941, the college was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest academic honor society, and the Beta of South Carolina chapter was the first at a private college in South Carolina.

Wofford is ranked 77th in US News & World Report for best national liberal arts colleges, and Wofford has improved in those rankings in the last 10 years. In 2010, Forbes ranked it 58th on Forbes List of America's 650 Best Colleges.

Overview

Operating continuously on its original campus in the City of Spartanburg, the Wofford College Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The campus now consists of 48 buildings on 175 acres (71 ha). In 2002, The entire campus was designated as an arboretum, and Wofford is a member of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. The campus has been designated as "the Roger Milliken Arboretum."

Wofford has a 78 percent four-year graduation rate (82.3 graduate within 6 years) and in 2009, a 37% percent alumni giving rate. The mid-50% SAT range of the class that entered in 2010 was 1,160-1,340. 56 percent of the incoming freshman class in 2010 finished in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Wofford's performance on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) ranks with the nation's best colleges and universities. Details may be found in “Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter," by George D. Kuh, Jillian Kinzie and Associates (San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, 2nd edition, 2010). In 2010, Forbes ranked it 58th in America's Best Colleges.

Wofford College Historic District

The Wofford College Historic District consists of the Main Building, which was designed by Edward C. Jones in the Italianate style, and six two-story brick residences. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Gold, Black, and Green

A number of recent “green highlights" for Wofford have included the establishment of a campus Office of Community Sustainability; the work toward finalizing the campus Climate Action Plan; the college's Sustainable Living Initiative aimed at residence halls and other areas of student life; the development of the interdisciplinary environmental studies program; the renovation and restoration of the old Glendale Mill office into the Goodall Environmental Studies Center, the first academic building in South Carolina to be LEED Platinum certified; and the Wofford Santee Cooper Lecture Series on Sustainability and Energy.

Academics | Faculty

One hundred thirty-six full-time faculty teach at the college, 92 percent of whom have earned a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree. The FTE faculty to studen ... [more on wikipedia]

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

Wofford College Details

Wofford College Details
detail value
stateSouth Carolina
conferenceSouthern Conference
publicPrivate
scores1740/1160/26
levelAboveAverage
rank[340
overall ROI rank[211
sizesmall
undergrads1658
grads0
price51504
drop20
stem23
research0
scores validTrue
Common Questions...

What are the academic rankings for Wofford College?

1. number 340 for Academics.

2. number 211 for ROI (Return on Investment).

What universities are similar to Wofford College?

1. Ursinus College

2. University of the Sciences

3. Simmons College

4. Berea College

5. Virginia Military Institute

6. Lake Forest College

7. Wagner College


National Academic Rankings

(summary of all ranking placements)

Wofford College National Academic Rankings

Wofford College National Academic Rankings
category rank scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI
Div1 Nonivy100636510010090904381
Div1 Private413535474331311932
South East Region653944908748472341
State of South Carolina5551674423
Top Ten State of South Carolina5551073324


Peer Universities / Similar Universities

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

Wofford College Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Wofford College

Wofford College Peer Universities, Similar Universities to Wofford College
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
86.58
Ursinus CollegePennsylvaniaCentennial ConferencePrivateAboveAverage327378
86.55
University of the SciencesPennsylvaniaCentral Atlantic Collegiate ConfPrivateAboveAverage338272
86.52
Simmons CollegeMassachusettsGreat Northeast Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage376452
86.52
Berea CollegeKentuckyIndependent Southeast RegionPrivateAboveAverage497494
86.50
Virginia Military InstituteVirginiaBig South ConferencePublicAboveAverage444227
86.46
Lake Forest CollegeIllinoisMidwest ConferencePrivateAboveAverage481495
86.06
Wagner CollegeNew YorkNortheast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage385412
85.90
Washington CollegeMarylandCentennial ConferencePrivateAboveAverage424482
85.82
University of Minnesota-MorrisMinnesotaUpper Midwest Athletic ConferencePublicAboveAverage321161
85.77
Coe CollegeIowaIowa Intercollegiate Athletic ConfPrivateAboveAverage375340
85.67
Wittenberg UniversityOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage441295
85.46
Allegheny CollegePennsylvaniaNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage322411
85.31
Eckerd CollegeFloridaSunshine State ConferencePrivateAboveAverage495417
85.30
Berry CollegeGeorgiaSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage390412
85.23
Westmont CollegeCaliforniaGolden State Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage311400
85.21
Saint Michael's CollegeVermontNortheast 10 ConferencePrivateAboveAverage329452
85.14
Austin CollegeTexasSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateAboveAverage291415
84.99
DePauw UniversityIndianaNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage304173
84.86
Rockhurst UniversityMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage404250
84.76
Birmingham Southern CollegeAlabamaSouthern Athletic AssociationPrivateAboveAverage376268
84.64
Concordia College at MoorheadMinnesotaMinnesota Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateAboveAverage430444
84.61
Presbyterian CollegeSouth CarolinaBig South ConferencePrivateAboveAverage-1-1
84.50
Gustavus Adolphus CollegeMinnesotaMinnesota Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateAboveAverage239210
79.88
St Mary's College of MarylandMarylandCapital Athletic ConferencePublicGood275409
79.37
Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityNebraskaGreat Plains Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage481440
79.21
Kalamazoo CollegeMichiganMichigan Intercollegiate Athle...PrivateGood285415
79.09
Alfred UniversityNew YorkEmpire EightPrivateAverage471475
78.73
The College of WoosterOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateGood277317
78.57
Beloit CollegeWisconsinMidwest ConferencePrivateGood250233
78.27
Trinity UniversityTexasSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateGood212170
78.19
Denison UniversityOhioNorth Coast Athletic ConferencePrivateGood204170
77.78
Hampden-Sydney CollegeVirginiaOld Dominion Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage487498
77.74
Grove City CollegePennsylvaniaPresidents' Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage235202
77.70
Cornell CollegeIowaMidwest ConferencePrivateAboveAverage339327
77.53
William Jewell CollegeMissouriGreat Lakes Valley ConferencePrivateAboveAverage387344
77.41
Transylvania UniversityKentuckyHeartland Collegiate Athletic ...PrivateAboveAverage378417
77.30
Messiah CollegePennsylvaniaMiddle Atlantic States Athleti...PrivateAboveAverage387436
77.27
California Lutheran UniversityCaliforniaSouthern California Intercoll ...PrivateAboveAverage481488
77.02
Mills CollegeCaliforniaNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage429486
76.86
Siena CollegeNew YorkMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage462479
76.72
Seattle Pacific UniversityWashingtonGreat Northwest Athletic ConferencePrivateAboveAverage383384
76.71
Ripon CollegeWisconsinMidwest ConferencePrivateAboveAverage431450
76.68
Cedarville UniversityOhioPrivateAboveAverage287278
76.64
Warren Wilson CollegeNorth CarolinaNo Conference AffiliationPrivateAboveAverage470492
76.53
Hope CollegeMichiganMichigan Intercollegiate Athle...PrivateAboveAverage244227
76.53
Webster UniversityMissouriSt.Louis Intercollegiate Ath ConfPrivateAboveAverage458421
76.34
University of PortlandOregonWest Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage235245
76.24
University of North Carolina at AshevilleNorth CarolinaBig South ConferencePublicAboveAverage242319
76.23
University of the PacificCaliforniaWest Coast ConferencePrivateAboveAverage251344
76.17
Calvin CollegeMichiganMichigan Intercollegiate Athle...PrivateAboveAverage255209


Academic Peer Universities / Similar Academics

(mathematically similar academics)

Wofford College Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Wofford College

Wofford College Academic Peer Universities, Similar Academic Universities to Wofford College
match image university state conference public level rank overall ROI
99.00
Butler UniversityIndianaPioneer Football League / Big ...PrivateAboveAverage349204
98.71
Cornell CollegeIowaMidwest ConferencePrivateAboveAverage339327
97.71
University of the SciencesPennsylvaniaCentral Atlantic Collegiate ConfPrivateAboveAverage338272
97.43
Southwestern UniversityTexasSouthern Collegiate Athletic C...PrivateAboveAverage342236
95.43
Samford UniversityAlabamaSouthern ConferencePrivateAboveAverage431272
95.43
State University of New York at New PaltzNew YorkState University of New York A...PublicAboveAverage341457
95.42
Stetson UniversityFloridaPioneer Football League / Atla...PrivateAboveAverage344395
93.75
Drake UniversityIowaPioneer Football League / Miss...PrivateAboveAverage263136
91.86
University of WyomingWyomingMountain West ConferencePublicAboveAverage250152
90.90
Valparaiso UniversityIndianaPioneer Football League / Hori...PrivateAverage407281
90.55
Presbyterian CollegeSouth CarolinaBig South ConferencePrivateAboveAverage-1-1
89.93
Ohio UniversityOhioMid American ConferencePublicAverage215174
89.59
America East (Low)-America East-Conf-Average-364
88.22
Monmouth UniversityNew JerseyBig South Conference / Metro A...PrivateAverage478477
87.91
Ball State UniversityIndianaMid American ConferencePublicAverage337326
87.59
Howard UniversityWashington DCMid Eastern Athletic ConferencePrivateAverage343429
84.82
Big Sky Conference (Low)-Big Sky Conference-Conf-Average-245
84.10
Northern Arizona UniversityArizonaBig Sky ConferencePublicAverage336333
82.90
Liberty UniversityVirginiaBig South ConferencePrivateAverage230248