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

State of Oregon University Academic Rankings

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examples: Yale "Wake Forest" "Big Ten" TX NC

2016 Oregon University Academic Rankings

2016 Oregon University Academic Rankings
rank value image public university state conference scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research r pop r stem r other salary ROI overall ROI scores value difficulty value smartest value brainpower value faculty value research value salary ROI value overall ROI value scores level stem drop gpa avg research undergrads grads salary price scores valid
12.67
PrivateReed CollegeOregonNo Conference Affiliation114244444112084|871.45|641769|741838|77300|04.00|961212289|611.00|992084/1390/31Excellent28193.1501374204760061910True
23.00
PublicOregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 Conference851121111321640|682.64|341923|801846|7798|671.00|991040299|522.50|981640/1093/25Average36362.802292390349834860041765True
34.00
PrivateLewis & Clark CollegeOregonNorthwest Conference227544444531967|822.37|411534|641639|68300|04.00|96934469|474.00|961967/1311/30Excellent19273.250217913254120057690True
34.00
PublicUniversity of OregonOregonPacific 12 Conference5112312232951650|692.84|291910|801826|7656|812.00|98891509|456.00|941650/1100/25AboveAverage13322.951012055935374330045375True
54.17
PrivateUniversity of PortlandOregonWest Coast Conference335644444441790|752.54|361731|721516|63300|04.00|961035396|524.50|961790/1193/27AboveAverage21242.95036744695020056202True
65.83
PrivateWillamette UniversityOregonNorthwest Conference4412744444651783|742.58|351165|491315|55300|04.00|96911105|466.00|941783/1188/27AboveAverage15222.95021666144200057046True
76.00
PublicPortland State UniversityOregonBig Sky Conference1283433323871565|652.79|301864|781777|74153|492.67|97900815|457.50|931565/1043/23Average57552.80582213655604360039018True
87.50
PrivateGeorge Fox UniversityOregonNorthwest Conference10710104444412101595|662.77|311267|531093|46300|04.00|96799149|4010.00|901595/1063/24Average12372.800250912774440044730True
98.50
PrivatePacific UniversityOregonNorthwest Conference71014124444415131645|692.83|29890|371068|44300|04.00|96739328|3712.00|881645/1097/25AboveAverage17382.950184018004070052296True
98.50
PrivateLinfield College-McMinnville CampusOregonNorthwest Conference961513444441091610|672.75|31820|341003|42300|04.00|96875617|449.50|911610/1073/24Average13272.800168304360049796True
119.00
PrivateMultnomah UniversityOregonNo Conference Affiliation51313154444416141650|692.88|28900|38900|38300|04.00|96500193|2513.50|871650/1100/25AboveAverage0532.9504183353190035948True
119.00
PublicSouthern Oregon UniversityOregonFrontier Conference / Cascade ...1314684444411111505|632.90|281552|651206|50300|04.00|96822688|4111.00|891505/1003/23Average33642.80054065483950036606True
139.40
PublicOregon Institute of TechnologyOregonCascade Collegiate Conference14128944444271490|622.85|291457|611133|47300|04.00|961132871|577.50|931490/993/22Average100562.8004205555850037655True
1410.80
PrivateCorban UniversityOregonCascade Collegiate Conference11916144444418171574|662.83|29748|31910|38300|04.00|96477457|2416.00|841574/1049/24Average3502.8009371883190041632True
1511.60
PublicWestern Oregon UniversityOregonGreat Northwest Athletic Conference17179114444414151420|593.02|241445|601077|45300|04.00|96753175|3814.50|861420/947/21BelowAverage19582.800498610633920035847True
1612.89
PrivateConcordia University-PortlandOregonCascade Collegiate Conference14151717444447121490|622.92|27580|24777|32300|04.00|96908357|4511.50|891490/993/22Average11492.800125761784090038700True
1713.40
PublicEastern Oregon UniversityOregonFrontier Conference / Cascade ...181811164444413161390|583.05|241245|52819|34300|04.00|96758435|3815.00|851390/927/21BelowAverage23642.80033483053780031621True
1814.40
PrivateNorthwest Christian UniversityOregonCascade Collegiate Conference161618184444417181460|612.97|26520|22582|24300|04.00|96487105|2417.50|831460/973/22BelowAverage15502.8004962093190039220True

Common Questions...

What are the best colleges in Oregon?

1. Reed College

2. Oregon State University

3. Lewis & Clark College

4. University of Oregon

5. University of Portland

6. Willamette University

7. Portland State University

2016 Top 10 Oregon University Academic Rankings

2016 Top 10 Oregon University Academic Rankings
rank value public name state conference scores difficulty smartest brainpower faculty research salary ROI overall ROI scores level stem drop gpa avg research undergrads grads salary price
12.67PrivateReed CollegeOregonNo Conference Affiliation114244112084/1390/31Excellent28193.1501374204760061910
23.00PublicOregon State UniversityOregonPacific 12 Conference851121221640/1093/25Average36362.802292390349834860041765
33.67PublicUniversity of OregonOregonPacific 12 Conference592312751650/1100/25AboveAverage13322.951012055935374330045375
43.83PrivateLewis & Clark CollegeOregonNorthwest Conference226544431967/1311/30Excellent19273.250217913254120057690
54.17PrivateUniversity of PortlandOregonWest Coast Conference335644331790/1193/27AboveAverage21242.95036744695020056202
65.17PrivateWillamette UniversityOregonNorthwest Conference448744561783/1188/27AboveAverage15222.95021666144200057046
75.40PublicPortland State UniversityOregonBig Sky Conference1073433671565/1043/23Average57552.80582213655604360039018
86.33PrivateGeorge Fox UniversityOregonNorthwest Conference967844881595/1063/24Average12372.800250912774440044730
97.00PrivateMultnomah UniversityOregonNo Conference Affiliation5109104410101650/1100/25AboveAverage0532.9504183353190035948
97.00PrivatePacific UniversityOregonNorthwest Conference7810944991645/1097/25AboveAverage17382.950184018004070052296