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 Puerto Rico University Academic Rankings

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

2016 Puerto Rico University Academic Rankings

2016 Puerto Rico 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
11.00
PublicUniversity of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasPuerto RicoIndependent Southeast Region111111111111784|742.58|351940|811766|74300|01.00|99297545|151.00|991784/1189/27AboveAverage14362.9501236232973510015345True
21.81
PublicUniversity of Puerto Rico-CayeyPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation222211111321636|682.70|331564|651293|54300|01.00|99285825|142.50|981636/1090/25Average16492.80036870351000True
33.33
PrivatePontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-PoncePuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation355511111221565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99287015|142.50|981565/1043/23Unknown10592.800586522143190014154False
33.33
PrivateInter American University of Puerto Rico-San GermanPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation355511111641565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99285615|144.50|961565/1043/23Unknown32602.80044537703190014504False
33.33
PrivateInter American University of Puerto Rico-AreciboPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation355511111751565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99277196|145.00|951565/1043/23Unknown24722.8004248465319000False
33.33
PrivateInter American University of Puerto Rico-MetroPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation355511111751565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99277196|145.00|951565/1043/23Unknown29712.80070162633319000False
33.33
PrivateUniversidad Del TuraboPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation355511111751565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99277196|145.00|951565/1043/23Unknown0772.800145962729319000False
33.33
PrivateUniversidad MetropolitanaPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation355511111751565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99277196|145.00|951565/1043/23Unknown0742.800115292244319000False
33.33
PrivateUniversidad Politecnica de Puerto RicoPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation355511111751565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99277196|145.00|951565/1043/23Unknown100752.8003788719319000False
33.33
PrivateUniversidad del Sagrado CorazonPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation35551111112121565|654.00|0-2400|0-2400|0300|01.00|99263711|137.50|931565/1043/23Unknown29632.80046436183190019980False
114.60
PublicUniversity of Puerto Rico-AguadillaPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation11344111113101552|652.86|291355|561054|44300|01.00|99285825|147.00|931552/1035/23Average11652.80029270351000True
114.60
PublicUniversity of Puerto Rico-CarolinaPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation12433111113101536|642.89|281472|611169|49300|01.00|99285825|147.00|931536/1024/23Average0692.80038430351000True

Common Questions...

What are the best colleges in Puerto Rico?

1. University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

2. University of Puerto Rico-Cayey

3. Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro

7. Universidad Del Turabo

2016 Top 10 Puerto Rico University Academic Rankings

2016 Top 10 Puerto Rico 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
11.00PublicUniversity of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasPuerto RicoIndependent Southeast Region111111111784/1189/27AboveAverage14362.9501236232973510015345
21.81PublicUniversity of Puerto Rico-CayeyPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation222211321636/1090/25Average16492.80036870351000
32.33PrivatePontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-PoncePuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation333311221565/1043/23Unknown10592.800586522143190014154
32.33PrivateInter American University of Puerto Rico-San GermanPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation333311441565/1043/23Unknown32602.80044537703190014504
32.33PrivateInter American University of Puerto Rico-AreciboPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation333311551565/1043/23Unknown24722.8004248465319000
32.33PrivateInter American University of Puerto Rico-MetroPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation333311551565/1043/23Unknown29712.80070162633319000
32.33PrivateUniversidad Del TuraboPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation333311551565/1043/23Unknown0772.800145962729319000
32.33PrivateUniversidad MetropolitanaPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation333311551565/1043/23Unknown0742.800115292244319000
32.33PrivateUniversidad Politecnica de Puerto RicoPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation333311551565/1043/23Unknown100752.8003788719319000
32.33PrivateUniversidad del Sagrado CorazonPuerto RicoNo Conference Affiliation33331110101565/1043/23Unknown29632.80046436183190019980