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Glassdoor Reveals The Best Universities To Work For

By glassdoor.com
Posted Aug 17th 2011 @ 8:56AM
Updated Aug 24th 2011 @ 10:36AM
Filed under: New Grads, Education Center, Employment News & Trends

Best Universities To Work As college students get ready to head back to the classroom, thousands of university employees are already on campus, working hard as most of them do year-round.

By now, you've seen countless reports ranking the top universities in the nation, including the recently released "America's Top Colleges" report by Forbes Magazine. But, what about the employees?

For the first time, Glassdoor, a jobs and career community, has turned the tables on these rankings, by offering an inside look at what it's really like to work for more than 100 universities, from Arizona State to Yale, according to those who know best – the employees.

The results may surprise you:

Glassdoor data analysts found that The University of Kansas tops the list as the best university to work for with an overall rating of 4.2, followed by Iowa State University (4.1), Brigham Young University (4.1) and Georgia Tech (4.1). (The full report on how these universities compare to many others is below).
Interestingly, MIT is the only university to rank in the top 10 of both Forbes' "America's Top Colleges" report (#9) and Glassdoor's "Best Universities To Work For" report (tied at #5).
While Ivy League and other recognized universities are still among the highest on Forbes' "America's Top Colleges" report, the rankings of these schools vary on Glassdoor's "Best Universities To Work For" report: Brown University (#5 ranking, 4.0 rating), University of Pennsylvania (#9 ranking, 3.9 rating), Harvard University, Princeton University and University of Virginia (#14 tied ranking, 3.8 rating), Yale University, Stanford University and Duke University (#30 tied ranking, 3.7 rating).
Think bigger might be better? Not always true. Arizona State University, the nation's largest university for student enrollment, receives a 3.4 rating from its employees. The University of Central Florida, the second largest university in terms of enrollment, receives a 3.3 rating. However, Ohio State University, the nation's third largest university, receives a higher overall rating than the top two largest schools, with a 3.8 rating.

Largest Universities by Fall 2010 Enrollment

University	Employer Rating		President/Chancellor	President/Chancellor Approval Rating
Arizona State	3.4	OK	Michael M. Crow	54%
University of Central Florida	3.3	OK	John C. Hitt	93%
Ohio State University	3.8	Satisfied	Gordon Gee	90%
University of Minnesota	3.5	Satisfied	Eric W. Kaler	n/a
University of Texas at Austin	3.8	Satisfied	William Powers Jr.	82%
University of Florida	3.7	Satisfied	Bernie Machen	70%
Texas A&M	3.6	Satisfied	R. Bowen Loftin	n/a
University of South Florida	3.6	Satisfied	Judy L. Genshaft	73%
Michigan State	4.0	Satisfied	Lou Anna K. Simon	83%
Penn State	3.6	Satisfied	Graham B. Spanier	75%

What makes these universities standout among employees? Here's what several employees had to say:

"Relative autonomy and ability to create projects. Excellent work environment. Am given the resources necessary to complete my work efficiently and effectively. Management is open to new ideas as to how to improve operations." – University of Kansas Employee (location n/a)

"Lots of pride in working for a great institution. Benefits have remained solid even through tough economic/budgetary times" – Iowa State University Program Coordinator (Ames, IA)

"The employee comes first. Easy to balance work and life. The school has a rapidly growing reputation" – Brigham Young University Analyst (Provo, UT)

"Top technical institute in science, technology and engineering. Compared to best in the world. Top class well known faculty to advise." – Georgia Tech Employee (Atlanta, GA)

University/College Employer Comparison

University/College	Employer Rating		President/Chancellor	President/Chancellor Approval Rating
Arizona State	3.4	OK	Michael M. Crow	54%
Baylor College of Medicine	2.9	OK	Dr. Paul Klotman	60%
Boston University	3.5	OK	Robert A. Brown	86%
Brigham Young University (BYU)	4.1	Very Satisfied	Cecil O. Samuelson	100%
Brown University	4.0	Satisfied	Ruth J. Simmons	85%
Carnegie Mellon University	3.8	Satisfied	Jared L. Cohon	96%
Case Western Reserve University	3.6	Satisfied	Barbara R. Snyder	100%
Columbia University	3.4	OK	Lee C. Bollinger	90%
Cornell University	4.0	Satisfied	David J. Skorton	90%
DePaul University	3.7	Satisfied	Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider	79%
DeVry University	2.8	OK	David J. Pauldine	n/a
Drexel University	3.4	OK	John A. Fry	100%
Duke University	3.7	Satisfied	Dick Brodhead	92%
Emory University	3.2	OK	Jim Wagner	85%
Florida International University	3.7	Satisfied	Mark B. Rosenberg	70%
Florida State University	3.8	Satisfied	Eric J. Barron*	100%
George Mason University	3.6	Satisfied	Alan G. Merten	100%
George Washington University	3.5	Satisfied	Steven Knapp	91%
Georgetown University	3.5	OK	Jack DeGioia	75%
Georgia Tech	4.1	Very Satisfied	Bud Peterson	100%
Harvard University	3.8	Satisfied	Drew Gilpin Faust	83%
Indiana University	3.7	Satisfied	Michael McRobbie	82%
Iowa State University	4.1	Very Satisfied	Gregory L. Geoffroy	100%
ITT Technical Institute	2.2	OK	Kevin M. Modany	n/a
Johns Hopkins	3.8	Satisfied	Ronald J. Daniels*	100%
Kaplan University	2.6	OK	Wade Dyke	n/a
LSU (Louisiana State University)	3.5	Satisfied	John V. Lombardi	n/a
Michigan State	4.0	Satisfied	Lou Anna K. Simon	83%
MIT	4.0	Satisfied	Susan Hockfield	92%
North Carolina State University	3.9	Satisfied	W. Randolph Woodson*	100%
Northwestern University	3.6	Satisfied	Morton Schapiro	n/a
NYU (New York University)	3.6	Satisfied	John E. Sexton	74%
Ohio State University	3.8	Satisfied	Gordon Gee	90%
Oklahoma State	3.5	Satisfied	V. Burns Hargis	100%
Penn State	3.6	Satisfied	Graham B. Spanier	75%
Princeton University	3.8	Satisfied	Shirley M. Tilghman	100%
Purdue University	3.7	Satisfied	France A. Córdova	89%
Rutgers University	3.5	OK	Richard L. McCormick	50%
Stanford University	3.7	Satisfied	John L. Hennessy	89%
Stony Brook	3.6	Satisfied	Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D.	n/a
Strayer University	2.8	OK	Sondra F. Stallard	75%
SUNY Buffalo	3.9	Satisfied	Satish K. Tripathi	n/a
Temple University	3.6	Satisfied	Ann Weaver Hart	85%
Texas A&M	3.6	Satisfied	R. Bowen Loftin	n/a
Texas Tech	3.3	OK	Guy Bailey	59%
The University of Kansas	4.2	Very Satisfied	Bernadette Gray-Little	100%
UC Berkeley	3.5	OK	Robert J. Birgeneau	60%
UC Davis	3.8	Satisfied	Linda Katehi	86%
UC Irvine	3.7	Satisfied	Michael V. Drake*	75%
UC Riverside	3.5	OK	Timothy P. White	n/a
UC San Diego	3.7	Satisfied	Marye Anne Fox	n/a
UC Santa Barbara	3.8	Satisfied	Gene Lucas	n/a
UCLA	3.6	Satisfied	Gene D. Block	80%
UCSF (University of California, San Francisco)	3.4	OK	Susan Desmond-Hellmann	90%
University of Alabama	3.5	Satisfied	Robert E. Witt*	100%
University of Arizona	3.8	Satisfied	Dr. Eugene G. Sander*	n/a
University of British Colombia	3.5	OK	Stephen J. Toope	50%
University of Central Florida	3.3	OK	John C. Hitt	93%
University of Chicago	3.2	OK	Bob Zimmer	67%
University of Cincinnati	3.3	OK	Gregory H. Williams*	88%
University of Colorado	3.6	Satisfied	Bruce D. Benson*	89%
University of Connecticut	3.7	Satisfied	Susan Herbst	n/a
University of Delaware	3.9	Satisfied	Patrick T. Harker*	n/a>
University of Florida	3.7	Satisfied	Bernie Machen	70%
University of Georgia	3.4	OK	Michael F. Adams	36%
University of Houston	3.7	Satisfied	Renu Khator	93%
University of Illinois at Chicago	3.2	OK	Paula Allen-Meares	n/a
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne	3.9	Satisfied	Dr. Robert Easter	n/a
University of Iowa	3.6	Satisfied	Sally K. Mason*	100%
University of Kentucky	3.8	Satisfied	Lee T. Todd Jr.	85%
University of Louisville	3.5	Satisfied	James R. Ramsey	92%
University of Maryland	3.6	Satisfied	Wallace D. Loh	n/a
University of Massachusetts	3.4	OK	Robert C. Holub	n/a
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey	3.3	OK	William F. Owen Jr.	n/a
University of Miami	3.0	OK	Donna E. Shalala	100%
University of Michigan	3.8	Satisfied	Mary Sue Coleman	92%
University of Minnesota	3.5	Satisfied	Eric W. Kaler	n/a
University of Missouri	3.7	Satisfied	Stephen J. Owens*	n/a
University of Nebraska	3.7	Satisfied	Harvey Perlman	100%
University of North Carolina	3.6	Satisfied	Holden Thorp*	100%
University of Oklahoma	3.6	Satisfied	David L. Boren	92%
University of Pennsylvania	3.9	Satisfied	Amy Gutmann	95
University of Phoenix	2.8	OK	Dr. William Pepicello	49%
University of Pittsburgh	3.4	OK	Mark A. Nordenberg	90%
University of South Florida	3.6	Satisfied	Judy L. Genshaft	73%
University of Southern California	3.8	Satisfied	C.L. Max Nikias*	100%
University of Tennessee	3.4	OK	Jan Simek	n/a
University of Texas at Arlington	3.7	Satisfied	James D. Spaniolo	94%
University of Texas at Austin	3.8	Satisfied	William Powers Jr.	82%
University of Texas System	3.5	OK	Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.*	67%
University of Toronto	3.6	Satisfied	David Naylor	81%
University of Utah	3.7	Satisfied	A. Lorris Betz, M.D., Ph.D.	n/a
University of Virginia	3.8	Satisfied	Teresa Sullivan*	100%
University of Washington	3.5	OK	Phyllis M. Wise*	67%
University of Waterloo	3.8	Satisfied	Feridun Hamdullahpur	n/a
University of Wisconsin	3.7	Satisfied	David Ward	n/a
Virginia Tech	3.7	Satisfied	Charles W. Steger	84%
Washington State University	3.4	OK	Elson S. Floyd*	89%
Washington University in St. Louis	3.8	Satisfied	Mark S. Wrighton	100%
Wayne State	3.4	OK	Jay Noren	77%
Yale University	3.7	Satisfied	Richard C. Levin	95%

Based on universities/colleges with at least 20 employee reviews between 7/31/09 - 8/01/11.
* Indicates president/chancellor with less than ten reviews

Do you work at a college or university? Share a company review on Glassdoor and tell us what you like about your company and what could be improved.

Report based on universities and colleges with at least 20 employee reviews between 8/1/2009 -7/31/2011. Ratings are based on a 5-point scale; 5.0 – 4.01 = Employees are "Very Satisfied", 4.0 – 3.51 = Employees are "Satisfied", 3.5 – 2.51 = Employees say it's "OK", 1.51 – 2.5 = Employees are "Dissatisfied, 0.0 – 1.5 = Employees are "Very Dissatisfied."

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Tags: approval ratings, Brigham Young University, college, employees, georgia tech, iowa state university, rankings, university, University of Kansas

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