Top Physics Grad Program Rankings- according to students

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on student-reviewed rankings of top physics graduate programs, highlighting the University of California-Santa Barbara as the highest-rated institution with a score of 9.467. Other notable programs include Brandeis University and the University of Pennsylvania, with scores of 9.133 and 9.100, respectively. The rankings are based on student happiness rather than pre-admission statistics, emphasizing the importance of personal fit in graduate education. The conversation also critiques the rankings for potential bias towards larger departments and suggests that visiting schools and speaking with current students can provide deeper insights.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of graduate program structures in physics
  • Familiarity with student satisfaction metrics
  • Knowledge of the significance of departmental size in academic environments
  • Experience with campus visit protocols for prospective graduate students
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the methodology behind student satisfaction rankings in higher education
  • Explore the unique attributes of large vs. small physics departments
  • Learn effective strategies for conducting campus visits and student interviews
  • Investigate the academic culture at top-ranked institutions like MIT and Harvard
USEFUL FOR

Prospective graduate students in physics, academic advisors, and education researchers interested in understanding student experiences and program evaluations in higher education.

jgrossman
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I came across these rankings for Top Physics Schools according to student reviews. Interesting!

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1 University of California-Santa Barbara 9.467
2 Brandeis University 9.133
3 University of Pennsylvania 9.100
4 Syracuse University 9.056
5 University of California-Los Angeles 9.050
6 Yale University 8.917
7 Cornell University 8.733
8 University of California, Davis 8.683
9 Columbia University, NY 8.667
10 Carnegie Mellon University 8.610
11 The University of Chicago 8.570
12 Boston University 8.422
13 Vanderbilt University 8.400
14 University of California-Berkeley 8.155
15 University of Virginia 8.133
16 University of Minnesota Twin Cities 8.000
17 Baylor University 7.978
18 Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) 7.767
19 Worcester Polytechnic Institute 7.733
20 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 7.727
21 Washington University in St. Louis 7.700
22 University of Kansas 7.600
23 Stony Brook University, SUNY 7.578
24 Purdue University-West Lafayette 7.567
25 University of Arizona 7.533
 
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Kinda useful I guess, but I don't really understand why anybody should care.
 
Arsenic&Lace said:
Kinda useful I guess, but I don't really understand why anybody should care.

Because the ranking is based on the level of happiness of the students in the program not the stats of the students before they step foot on campus. How happy you will be at a place is a useful consideration
 
Good to see I'm headed to one of the good ones. :)
 
jesse73 said:
Because the ranking is based on the level of happiness of the students in the program not the stats of the students before they step foot on campus. How happy you will be at a place is a useful consideration

I think a better way to find out about this is to talk to their grad students during the visit behind closed doors. That's when the honesty really kicks in, IME (after visiting 3 schools).

The rankings seem heavily biased in favor of very large physics departments, are the number of students responding to these queries taken into account? Where are the smaller departments? The ones I visited were mostly very happy with their experience, the only "bad" things I heard were due to personal reasons and not the school/faculty's shortcomings.
 
no mit?
 
462chevelle said:
no mit?

They're too focused to respond to an indirectly solicited survey. ;)
 
I think there are certain places that are best for a certain type of personality. MIT might be an example, and I heard Harvard is too among others. If you are very independent, self motivated, and assertive you will do very well. However if you need more guidance these are probably not the best places which is why some of the students feel isolated or unhappy.