PhD Program Rankings

The National Research Council (NRC) study of Research-Doctorate Programs is one of the most authoritative and widely recognized analyses of the state of doctoral education in the United States. First conducted in 1995 and updated in 2010, the NRC study offers an in-depth assessment of the quality and performance of research-doctorate programs across numerous academic disciplines. This study is a vital resource for prospective graduate students, university administrators, policymakers, and research foundations, as it evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of institutions in terms of their research output, faculty expertise, graduate training, and the overall educational environment. For many years, it has served as one of the most comprehensive measures of doctoral program quality in the United States, and its findings continue to shape the landscape of American higher education.

The NRC’s rankings are derived from a rigorous methodology that takes into account a wide range of factors relevant to doctoral programs. These factors include the faculty's research productivity, the quality of their publications, the level of external funding received by the department, and the success of graduates in securing academic and non-academic positions. Furthermore, the NRC considers the diversity of the student body, the overall resources available to students, the quality of mentoring, and the reputation of the program within the academic community. This multidimensional approach ensures that the rankings reflect a broad and nuanced view of a program’s strength, rather than relying solely on traditional metrics like citation counts or funding levels. The NRC’s focus on these diverse indicators is one of the reasons why its rankings are considered by many to be the most comprehensive and reliable evaluation of doctoral programs in the United States.

The 2010 NRC study, which was the most recent update, used a range of 20 indicators to assess the quality of over 4,500 doctoral programs in 62 different fields across the U.S. The study employed a “peer review” methodology, gathering input from thousands of faculty members, administrators, and students across the country. These experts provided insights on program strengths, faculty mentoring, student satisfaction, and academic reputation, which were then combined with more quantitative metrics, such as research funding, publication impact, and graduate placement success. The 2010 NRC report presented its findings using a set of rankings based on weighted scores for each field, giving both absolute rankings (for each individual program) and a “range” of rankings to reflect the variability in program performance.

One of the key features of the NRC study is its use of a “z-score” model, which normalizes the data to account for differences in program size, discipline, and research focus. This ensures that smaller, more specialized programs are not unfairly penalized in comparison to larger programs. The rankings also take into account the quality of doctoral training in specific fields, such as the social sciences, humanities, life sciences, and physical sciences. Each discipline has different metrics for evaluating program quality, making the NRC rankings a highly tailored resource for students seeking advanced study in specific academic areas.

For many graduate students, the NRC rankings offer a vital tool for comparing doctoral programs across the United States. Prospective students often rely on these rankings to help identify programs that offer the best resources, training opportunities, and mentorship in their chosen field. The rankings also provide valuable insights into the institutions’ research environments and the level of academic and professional support students can expect to receive. In fields like physics, biology, and engineering, where research facilities and faculty expertise are critical for success, the NRC rankings are especially valuable for helping students choose programs that offer both academic rigor and practical, hands-on research opportunities.

In addition to helping students, the NRC rankings also serve as a vital tool for academic administrators, university leaders, and policymakers. These stakeholders use the rankings to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their own programs and identify areas where they need to invest in improving their doctoral education. The rankings also provide insight into broader trends in doctoral education, such as the increasing importance of interdisciplinary research and the growing role of technology in academic research. Universities that perform well in the NRC rankings often use this information as a point of pride and as a selling point to attract top-tier faculty, graduate students, and research funding. On the other hand, universities that perform poorly in the rankings may use the data to identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to strengthen their doctoral programs.

Research foundations and funding agencies also closely follow the NRC rankings when making decisions about where to allocate grants and funding. Since the NRC study includes detailed information about the research productivity and external funding of doctoral programs, foundations can use this data to identify programs that are most likely to produce high-impact research and generate new knowledge. For government agencies and private organizations that fund scientific research, the NRC rankings provide a wealth of information about where to direct financial resources to support innovation and advancement in various fields. Universities that rank highly in the NRC’s study are often able to attract more external funding, which in turn enhances their ability to provide students with better research opportunities, facilities, and academic resources.

The NRC rankings have a significant impact on the global academic community as well. International students seeking to pursue doctoral programs in the United States often use the NRC rankings as a way of evaluating the relative quality of U.S. universities. Given the prestige of U.S. doctoral programs, international students are drawn to universities that are highly ranked in the NRC study, as they often perceive these programs as offering the best opportunities for research training, networking, and future employment. Moreover, universities outside of the U.S. frequently consult the NRC rankings when establishing partnerships with U.S. institutions, as the rankings offer a clear picture of which American universities are leading in particular fields of study.