2000 National Doctoral Program Survey

The 2000 National Doctoral Program Survey Released October 17, 2001
Tell a friend!

Survey Home > Choose Program Type > Choose Criteria > Rankings

Note: This study is an observational study, not a controlled experiment. Participants were self-selected, and as a result their responses may not fully reflect the opinions of the entire graduate student population. Participants' educational affiliations were not verified. Learn more about the survey sample and methods.

Physics Programs Ranked by Custom Criterion

Programs are grouped into quartiles and then ordered alphabetically. Click on a program name to see student comments and responses to individual questions for that program.

Choose a different ranking criterion
Rank a different type of program

Letter grades
Survey methods



Column abbreviations

Q	Quartile	Guidance	Career Guidance & Placement Services
N	Number of responses	TTD	Controlling Time to Degree
Info	Information for Prospective Students	Mentoring	Mentoring
Breadth	Preparation for a Broad Range of Careers	Climate	Program Climate
TA Prep	Teaching and TA Preparation	Satisfaction	Overall Satisfaction
Prof Dev	Professional Development

The average letter grade for each column is shown in black.
Green letter grades are higher than the average letter grade for each column.
Red letter grades are lower than the average letter grade for each column.

Physics Programs Ranked by Custom Criterion
First quartile (70 - 100 points), listed alphabetically

Q Program Custom Criterion         N   Info Breadth TA Prep Prof Dev Guidance TTD Mentoring Climate Satisfaction

(Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=5)

1 Boston University,
Physics Department B
74 points 22 B-
64 pts C+
55 pts C+
54 pts B-
59 pts C+
57 pts B-
60 pts B+
77 pts B-
61 pts B
74 pts

1 Cornell University, Ithaca Campus,
Physics Graduate Field B+
78 points 22 B
64 pts B
69 pts B
68 pts C+
58 pts B-
63 pts B-
62 pts B+
76 pts B+
74 pts B+
78 pts

1 Iowa State University,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
73 points 13 B
65 pts B-
63 pts B
70 pts B
65 pts C
52 pts C+
54 pts B+
78 pts B
66 pts B
73 pts

1 North Carolina State University at Raleigh,
Physics Department B+
75 points 11 C+
59 pts B-
61 pts C
49 pts C+
56 pts C
54 pts B
65 pts B
74 pts B-
63 pts B+
74 pts

1 Ohio State University, Main Campus,
Physics Department B+
78 points 14 B
69 pts B
64 pts B-
62 pts B-
60 pts C+
55 pts B
73 pts B+
76 pts B
71 pts B+
77 pts

1 Ohio University, All Campuses,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
73 points 11 B
71 pts B
66 pts B
71 pts B
71 pts B-
59 pts B
71 pts A-
81 pts B
73 pts B
72 pts

1 Rutgers the State Univ of NJ New Brunswick,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
72 points 14 B
72 pts B
71 pts B-
61 pts B
64 pts B-
63 pts A
84 pts A-
83 pts B
67 pts B
72 pts

1 Texas Christian University,
Physics and Astronomy Department B+
77 points 14 B
73 pts B+
75 pts B
68 pts B
68 pts C+
59 pts B
70 pts A
87 pts B
70 pts B+
77 pts

1 University of California-Santa Barbara,
Physics Department B
74 points 21 C+
59 pts C+
58 pts B-
60 pts C-
43 pts C+
54 pts C
53 pts B
72 pts B
68 pts B
73 pts

1 University of California-Santa Cruz,
Physics Department A-
81 points 10 B
66 pts B
68 pts B
71 pts C
52 pts B-
61 pts A-
79 pts B+
79 pts B+
77 pts A-
81 pts

1 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Physics Department B+
75 points 10 B-
60 pts B
67 pts C
51 pts C
53 pts C+
55 pts D+
38 pts B+
76 pts C+
58 pts B+
74 pts

1 University of Rochester,
Physics and Astronomy Department B+
79 points 32 B
73 pts B
70 pts B
69 pts B
65 pts B-
64 pts B
66 pts A-
79 pts B
73 pts B+
79 pts

Physics Programs Ranked by Custom Criterion
Second quartile (66 - 69 points), listed alphabetically

Q Program Custom Criterion         N   Info Breadth TA Prep Prof Dev Guidance TTD Mentoring Climate Satisfaction

(Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=5)

2 Dartmouth College,
Physics and Astronomy Deopartment B
69 points 13 B-
60 pts C+
57 pts C
51 pts C+
54 pts B-
59 pts B
71 pts B+
76 pts B-
60 pts B
68 pts

2 Johns Hopkins University,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
67 points 32 B-
62 pts C
53 pts C+
57 pts B-
60 pts C-
42 pts C-
43 pts B
70 pts B
67 pts B
66 pts

2 Pennsylvania State University, University Park,
Physics Department B
66 points 15 C+
54 pts B-
62 pts C
46 pts C
49 pts C-
42 pts B-
61 pts B
73 pts C+
58 pts B
65 pts

2 Stanford University,
Physics Department B
67 points 36 C+
57 pts B-
62 pts B-
61 pts C
52 pts C+
57 pts B-
61 pts B
71 pts B
65 pts B
67 pts

2 SUNY at Stony Brook, All Campuses,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
67 points 46 B-
63 pts B
64 pts C+
55 pts B-
64 pts C
52 pts B-
62 pts B
74 pts B-
63 pts B
67 pts

2 University of California-Berkeley,
Physics Department B
69 points 37 B
65 pts B
64 pts C+
56 pts C
50 pts B-
63 pts C+
56 pts B
69 pts B-
59 pts B
69 pts

2 University of California-Los Angeles,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
67 points 22 B-
62 pts C
48 pts C
54 pts C+
54 pts C
52 pts C
53 pts B
74 pts B
70 pts B
67 pts

2 University of Chicago,
Physics Department B
67 points 16 C
54 pts C+
56 pts C
48 pts C-
42 pts C
47 pts C+
59 pts B
65 pts B-
60 pts B
67 pts

2 University of Colorado at Boulder,
Physics Department B
66 points 19 C+
57 pts C+
59 pts C
46 pts C+
57 pts C+
54 pts C
51 pts B
67 pts C+
57 pts B
65 pts

2 University of Texas at Austin,
Physics Department B
68 points 32 C+
55 pts B-
64 pts C
49 pts C
45 pts C
46 pts C
50 pts B
71 pts B-
61 pts B
67 pts

2 University of Utah,
Chemistry Department B
69 points 25 C+
54 pts C+
56 pts C-
43 pts C+
56 pts C
50 pts C+
57 pts B
70 pts B-
59 pts B
68 pts

2 University of Washington - Seattle,
Geophysics Program B
69 points 13 B-
62 pts B-
61 pts C+
58 pts B-
64 pts C
47 pts B
68 pts A-
79 pts B
65 pts B
68 pts

2 Washington University in St. Louis,
Physics Department B
69 points 29 B
69 pts C+
54 pts C
49 pts C
50 pts C
50 pts B
66 pts B
72 pts B
66 pts B
68 pts

Physics Programs Ranked by Custom Criterion
Third quartile (60 - 65 points), listed alphabetically

Q Program Custom Criterion         N   Info Breadth TA Prep Prof Dev Guidance TTD Mentoring Climate Satisfaction

(Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=5)

3 Brown University,
Physics Department B
65 points 10 B
65 pts B-
60 pts C
51 pts C
51 pts C+
57 pts C+
56 pts A-
79 pts C+
56 pts B
64 pts

3 Duke University,
Physics Department B-
62 points 20 C+
57 pts C
46 pts C-
39 pts C
48 pts D+
37 pts C
52 pts B
70 pts C
47 pts B-
61 pts

3 Georgia Institute of Technology,
Physics Department B-
61 points 10 C+
56 pts C+
57 pts C+
56 pts C-
41 pts C-
40 pts C-
43 pts B
66 pts C+
56 pts B-
60 pts

3 Harvard University,
Physics Department B
65 points 46 B-
60 pts B-
60 pts C+
56 pts C
51 pts C+
57 pts B-
62 pts B
71 pts B
66 pts B
65 pts

3 Louisiana State University & Agric & Mechanical Col,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
65 points 11 C+
54 pts C+
55 pts D+
35 pts C
53 pts C
48 pts C
53 pts B
67 pts B-
60 pts B
65 pts

3 Stanford University,
Applied Physics Department B-
64 points 17 B-
62 pts B
73 pts C
46 pts C
52 pts B-
63 pts C
54 pts B
73 pts B-
61 pts B-
64 pts

3 University of Delaware,
Physics and Astronomy Department B-
62 points 14 C+
58 pts C
51 pts C+
59 pts C
49 pts C-
41 pts C
51 pts B
70 pts B
67 pts B-
62 pts

3 University of Kansas, Main Campus,
Physics and Astronomy Department B
65 points 10 C
50 pts C
50 pts D+
39 pts C
53 pts D+
34 pts C+
56 pts B+
78 pts B-
60 pts B
65 pts

3 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor,
Physics Department B-
64 points 26 C+
55 pts C
52 pts C
45 pts C
51 pts C
45 pts C
47 pts B-
62 pts B-
60 pts B-
63 pts

3 University of New Mexico, All Campuses,
Physics and Astronomy Department B-
61 points 25 C
53 pts B-
63 pts C-
44 pts C
44 pts C
45 pts C-
44 pts C+
58 pts B-
59 pts B-
61 pts

3 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Physics and Astronomy Department B-
62 points 28 C+
57 pts C
49 pts C+
56 pts C
50 pts C
45 pts B-
61 pts B
69 pts B-
60 pts B-
61 pts

3 University of Utah,
Physics Department B-
64 points 22 C+
55 pts C
52 pts C
54 pts B-
59 pts C
52 pts B-
59 pts B
72 pts C+
56 pts B-
63 pts

3 University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Physics Department B-
61 points 13 C+
56 pts C
48 pts C
46 pts D+
37 pts D+
36 pts C
46 pts B
69 pts C+
54 pts B-
61 pts

3 Vanderbilt University,
Physics and Astronomy Department B-
61 points 10 C
53 pts C
53 pts B-
61 pts C
49 pts D
34 pts C+
57 pts B
66 pts B-
61 pts B-
60 pts

Physics Programs Ranked by Custom Criterion
Fourth quartile (34 - 59 points), listed alphabetically

Q Program Custom Criterion         N   Info Breadth TA Prep Prof Dev Guidance TTD Mentoring Climate Satisfaction

(Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=0) (Weight=5)

4 Arizona State University, Main Campus,
Physics and Astronomy Department C+
59 points 11 C
46 pts C-
41 pts C-
40 pts D+
38 pts C-
39 pts C
53 pts B
65 pts C
52 pts C+
59 pts

4 Emory University,
Physics Department D
34 points 11 D+
38 pts C-
42 pts C
49 pts C-
40 pts D-
22 pts B-
60 pts C
54 pts C
48 pts D
34 pts

4 Purdue University, Main Campus,
Physics Department C+
56 points 14 C+
57 pts C
53 pts C
46 pts C
49 pts C-
43 pts C-
43 pts B-
62 pts C
49 pts C+
55 pts

4 Texas A&M University, Main Campus,
Physics Department C
54 points 17 C
47 pts C-
43 pts C
51 pts C-
43 pts C-
44 pts C+
55 pts B
69 pts C
52 pts C
54 pts

4 University of Arizona,
Physics Department C+
57 points 16 C
51 pts C
51 pts C+
59 pts C
49 pts C-
42 pts C
49 pts B
69 pts C+
58 pts C+
57 pts

4 University of California-San Diego,
Physics Department C+
56 points 18 C+
56 pts C
47 pts C
44 pts C
51 pts D+
38 pts C+
57 pts B
69 pts C
45 pts C+
55 pts

4 University of Georgia,
Physics and Astronomy Department C+
57 points 10 C-
43 pts C
54 pts C
48 pts C
53 pts C
48 pts C
45 pts B-
62 pts C
51 pts C+
57 pts

4 University of Washington - Seattle,
Physics Department C+
59 points 37 C
53 pts C
52 pts C
47 pts C
49 pts C
46 pts B-
61 pts B
69 pts C
52 pts C+
58 pts

4 University of Wyoming,
Physics and Astronomy Department C
46 points 14 C
45 pts C-
43 pts D+
35 pts D
28 pts D
27 pts C-
43 pts B
70 pts D+
39 pts C
46 pts

Survey Home Aggregate Results Program Results Rank Programs 1999 Survey About the Survey

Questions/Comments? Contact the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students

Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Based on the PhDs.org Graduate School Survey

Survey software by Geoff Davis

Web hosting provided by IAT Services Open Systems and The Graduate School of the University of Missouri-Columbia

6deptType%3D145-->