Doctoral Program ranked first by National Research Council
Data were collected from institutions for academic year 2005-2006 through questionnaires distributed to faculty, administrators, and students, as well as from public sources. The data were incorporated into illustrative rankings of programs in each field: while the illustrative rankings should not be interpreted as definitive conclusions about the relative quality of doctoral programs, they provide important insights on how programs can be ranked according to different criteria and on the characteristics faculty value most. The illustrative rankings are given as ranges of numbers — rather than a strict "1,2,3"-style ordering of programs — to reflect some of the uncertainties inherent in any effort to rank programs by quality. In addition to these ranges of rankings, illustrative rankings are included for each program for three separate aspects of graduate education: the research activity of program faculty, student support and outcomes, and diversity of the academic environment.