<p>This is a ranking of the top 20 baccalaureate schools of PhDs in engineering. </p>
<p>This information is from the NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates 1995-2006 and from IPEDS. I divided the number of PhDs from a particular baccalaureate school by the number of bachelors degrees awarded by that school in the same fields (engineering). I think this is a more valid way to "normalize" PhD production.</p>
<p>The number of bachelors degrees is the total over three years 2002-2004 in engineering. These were the earliest available from the IPEDS website. I thought a three-year total would be more reliable than a one-year snapshot.</p>
<p>Other methods divide by total undergraduate enrollment. When you divide by total undergraduate enrollment schools are penalized if they have large numbers of undergrads in other fields.</p>
<p>I limited the schools to roughly the top 100 US News universities and top 100 LACs plus the SUNY schools, some additional tech schools, and a few schools that are not top 100 in US News but which produce large numbers of PhDs.</p>
<p>Schools that don't grant bachelors in engineering were excluded. NYU grants degrees in Operations Research.</p>
<p>school, PhDs produced in engineering 1995-2006, bachelors degrees granted 2002-2004 in same fields, ratio</p>
<pre><code>1 HARVARD UNIVERSITY 90 65 1.385
2 CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 265 279 0.950
3 SWARTHMORE COLLEGE 51 65 0.785
4 BROWN UNIVERSITY 145 215 0.674
5 MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECHNOLOGY 842 1405 0.599
6 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY 17 32 0.531
7 YALE UNIVERSITY 74 147 0.503
8 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE 85 175 0.486
9 PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 251 544 0.461
10 STANFORD UNIVERSITY 254 595 0.427
11 RICE UNIVERSITY 170 403 0.422
12 SUNY COLL OF ENVIRON SCI & FORESTRY 10 26 0.385
13 DUKE UNIVERSITY 224 624 0.359
14 MIAMI UNIVERSITY-OXFORD 33 93 0.355
15 UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER 123 352 0.349
16 DARTMOUTH COLLEGE 63 184 0.342
17 UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME 185 578 0.320
18 CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 308 971 0.317
19 UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE 177 578 0.306
20 CORNELL UNIVERSITY 556 1874 0.297
</code></pre>
<pre><code> 21 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY 709 2418 0.293
22 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 209 717 0.291
23 JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY 204 708 0.288
24 TRINITY COLLEGE 12 42 0.286
25 TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 98 380 0.258
26 UNIV. OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 748 2938 0.255
27 GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 35 139 0.252
28 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA 23 93 0.247
29 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 197 821 0.240
30 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-MAIN CAMPUS 260 1086 0.239
31 BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY 296 1257 0.235
32 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS 142 616 0.231
33 LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 189 875 0.216
34 RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE 391 1815 0.215
35 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE 193 899 0.215
36 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER 249 1210 0.206
37 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 185 924 0.200
38 RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEW BRUNSWICK 261 1309 0.199
39 UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-AMHERST 121 608 0.199
40 SUNY AT STONY BROOK 69 352 0.196
</code></pre>
<pre><code> 41 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES 350 1835 0.191
42 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY 79 419 0.189
43 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SANTA CRUZ 32 170 0.188
44 BOSTON UNIVERSITY 140 787 0.178
45 VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST. & STATE UNIV 465 2655 0.175
46 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ANN ARBOR 539 3088 0.175
47 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 117 678 0.173
48 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 330 1953 0.169
49 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SANTA BARBARA 100 594 0.168
50 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND-COLLEGE PARK 272 1662 0.164
51 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES 265 1645 0.161
52 SUNY AT BUFFALO 193 1202 0.161
53 LAFAYETTE COLLEGE 57 360 0.158
54 PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV-MAIN CAMPUS 568 3692 0.154
55 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN 400 2624 0.152
56 UNION COLLEGE 30 197 0.152
57 PURDUE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS 538 3549 0.152
58 VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY 111 788 0.141
59 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK 108 768 0.141
60 UNIVERSITY OF DENVER 12 86 0.140
</code></pre>
<p>I think one further division of the 12 year PH.D. production by 4, which would yield # of Ph.D. per 3 years, would put this more into perspective. This is to match the 3 year period for which your measured BS degree in Engineering.</p>
<p>That would give a % of BS recipients who go on to earn a Ph.D. For Harvard, that would be 1.38/4 = 35%</p>
<p>For Caltech, that gives 24%, with Swarthmore at 20%, and so on.</p>
<p>Those numbers seem very high considering professional positions in engineering are very little about degree post BS (with a slight appreciation for MS) and everything about practical experience and mentoring.</p>
<p>What a weird metric to use. What were you trying to show, or better yet what are you trying to show with any of these posts? A lot of schools I've never heard of for engineering show up pretty high on the list. I do have to question your numbers though, because Georgia Tech is not listed at all.</p>
<p>Dunnin, you are right. An Engineering PhD is one of the most (comparatively) useless when you consider all the fields where a PhD is really required to even get your foot in the door.</p>
<pre><code> 61 FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 70 503 0.139
62 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS 231 1664 0.139
63 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON-SEATTLE 250 1803 0.139
64 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS 294 2137 0.138
65 CLARKSON UNIVERSITY 117 863 0.136
66 TUFTS UNIVERSITY 74 550 0.135
67 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 345 2582 0.134
68 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA 117 888 0.132
69 WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE 139 1057 0.132
70 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH-MAIN CAMPUS 149 1139 0.131
71 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 119 924 0.129
72 GEORGIA INST OF TECHNOLOGY-MAIN CAMP 518 4027 0.129
73 UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT 77 607 0.127
74 TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY 370 2971 0.125
75 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 216 1736 0.124
76 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SAN DIEGO 212 1714 0.124
77 MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY 76 622 0.122
78 BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY 49 416 0.118
79 CLEMSON UNIVERSITY 153 1319 0.116
80 ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 72 623 0.116
</code></pre>
<p>gt -- I think it is interesting data! Not applicable to me or mine as none are engineers, but it reminds me that liberal arts colleges and smaller universities seem to get their students interested in Ph.D.s a lot more than most large universities.</p>
<p>
[quote]
but it reminds me that liberal arts colleges seem to get their students interested in Ph.D.s a lot more than most large universities.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Perhaps, but as you said it would be most interesting to see how many BS students <em>from a particular school</em> go on to receive PhD's. I guess this data is pretty old too; I wasn't aware that for example the school I cited for example graduated about half as many PhD's 5-10 years ago as they do now.</p>
<p>So are you comparing the number of BS degrees granted by school X to the number of PhDs granted by school X? Or is it the number of PhDs which originated at school X for undergrad?</p>
<p>Because it's pretty surprising to me that Caltech has about equal BS degrees granted as PhDs when there's more PhD students than undergrad and the data collection was over four times longer for the PhDs.</p>
<pre><code> 81 SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY 25 225 0.111
82 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY 270 2469 0.109
83 SUNY AT BINGHAMTON 39 368 0.106
84 VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE 20 191 0.105
85 UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI 52 505 0.103
86 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY 56 547 0.102
87 DREXEL UNIVERSITY 130 1286 0.101
88 BAYLOR UNIVERSITY 12 121 0.099
89 AUBURN UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS 159 1629 0.098
90 ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS 151 1569 0.096
91 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS 20 224 0.089
92 NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY 71 834 0.085
93 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE 86 1133 0.076
94 STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 52 730 0.071
95 ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 61 913 0.067
96 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-RIVERSIDE 16 275 0.058
</code></pre>
<p>Not really sure what to make of this data....interesting quirks like U Georgia "ranks" a lot higher than Georgia Tech...likely because of sample size. Also, engineering does not necessarily inspire students to a PhD terminal degree...many programs are more pre-professionally oriented.</p>
<p>keefer-
Not sure what you are asking. Could you explain more? Thanks.</p>
<p>Whatever the draw is to get a PhD in engineering, all engineering undergrads must weigh the same factors about the engineering field. I think it is valid to compare schools this way. Engineering PhDs earn more, I believe, and work on what I perceive to be more interesting projects. There is also the status factor. A PhD in engineering has appeal.</p>
<p>All academic fields offer different levels of certification. I don't think engineering is that different.</p>
<p>In history, for example, you can become a high school teacher.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Engineering PhDs earn more, I believe, and work on what I perceive to be more interesting projects. There is also the status factor. A PhD in engineering has appeal.
[/quote]
Not for everybody. I actually turned down an offer from my MS advisor to stay a few more years for a PhD. For myself, the PhD work isn't nearly as interesting as working in industry. The status factor is less pronounced in engineering than in other fields. You're recognized more for the projects you worked on than what degree you hold.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that a PhD in engineering won't necessarily get you better jobs, but different jobs. If anything, it may even hurt you because you may be perceived as being overqualified for a "normal" non-research position.</p>
<p>sorry I rushed that statement, what I meant was if you could separate the "top 10" PhD granting institutions in engineering(by USNEWS graduate rankings) from the rest, and do a percentage matriculation based on top 10 grad schools, instead of all PhDs granted. (sort of like the wall street journal feeder study but for engineering) I don't know if it's possible but I think that is more telling. </p>
<p>Obviously if you do this, there is more bias toward the traditional engineering powerhouses, since more undergrads continue onto grad school at their alma mater. </p>
<p>I think I agree with Ken that engineers aren't judged on their degree level. For an individual interested in a career in engineering, there's a big difference between a PhD and a MS in engineering, because there's such a big difference in the time commitment required and most engineering jobs don't require a higher level degree than MS. Most people don't even think about getting a PhD.</p>
<p>Yeah, about the difference between a MS and PhD; I'm getting a PhD in Materials Engineering, which will take me 5-6 years, and my girlfriend is getting a MS in Electrical Engineering which will only take two years (one if she had decided to stay at her undergrad school for it). According to statistics from our respective schools we should earn the same money upon our graduation.</p>
<p>So, during the extra 3-4 years I'll be getting my PhD after my MS, she'll be earning at least $55,000 a year more than me. So, my PhD is costing me over $150,000 to complete.</p>
<p>But engineering PhD students get paid pretty well while they are working on their PhD plus the tuition is covered. Masters students have to pay. PhD students make a decent living and go to school for free.</p>
<p>I'm getting paid $24,000 and she's only taking out $10,000 each year in grad school since she gets in-state tuition. So, at the end of five years I'll have been paid around $125,000 and she'll have paid $20,000 and earned around $240,000, giving her a net of $220,000. It only gets worse every extra month I take to get my PhD.</p>