<p>Also, the idea of simply using PhD placement is not an accurate representation of where the undergrad school is the best to go to if you wish to pursue such a path. It is simply to much of an individual's decision and schools get penalized for placing students into great jobs; medical, dental or law schools; and organizations like Teach for America and the Peace Corps.</p>
<p>If you could somehow find data on the number of people who apply for PhD programs from each school and were accepted, or the number of students who enter as froshes hoping to get a PhD, then that would be a more valid estimation of the impact a school has on placing students to PhD programs. But I doubt such data exists, or if it does, is probably not easily collected.</p>