Assistant professors at higher ranked vs lower ranked universities

93tiger16
Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:10:19 +0000

ucbalumnus:

The PhD graduates from “top” programs may go to any “tier” program for faculty position. There really are nowhere near enough faculty openings at the “top” programs to absorb all of their PhD graduates, so it is impossible for all of them to end up in the “top” programs as faculty, so many of them have to go to other “tiers” of programs for faculty jobs, or go to non-faculty jobs.

This still does not quite argue for an equal percentage distribution of top-tier-educated professors across all universities. I think ClassicRockerDad has the right idea. Top-tier graduates usually want to teach at those top-tier universities. There, they have better access to resources, funding, and better quality students. Those top-tier universities, such as my own, tend to have a habit of hiring tenure-track assistant professors from those top-tier universities. As I have said, I have observed a very high concentration of professors from top-tier universities at my school. Sure, top-tier graduates go to lower-tier programs because there obviously aren’t enough jobs at top-tier programs for all of them, but your model would still envision somewhat of a top-down filling model. Top-tier graduates would fill jobs at the top first, leading to a very high concentration of those graduates at top-tier universities as I observe, and then fill the lower-tier jobs. Therefore, top-tier graduates at lower-tier universities is nowhere near as pervasive.

Additionally, top-tier graduates generally want to remain at top-tier universities because of their chances at greater prestige and greater salary. The top ten highest paid professorships are all at top-tier universities. Sure, lower-tier grads want those jobs too, but they are not as competitive as top-tier grads. Top-tier grads have had access to the best resources, the best advisers, and a lot of funding to produce their resource. Presumably, that research would then be of higher quality and be published in top journals, leading to increased number of citations. This, coupled with their connections, puts top-tier grads in a very good position to be selected for those top-tier jobs.

I’m not saying that top-tier grads don’t go to lower-tier universities. They do so after those top-tier jobs are filled. I am saying that equal percentages of top-tier grads at all universities is untrue and unsubstantiated.