Best undergraduate - econ, physics ?

College Search & Lists
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<p>What are the best undergraduate programs in economics ?</p>

<p>What are the best undergraduate programs in physics ?</p>

<p>Citations are welcome.</p>

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<p>found this one. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/business-major/137062-best-undergraduate-economics-program-21.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/business-major/137062-best-undergraduate-economics-program-21.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>and this one </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/459847-physics-best-undergraduate-physics-programs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/459847-physics-best-undergraduate-physics-programs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>graduate school ranking in physics from usnr. some say this might be an indicator of the quality of the UG school, too.</p>

<p><a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-physics-schools/rankings[/url]”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-physics-schools/rankings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>and grad school rankings usnr for econ
<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-economics-schools/rankings[/url]”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-economics-schools/rankings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>More important, if you need financial aid, which ones are need blind and/or will meet your applicant’s need? If you are aren’t eligible for need-based aid, could you afford the sticker price of $40,000-$50,000 per year for all 4 years? </p>

<p>Many students change their mind about a major after they get to college as well.</p>

5

<p>University of Chicago is particularly well known for both economics and physics… plus it’s an all-around amazing school :)</p>

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<p>It’s hard to get reliable rankings of undergraduate departments.
One strategy is to look for the best graduate departments. From the resulting set, pick the schools that best fit your other criteria. Schools with top 10 graduate programs in both fields, as well as excellent overall undergraduate quality, include Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Chicago. </p>

<p>This approach will miss small liberal arts colleges. Many of these will have excellent physics and economics departments, and in some cases better undergraduate instruction overall than the larger schools with high graduate department rankings.</p>

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<p>For LACs, the following schools end up producing the most PHDs per student in the physical sciences:</p>

<ol>
<li>Harvey Mudd Coll </li>
<li>Carleton Coll </li>
<li>Reed Coll </li>
<li>New Coll of Florida </li>
<li>Swarthmore Coll </li>
<li>Haverford Coll </li>
<li>Williams Coll </li>
<li>Amherst Coll </li>
<li>Oberlin Coll </li>
<li>The Coll of Wooster </li>
</ol>

<p>Based on NSF data on baccalaureate origins adjusted for enrollment</p>

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<p>Top 10 for Per Capita Production of Economics PhDs (1997-2003)
Source: [The</a> Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists](<a href=“http://ideas.repec.org/p/van/wpaper/0611.html]The”>The Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists)</p>

<p>Swarthmore
Agnes Scott
Grinnell
Carleton
Williams
Harvard
Macelester
Princeton
Trinity University
MIT</p>

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<p>According to the paper I cited above ([The</a> Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists](<a href=“http://ideas.repec.org/p/van/wpaper/0611.html]The”>The Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists)),

</p>

<p>Why?<br>
First, according to the authors, a disproportionately high number of “faculty brats” attend liberal arts colleges (almost 50% of the offspring of LAC professors and about 25% of the offspring of university professors, despite the less than 3% share by LACs of the total college + university population). They suggest these kids may tend to emulate their parents by seeking academic careers.</p>

<p>Second,

</p>

<p>Other factors surely come into play. Many talented graduating students at tippy top schools no doubt choose jobs in finance and other high-paying sectors over an academic career.</p>