<p>That’s fine, if it’s a ratio, but #10 didn’t say it was a ratio.In fact, the top ten schools where future Life sciences PhDs got their start are those I identified in # 12, not #10s list.</p>
<p>Moreover, is the denominator really biology majors, as you claim?</p>
<p>Or rather is it # degrees an institution awards in ALL fields? Because usually the lists I see use the latter, not the former. Which obviously pollutes whatever information value such list otherwise might have, since some institutions are far more diverse than others.</p>
<p>If something is listed as a percentage, the identity of the denominator should be explicitly stated. Because this may affect how one views the information.
Without stating it, there is room for ambiguity. I don’t think even you or I know for sure what #10s denominator is!</p>
<p>I’m not saying the information shouldn’t be presented or doesn;t have some value. But just that people should know what is being presented, so they can decide how much credence to give it.</p>