Best PhD Program

How do you choose the best PhD program?

If you’re at all interested in post-graduate study, you’ve heard every theory about what makes for the best PhD program.  So who’s got it right?  Is it true that the only great programs are at Ivy League schools?  Is it true that you can’t get a respectable PhD from an online program?  And what about which field you should prepare for?  Is it true that getting a PhD in a humanities field is basically worthless, as far as careers go, or that getting one in a business related field is going to make you a millionaire?

The Truth is… Only You Know Which Program is Best for You

All of those things can be true, but none of them have to be.  The biggest mistake people make when choosing a PhD program is accepting generalities as facts.  It’s not a fact that the humanities field is a dead-end career wise, and it’s certainly not true that only Ivy League PhDs are worthwhile–in fact only one Ivy League school is in the top 10 for highest earning PhDs.  (It’s Princeton.) And does a program being online mean that it can’t be the best PhD program for you? Considering that Harvard now offers large components of online coursework for their PhD programs, that seems unlikely, doesn’t it?

So how CAN You Tell Which is the Best PhD Program?

Research.  First, think–seriously–about your goals.  And then talk to the people who have already accomplished what you’d like to.  Read some recent statistics about that careerfield, and about postgraduate study in your field.  And talk to academic advisors, post-graduate advisors, and current PhD candidates in the programs you find appealing.

PhD Programs have a pretty low completion rate.  And more often than not, some think, it’s because people don’t match themselves with the best PhD program for their needs.