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• Step 1: Choose field
• Step 2: Set priorities
• Step 3: Your ranking of Geography programs

• Choosing a program
• Your application
• Taking the GRE
• Funding / Scholarships
• Other rankings
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The rankings below have been generated just for you using the priorities you set on this page. You can change your priorities or get rankings for a different field.

How to Read Your Ranking

• Programs are ranked by their score, a weighted sum of the items you chose. (Details)
• Descriptions of each item are listed at the bottom of the page. (You can also see a description by mousing over items at the top of the table.)
• Your weight for each item is shown beneath the item at the top of the table. Weights range in magnitude from 0 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
• A positive weight means that you prefer larger values for the item. A negative weight means that you prefer smaller values for the item.
• Green values are at least one standard deviation better than the mean. Red values are at least one standard deviation worse than the mean.
• Data sources can be found below.

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Rank	Department	Your Score	Yrs (-5)	Job (5)	Ed Eff (5)	Pub / Fac (5)	Cite / Fac (5)	Fac Qual (5)	Grnt / Fac (5)	Deg / Yr (5)	# Fac (5)	Stu / Fac (-5)
Adjust your weights →			-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+
1.	Geography, University of California-Santa Barbara	59.2	6.5	86%	4.0	6.0	17.9	4.2	2.4	7.4	20	4.0
2.	Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder	41.7	5.9	64%	3.6	4.5	12.5	3.6	2.4	10.0	17	3.6
3.	Geography, Ohio State University-Main Campus	36.0	5.9	90%	4.0	3.5	12.1	4.1	1.0	3.8	20	2.3
4.	Geography, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	29.1	5.7	68%	4.2	2.5	4.0	4.6	0.8	6.2	21	1.8
5.	Geography, Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus	26.3	5.6	89%	3.2	5.2	11.7	3.4	0.6	5.4	15	2.4
6.	Geography, Clark University	24.9	7.1	77%	3.6	3.5	13.3	3.8	1.6	8.2	16	3.8
7.	Geography, University of California-Los Angeles	23.7	6.5	70%	3.5	4.0	12.3	4.0	0.6	5.4	20	2.2
8.	Geography, SUNY at Buffalo	22.6	6.0	79%	3.5	3.0	4.9	3.6	0.6	8.8	17	1.8
9.	Geography, University of Iowa	19.1	5.9	73%	3.3	5.9	15.7	3.2	1.1	2.8	14	3.0
10.	Geography, University of Washington-Seattle Campus	18.1	5.8	54%	3.6	5.0	14.4	3.7	0.4	6.6	14	2.6
11.	Geographic Information Science, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	17.9	6.8†	92%†	4.0	2.0	4.1	4.2	0.3	5.4†	25	2.9
11.	Geography, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	17.9	6.8†	92%†	4.0	2.0	4.1	4.2	0.3	5.4†	25	2.9
13.	Geography, University of Georgia	14.0	6.7	76%	3.1	4.9	7.1	3.0	0.8	6.2	13	1.5
14.	Geography, Rutgers University-New Brunswick/Piscataway	13.5	7.1	67%	3.2	3.6	5.2	3.4	0.5	4.0	25	0.9
15.	Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona	13.3	5.9	82%	3.0	1.7	3.4	3.2	0.3	5.2	23	0.7
16.	Geography, Syracuse University	6.9	5.9	100%	3.8	1.6	2.8	4.0	0.3	1.2	18	2.1
17.	Geography, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	6.1	5.7	87%	3.2	4.3	6.4	3.3	0.4	2.6	17	2.9
18.	Geography, Boston University	0.5	6.5	69%	2.7	1.6	7.8	2.7	0.2	7.0	17	0.9
19.	Geography and Cartography/GIS, University of Wisconsin-Madison	-0.6	8.2	50%	4.1	1.9	3.1	4.4	0.7	4.8	22	2.3
20.	Geography, The University of Texas at Austin	-3.4	7.7	67%	2.9	2.2	3.5	3.4	0.4	3.6	22	0.9
Rank	Department	Your Score	Yrs (-5)	Job (5)	Ed Eff (5)	Pub / Fac (5)	Cite / Fac (5)	Fac Qual (5)	Grnt / Fac (5)	Deg / Yr (5)	# Fac (5)	Stu / Fac (-5)
Adjust your weights →			-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+
21.	Geography, University of California-Berkeley	-5.5	7.2	62%	3.7	1.4	7.6	4.0	0.7	6.8	14	3.6
22.	Geography - GEOG, University of Kentucky	-6.6	6.7	78%	3.1	2.1	2.5	3.1	0.5	4.4	12	1.3
23.	Geography, Indiana University-Bloomington	-9.5	5.8	88%	2.9	1.8	1.5	2.8	0.5	2.2	12	1.3
24.	Geography, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	-11.9	5.8	58%	3.1	1.4	2.6	3.2	0.4	6.2	17	2.9
25.	Geography, University of Oregon	-13.3	6.9	67%	2.6	1.5	10.1	2.6	0.7	4.2	11	1.5
26.	Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	-13.9	6.2	45%	2.9	3.0	12.3	2.9	0.3	3.8	12	2.2
27.	Geography, University of Maryland-College Park	-14.7	5.2†	60%†	2.4	2.1	4.1	2.4	0.4	2.6†	16	1.3
27.	Geography-Political Geography, University of Maryland-College Park	-14.7	5.2†	60%†	2.4	2.1	4.1	2.4	0.4	2.6†	16	1.3
27.	Joint Geography/Library & Information Se, University of Maryland-College Park	-14.7	5.2†	60%†	2.4	2.1	4.1	2.4	0.4	2.6†	16	1.3
30.	Geography, Oregon State University	-24.6	9.2	90%	2.3	2.1	10.0	2.0	0.5	3.0	11	1.5
31.	Geography, University of Nebraska at Lincoln	-28.8	4.9	69%	2.3	1.1	2.3	2.3	0.7	3.4	9	2.9
32.	Geography, Kent State University-Kent Campus	-31.6	5.2	78%	2.1	1.7	1.1	2.0	0.0	2.0	10	1.7
33.	Geography, University of Kansas Main Campus	-32.9	6.1	48%	2.9	0.9	1.0	2.7	0.3	4.6	12	2.5
34.	Geography, University of Hawaii at Manoa	-39.1	7.5	53%	2.6	2.3	2.2	2.4	0.2	3.6	13	2.7
35.	Geography, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	-47.7	6.2	59%	1.4	1.7	2.1	1.4	0.3	4.6	7	2.1

You chose to not rank programs with missing data. The programs below are ordered alphabetically by institution.

Unranked Geography Graduate Schools

Rank	Department	Your Score	Yrs (-5)	Job (5)	Ed Eff (5)	Pub / Fac (5)	Cite / Fac (5)	Fac Qual (5)	Grnt / Fac (5)	Deg / Yr (5)	# Fac (5)	Stu / Fac (-5)
Adjust your weights →			-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+
N/A	Geography, Florida State University	N/A	6.9	75%	N	N	N	N	N	2.0	N	N
N/A	Geography, Indiana State University	N/A	4.5	83%	N	N	N	N	N	2.6	N	N
N/A	Geography, Kansas State University	N/A	4.9	89%	N	N	N	N	N	2.0	N	N
N/A	Geography, Michigan State University	N/A	4.7†	80%†	N	N	N	N	N	2.4†	N	N
N/A	Geography, San Diego State University	N/A	5.9	70%	N	N	N	N	N	2.2	N	N
N/A	Geography, Southern Illinois University Carbondale	N/A	4.9	100%	N	N	N	N	N	1.4	N	N
N/A	Geography, Texas A & M University	N/A	5.7	81%	N	N	N	N	N	3.2	N	N
N/A	Geography, Texas State University-San Marcos	N/A	4.2	100%	N	N	N	N	N	3.2	N	N
N/A	Geography, The University of Tennessee	N/A	7.9	77%	N	N	N	N	N	2.4	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of California-Davis	N/A	5.7	67%	N	N	N	N	N	4.0	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of California-Riverside	N/A	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	0.8	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of Connecticut	N/A	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	1.0	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of Denver	N/A	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	0.8	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of Florida	N/A	5.0	54%	N	N	N	N	N	2.8	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of Idaho	N/A	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	1.2	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus	N/A	5.6	70%	N	N	N	N	N	1.8	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of South Carolina-Columbia	N/A	4.2	76%	N	N	N	N	N	3.8	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of Southern California	N/A	7.7	80%	N	N	N	N	N	2.4	N	N
N/A	Geography, University of Utah	N/A	N	N	1.8	1.7	2.4	2.0	0.3	2.0	10	2.1
N/A	Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	N/A	N	N	2.2	0.5	0.3	2.4	0.2	1.2	12	1.7
Rank	Department	Your Score	Yrs (-5)	Job (5)	Ed Eff (5)	Pub / Fac (5)	Cite / Fac (5)	Fac Qual (5)	Grnt / Fac (5)	Deg / Yr (5)	# Fac (5)	Stu / Fac (-5)
Adjust your weights →			-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+	-+
N/A	Geography, West Virginia University	N/A	5.2	N	N	N	N	N	N	1.0	N	N

Item Descriptions

Your Score

Your customized program score is a weighted sum of points for each item. The weights were selected on this page. For an item with importance weight W, a program receives W × S points for being S standard deviations above average. Larger values are better.

Years to Degree (Yrs)

Median time lapse from entering graduate school at the doctorate-granting institution to receipt of doctorate in years. Note that time spent obtaining a master's degree at a different institution is not counted. Your weight = -5. Smaller values are better. (SED, 2000-2004)

Placement Rate (Job)

Percentage of doctorate recipients from the program with definite plans at graduation (either a job or a postdoctoral position). Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (SED, 2000-2004)

Educational Effectiveness (Ed Eff)

Program effectiveness in educating research scholars and scientists, 1993. Scale of 0 to 5, with 0 denoting "Not Effective" and 5 denoting "Extremely Effective." Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (NRC, 1995)

Publications per Faculty Member (Pub / Fac)

The ratio of the number of program publications in the period 1988-1992 to the number of program faculty. Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (NRC, 1995)

Citations per Faculty Member (Cite / Fac)

The ratio of the number of citations of program publications in the period 1988-1992 to the number of program faculty. Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (NRC, 1995)

Faculty Quality (Fac Qual)

Scholarly quality of program faculty, 1993. Scale of 0 to 5, with 0 denoting "Not sufficient for doctoral education" and 5 denoting "Distinguished." Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (NRC, 1995)

Grants per Faculty Member (Grnt / Fac)

The ratio of the number of program grants in the period 1988-1992 to the number of program faculty. Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (NRC, 1995)

Doctorates Granted per Year (Deg / Yr)

The average number of doctorates granted by the program per year between 2001 and 2005. Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (IPEDS, 2001-2005)

Number of Faculty (# Fac)

Total number of faculty participating in the program. Your weight = 5. Larger values are better. (NRC, 1995)

Grad Student / Faculty Ratio (Stu / Fac)

The number of graduate students per faculty member. Your weight = -5. Smaller values are better. (NRC, 1995)

Missing Values

Programs with missing values were not ranked.

Data Sources

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

IPEDS is an annual, comprehensive set of surveys of all colleges and universities in the United States. The surveys are conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics.  Learn more

National Research Council

The National Research Council conducts assessments of doctoral programs in the United States every 10 to 15 years). The data we use are from the most recent assessment, the 1995 study Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change. Learn more about the NRC study's methods here; order a copy here. The next NRC assessment is scheduled for release in Summer 2009.  Learn more

Survey of Earned Doctorates

The NSF/NIH/NEH/USED/USDA/NASA Survey of Earned Doctorates is an annual survey of all new recipients of doctorates from US universities at graduation. The average of the response rates for the 2000–2004 surveys was 92%.  Learn more

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

The Survey is an annual assessment of the number and characteristics of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in science, engineering, and health-related fields. It is conducted by the National Science Foundation.  Learn more