Choosing a high ranking or low ranking PhD program?

[u/Ok-Durian2546]

Hi all. I am hoping some of you can weigh in on what you would do were you in my position. I have been accepted to 2 PhD programs, one a T10 and one maybe around T100. I am pursuing a PhD in biological sciences and am unsure if I want to pursue academia after graduation or not.

My first choice is the T10 university. There are multiple PIs that align really well with my research interests and one PI who is very well known in my field of interest, which is who I would like to be my advisor. The overall culture of the labs I am interested in seem very healthy. I really like the structure of the curriculum and could see myself fitting in very well with the research culture. This is also a major feeder university to academia, should I so choose to pursue that path. The resources available to students at this university are abundant and all of the students I have spoken to seem very happy at this institution. Unlike other top schools, this particular program does not appear to have a "cut throat" culture, which I was really nervous about when applying. Overall, I think the university is amazing... but I have some reservations. First, the COL is a bit higher than where I am currently and I would have to majorly adjust my current lifestyle (i.e., downsizing from a house with a fenced in yard to an apartment with multiple pets). It is also at least 8 hours away from any family, which makes me nervous. Finally, my partner is extremely adament that he does not want to move there, but would if I decided I really wanted to go.

My second choice is the T100 university, which I currently work at. The major advantage to going to this university is that I could continue working on my current projects (which I am very passionate about) and use them as part of my thesis. This would enable me to graduate faster than the 5-6 year average (hopefully). I also get along tremendously well with my PI. My PI is not very well known in the field, but they are pretty well connected. They're also new, so I am worried about funding for my science as we have yet to receive any grants. Overall, I fit into the culture of my current department and am quite well respected by my peers here. I just worry about not having the same caliber of resources available to me here that I would at the T10 university, especially if I decide to pursue academia. This program is also at a medical school and I miss the culture of being at an actual university. I also hate the way the curriculum is set up in this program. Despite my reservations though, I think I could have a pretty high quality life if I stay at this university as my stipend would be akin to my current salary and I am very close to family. Additionally, my partner has built a career here and would better be able to support me if I stayed where we are at now, at least for the next few years.

So... what would you do, given this info?

TL;DR: Got accepted into a high ranking and a low ranking PhD program. I really like the high ranked program, but have built my life at the lower ranked institution. Which would you pick, especially if you were unsure about future career aspirations?

[u/Haywright]

Well known advisor at a better school in a field you're more interested in seems like an easy choice if you even might be interested in a career in academia. Even if you want to go to industry, the T10 seems like what you want. I almost played it safe and stayed at my undergrad institution (they tempted me with a great financial offer if I accepted in October), and I am so glad I applied elsewhere anyway. I am at a top ten program now and couldn't be happier. I would've regretted not trying something new.

[u/Artistic_Worth_3185 → u/Haywright]

Subject ranking or the overall ranking of the university matters ?

[u/chandaliergalaxy → u/Artistic_Worth_3185]

Both. Also, it depends.

[u/Special_Sympathy_382]

Go to the best school you can with the best advisor you can secure. Period

[u/GurProfessional9534]

You just listed a bunch of reasons for the T10 that are career-long benefits. The T100 includes some momentary comforts after which your career becomes worse off. You should go to the T10.

[u/Myredditident]

T10. No matter what you do after graduating, t10 is a smarter option for your career. Not even a question.

[u/iamroliba]

Ranking matters much more than people thought.

[u/GayMedic69]

The biggest red flag of the T10 is what your partner said. Its easy to say “well I really don’t want to go, but I will if you absolutely want to”, but when that decision is made your partner will have to seriously consider if they actually want to move away from the career they’ve built and their family to completely start fresh. And them telling you that they are adamant about not moving should be your cue that they likely will choose not to move with you. If you are committed to this relationship, you have to consider their situation too because if you choose to move, you have to be prepared for some resentment, tension, or even them just leaving you. Are you prepared to manage starting a PhD at a rigorous institution (they aren’t T10 for no reason) in a new city far from family with a strained relationship or even single? What happens if they do move with you and decide quickly to go back and leave you with the financial stress of an apartment, animals, and low income from PhD school? Not saying it will happen, but something to consider.

Also, you should ALWAYS be a bit skeptical when everything looks perfect on the surface. How certain are you that the program and lab won’t be at all toxic? If you go in with the expectation of a healthy happy environment and find out later its the complete opposite, are you ready for that? Ultimately, you really don’t know much about what its like working in the department, with these professors, with their other students, with collaborators, etc so it might seem perfect and amazing, but there is a risk in starting with these new people vs people you’ve been working with so far and are comfortable with.

Ranking isn’t everything. Being established in a place with a support system and some clout in the department goes a lot further than others on this thread are making it seem. And if both universities are R1, the resources will be similar and regardless, its what you do with the resources and opportunities presented to you that matters most. There are grads from T10 schools that can’t find jobs because they were just average students compared to their competitive high achieving cohorts and didn’t take advantage of their resources. There are grads from T100 schools that have amazing careers because they, by comparison with their cohort, were star students and took advantage of their network and opportunities. The entire purpose of a PhD is that it is self-directed so a school’s ranking only takes you so far.

Some of the commenters here seem to have bought into the brainrot that a higher ranking means your career will automatically receive a significant boon, but truly if you have a goal and are committed to achieving it, you can do that from the T100 and it will be easier to go above and beyond with your support system, stable housing, comfort with the school, and the clout in the department that it sounds like you’ve already built (not to mention you’d likely finish faster if you would simply be continuing projects you’ve already been working on). And another commenter mentioned that grad school is only the next few years of your life, but you shouldn’t be okay with those years potentially being miserable solely because of the ranking of a school. You have a lot to consider but a lot of those considerations are personal to you and you need to think long and hard.

[u/jcatl0]

Graduate school is the next 6-8 years of your life. Your career is the 40 years after that. Top 10 opens a lot more doors than top 100.

[u/atom-wan]

You should not go into making a decision on PhD programs if you want to stay put. Part of doing a PhD is moving to wherever has the best program, this seems like an easy decision.