WhatToExpect

Thank you! If I want to be a university professor after graduation, does the ranking of my PhD school really matter? I heard some people said that graduates from schools after T20 were not much different.

Hello, I received offers from two universities. Both are PhD programs in political science. Political science at the first one is ranked 40, while that at the second one is ranked 61. The first one is ranked 57 nationally and 47 globally (which is weird). The second one is ranked 34 nationally and 105 globally. All the rankings are from U.S. News. Political science at the first one seems to have more influence than that at the second. But from the information on their websites, the most influential scholars at the first one have already retired. The political science at the second has more faculty members, with several prestigious professors still working actively. The first one offers a five-year funding package. The second one offers graduate assistantship for four years. Could anyone tell me which university I should choose? Funding is not a major factor. Thanks！