Stat PhD: UIUC vs UT Austin

[goodgoodup]

Hi! I wonder which Statistics PhD program is better, UIUC Statistics or UT-Austin Statistics and Data Science.

UIUC:

Pros:

1. Ranking;

2. CS is better;

3. Statistics Department is big and has many research areas.

Cons:

1. Location;

2. Weather.

 

UT-Austin:

Pros:

1. Location;

2. Many good companies there;

3. Some big names in Bayesian. 

Cons:

1. Ranking;

2. Too new;

3. Too Bayesian.

 

Thank you so much for your answers and help. 

Edited April 24, 2020 by goodgoodup
Wrong title

[bayessays]

1. You only need 1 or 2 professors to work with, and they'll likely be in the stats department.  UIUC is a little better ranked in CS, but UT is still top 10 so I don't think this should be a factor unless you're sure you can work with a particular UIUC prof you're super interested in.

2. UIUC is going to give you a much more traditional, broad education - you'll be required to take high level theory courses, measure theoretic, and a broad range of classes.  The course load is pretty heavy for 2.5 years.  This can be a positive because it will give you a strong background, but it's also a lot of stuff to do.  UT Austin is a much more barebones, concise curriculum that is mostly done after the first year and you can then get into research.

3. I would not worry about the newness and ranking difference.  UT-Austin is a Bayesian powerhouse.  Honestly, they are getting close to being comparable to Duke.  Scott, Walker, Carvalho, Muller could be professors at any top department.  They just added two new established professors from OSU and FSU.  The difference in ranking between UIUC and Texas is marginal and I could definitely see Texas going up anyways.  UT's first PhD graduate is now an assistant professor at UCLA.  This should not be the basis of your decision.

The biggest question should be whether you want to do Bayesian stuff.  If you definitely do, this decision is a no-brainer.  UIUC doesn't compare to UT in this department, although they have a few people working on Bayesian stuff.  If you're ok with doing Bayesian stuff, you might also want to consider UT because it's small and you'll have a good opportunity to work with one of the above very well-known people.  But UIUC has a broader range of stuff going on and a slightly larger department.  You'll also get a more traditional stats education if you feel like you absolutely need the extra coursework.  UIUC has some professors who have placed students into top departments.

Also, Austin is nice and warm and a city with a lot to do.  Urbana-Champaign is a decent college town though.  They're both good choices to have.

[goodgoodup]

15 hours ago, bayessays said:

1. You only need 1 or 2 professors to work with, and they'll likely be in the stats department.  UIUC is a little better ranked in CS, but UT is still top 10 so I don't think this should be a factor unless you're sure you can work with a particular UIUC prof you're super interested in.

2. UIUC is going to give you a much more traditional, broad education - you'll be required to take high level theory courses, measure theoretic, and a broad range of classes.  The course load is pretty heavy for 2.5 years.  This can be a positive because it will give you a strong background, but it's also a lot of stuff to do.  UT Austin is a much more barebones, concise curriculum that is mostly done after the first year and you can then get into research.

3. I would not worry about the newness and ranking difference.  UT-Austin is a Bayesian powerhouse.  Honestly, they are getting close to being comparable to Duke.  Scott, Walker, Carvalho, Muller could be professors at any top department.  They just added two new established professors from OSU and FSU.  The difference in ranking between UIUC and Texas is marginal and I could definitely see Texas going up anyways.  UT's first PhD graduate is now an assistant professor at UCLA.  This should not be the basis of your decision.

The biggest question should be whether you want to do Bayesian stuff.  If you definitely do, this decision is a no-brainer.  UIUC doesn't compare to UT in this department, although they have a few people working on Bayesian stuff.  If you're ok with doing Bayesian stuff, you might also want to consider UT because it's small and you'll have a good opportunity to work with one of the above very well-known people.  But UIUC has a broader range of stuff going on and a slightly larger department.  You'll also get a more traditional stats education if you feel like you absolutely need the extra coursework.  UIUC has some professors who have placed students into top departments.

Also, Austin is nice and warm and a city with a lot to do.  Urbana-Champaign is a decent college town though.  They're both good choices to have.

Wow! You are so nice! Thank you very much!