updated top 10 phd thread???

[rosalind_krauss]

nervous undergraduate who (seemingly) learned a ton from this (top ten PhD programs in art history according to you.... - Art History - The GradCafe Forums) rather outdated thread seeks new opinions! what say you, people of gradcafe, in terms of quality programs in this day and age?

[accidentalarthistorian]

Def a mix of Princeton, Harvard, Yale, NYU-IFA, UC system, Stanford, Michigan, Columbia, Penn, and Chicago. Hard to rank, but I would say Princeton is on top. 
 

BUT!!! in this day and age, your POI, location preference, and resources are SO important. A PhD from one university is as valuable from another. 

[CezanneCezanne]

Your sub-field, individual research, and most importantly POI will have a huge impact on this! While of course many of the schools already mentioned are at the zenith for many sub fields and are excellent across the board, I would be careful not to generalize too quickly into a "top 10" when so much of what actually matters is entirely unique to you.

Other schools worth throwing in to the mix of "these are among the very best schools, and could be absolute top if the fit for you is right" might include: Cornell, Brown, and MIT (HTC).

 

Also, the level of funding is key—you can probably tell what the best programs are by looking at who offers the best funding packages.

Best of luck! Try not too feel too nervous—it will all work out!

Edited March 14 by CezanneCezanne
Added more explanation

[agnesmartin91]

This is a pointless discussion. At the end of the day, jobs are based on "fit." Some of the more elite schools understand a PhD from a Harvard or Yale as a "good fit," while more regional universtities might say that a Harvard student can't possibly understand the needs of their student body. At the same time, there is alot of truth to sub-specialities. I would have never considered a Kansas or Ohio State a "go to" place for a PhD in Art History. However, they certainly have been placing some of thier students in good jobs (likely because of thier Asian and Latinx foci).