Stanford vs University of Texas at Austin for PhD in Petroleum Engineering

[Tashan]

Hi all

I have been accepted at Stanford University as well as UT Austin for PhD in Petroleum Engineering. I have to decide between the two.

My main future objective after completing my Phd is to enter oil industry in R&D jobs.

As per the US News Rankings both Stanford and UT Austin are tied at No.1 in the field of Petroleum Engineeing.

Where shall I join then ?

[Arcadian]

It's all about your research interests and how well you fit with the program.

[wtncffts]

If you really want actual advice, you're probably going to have to give us more information. I don't know anything about your field (and, to be honest, my immediate, instinctive reaction to the words "oil industry" is a cold shudder), but you'll have to consider and compare their funding offers, resources, fit and PoIs, as Arcadian said, and location. Since you say they're tied for first, I'm assuming the funding offers are roughly equivalent and both have all the resources for research you could ever need. It comes down, then, to who you want to work with and where you would rather live for 4+ years.