A lot of the top schools offer majors in statistics. When you start looking into lists of “best universities for statistics” they start to read like laundry lists of the top 25 schools in the country. This article is titled “best” but maybe it would be more aptly titled “the 10 most unique top-tier undergrad programs for statistics.” Many top programs in statistics aren’t the best just because they are at top universities or part of prestigious math programs, they also are unique, interdisciplinary, and committed fully to the field of statistics. So let’s break them down.
Brown
We didn’t want this list to just be all of the Ivies plus MIT. We didn’t think that was actually helpful; like no duh the Ivies are good. UPenn, Yale, Dartmouth, and Princeton could all have easily had a place on this list, but Brown's program stands out. Their statistics program is through the Biostatistics department and is closely tied to their School of Public Health. Statistics majors are usually part of math departments and Brown has a far more unique approach to the application of a statistics degree.
Carnegie Mellon
Putting Carnegie Mellon on a “best of” math and science list isn’t surprising anyone. Much like MIT, if you are a math person you need to look into them. (While MIT doesn’t have a dedicated Statistics major -it’s lumped in with math- honestly, look into them too.) Carnegie Mellon has a lot of options when it comes to statistics. They have a data science approach to statistics and offer a BS in Statistics, a BS in Economics and Statistics, a BS in Machine Learning, and a minor in statistics. It’s great for those looking to have a specialty inside of statistics.
Amherst
Amherst might not come upon other people’s lists. We wanted to give them a spot because not everyone thinks of liberal arts schools and math. To be fair, a lot of small liberal arts schools don’t have a dedicated statistics major. If you are really looking for that small school feel and know you want to do statistics, Amherst is a great option. Their major also offers interesting opportunities such as being able to write a thesis, honors options, and even awards and competitions for advancements and leadership in statistics.
Cornell
Ok, we know we would go easy on the Ivy League entities. But Cornell has a pretty interdisciplinary approach when it comes to statistics. They offer a BA in statistics and have mathematical, applied, and computational approaches for the major. They also have great research and internships open to statistics students.
Harvard
Last Ivy we promised, but ok, it’s Harvard. It getting on a best-of list for most subjects is kind of a given. They have a whole statistics department as well. They offer four concentration areas in statistics through the department; core statistical principles and methods, data science, quantitative finance, bioinformatics and computational biology which is an approach that combines statistics, biology, and computation.
NYU
If business statistics are your thing, NYU and their Stern School of Business is a great option. You will still learn all about research statistics, but you will also get to explore statistics when it comes to the fields of corporate investment, finance, and marketing.
Rice
Not only does Rice have a great undergrad statistics program, but they also offer an extended study. If you are thinking about both pursuing an undergrad and master's in statistics, Rice has a five-year program that will allow you to earn both. Upon graduating from their 5-year undergrad/grad track you will have earned yourself a Masters of Statistics which is pretty sweet ngl.
UCLA
Most of the UCs have a great undergrad statistics major. Davis, Santa Barbra, UC Sandiego, all great options for statistics. If we had more spots, UC Berkeley would certainly be on our list (but they are on our list for most things. Why not change it up?) UCLA is interesting because while they have a statistics major in their College of Physical Sciences, they also have recently added a new statistics-driven major, Data Theory. This major is an interesting new way to look at statistics and data science. UCLA also has dedicated clubs, tutoring, and international exchange programs for statistics students.
U Chicago
The University of Chicago has a lot of statistics classes. Seriously, just look at their course offerings. It is impressive. They also offer statistics concentrations in machine learning and probability. They offer both a BS and BA route as well. This is all to say that there are many ways to study statistics at U Chicago and this gives students options when it comes to what interests them in the field.
Duke
Much like U Chicago, Duke offers both a BS and BA route in their Statistical Science Major. This major includes classes across data science, analytics, business, tech, finance law, and medicine. They take a very holistic approach to understanding the use of statistics. They also offer two concentrations as part of the major; one in mathematical statistics and one in data science.
Statistic students have so many great options when it comes to studying statistics at a top school. Because there are so many fantastic schools offering tracts in statistics, students really have the opportunity to think about what kind of statistics degree they want and how they might want to apply it in the future. We know that can seem scary, but we chose to see it as exciting! Our biggest advice, do your research, think about what you want, and rest assured; if you chose any of these schools, you can’t go wrong.
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