More than half of the 229 UC doctoral programs evaluated by the National Research Council (NRC) ranked in the top 20 in their fields in terms of faculty quality -- performance unmatched by any university system in the nation.
Eight programs were No. 1, while 78 programs -- more than a third of those rated -- were in the top 10. UC programs in the top 20 numbered 119.
"The study confirms what most of us have long known . . . that the quality of UC's doctoral programs is truly extraordinary, not just at the mature campuses but across the university system," said former UC President Jack W. Peltason. "No other university system comes close to achieving this level of quality over such a wide range of disciplines over so many campuses." He added, "The challenge we all face is to ensure that this record of excellence, which serves California and the nation so exceedingly well, will be sustained and fostered."
UC President Richard C. Atkinson said, "This is a stunning result for the entire UC system. When you look at every campus of the system, there is great distinction."
The NRC study reviewed 3,634 areas of study in 41 fields at 274 universities. It considered the views of nearly 8,000 top faculty members nationwide regarding the quality and effectiveness of graduate programs in educating research scholars and scientists. The study, conducted every 10 years, is recognized as the most reliable and comprehensive measure of university graduate programs in the nation.
The NRC is the principal operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and Institute of Medicine. The 739-page study, released in September, updates a 1982 survey of the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils, the NRC's predecessor organization.
Here is what the report found:
UC Berkeley was No. 1 nationwide among both public and private universities. Thirtysix of Berkeley's 37 rated programs, or 97 percent, are in the top 10. UC San Diego was 10th, with 14 programs in the top 10, a remarkable achievement for a campus that is only 30 years old. UCLA was 14th in the number of programs in the top 10.
Because professional programs weren't evaluated, only nine of UC San Francisco's programs were reviewed. Of the nine, six were in the top 10, making UCSF No. 1 in the biological sciences.
UC San Diego, UCLA and the University of Michigan followed top ranking UC Berkeley in the number of programs in the top 20.
In total, eight UC programs rated No. 1: chemistry, English, German, mathematics and statistics at UC Berkeley; neuroscience and oceanography at UC San Diego; and biochemistry and molecular biology (a single program) at UC San Francisco.
Thirty-four UC programs were in second to fifth place in their field: civil engineering, classics, history, industrial engineering, political science, anthropology, art history, astrophysics and astronomy, biostatistics, chemical engineering, computer sciences, geoscience, mechanical engineering, music, sociology, physics, biochemistry and molecular biology, electrical engineering, materials science and philosophy at UC Berkeley; ecology, evolution and behavior (a single program) at UC Davis; linguistics, physiology, psychology and sociology at UCLA; biomedical engineering, physiology and pharmacology at UC San Diego; genetics, cellular biology, neuroscience and physiology at UC San Francisco; and geography at UC Santa Barbara.
Thirty-seven UC programs ranked sixth to 10th: geography, linguistics, economics, French, biomedical engineering, ecology, neuroscience, psychology, SpanishPortuguese, comparative literature and genetics at UC Berkeley; comparative literature and French at UC Irvine; history, philosophy, geography, political science, anthropology, aerospace engineering, chemistry and electrical engineering at UCLA; genetics, geoscience, cellular biology, anthropology, biochemistry, political science, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering and psychology at UC San Diego; biomedical engineering at UC San Francisco; materials science, religion and physics at Santa Barbara; and astrophysics and astronomy (a single program) and linguistics at UC Santa Cruz.
Forty-one UC programs ranked 11th to 20th: cellular biology at UC Berkeley; Spanish, anthropology and civil engineering at UC Davis; German, English and Spanish at UC Irvine; economics, English, geoscience, mathematics, statistics, art history, biochemistry, mechanical engineering, computer sciences, neuroscience, physics, astrophysics, comparative literature, Spanish, cellular biology, ecology, French and music at UCLA; linguistics, philosophy, economics, physics, mathematics, chemistry, comparative literature, ecology, Spanish and electrical engineering at UC San Diego; chemical engineering, electrical engineering, anthropology, ecology, geoscience and Spanish at UC Santa Barbara.
For more information on the NRC study or to obtain a copy of the full report, "ResearchDoctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change," contact the NRC in Washington, D.C. at (202) 3342138.