Undergrad: Duke vs. Rice

[GrandConjuration]

Hi, I'm considering both schools for undergrad. I'd like to someday earn a Ph.D. in Econ so I'm wondering which school would better prepare me for this task. Any advice is appreciated. Please do not suggest applying to other schools; I simply want a comparison of these two.

[pevdoki1]

For what it's worth, Duke is typically viewed as a top 20 place for Econ PhD, while Rice is on the lower end of top 50. I would say that Duke is overall a better-known place, as well.

[HelicopterEconDad]

It's possible to get a great education at both schools and to be accepted into a highly rated PhD in economics program from both schools.

I think you should make your choice based on where you believe you'll perform better and enjoy more. For example, Duke is a much bigger school. Bigger schools offer more opportunity to specialize and more choices, but they offer less individual attention and tend to rely on graduate students rather than faculty to teach. Are you someone who will thrive in a large class without much personal attention and who will value the opportunity to take high level courses and find research opportunties that fit the specialized niches of the most interest to you? Then, perhaps Duke would be the best choice. Or, are you someone who would willing to forego a larger course curricula and many opportunities to pursue niche research interests in exchange for interaction with faculty who actually know you personally? Then, perhaps Rice would be the best choice.

Maybe others will weigh in with perspectives of big versus smaller schools. The main point I want to make is that from an academic perspective, I don't think a top student from either Duke or Rice has a decided advantage when applying for graduate school.

[macroeconomicus]

Duke's department of economics seems to have more of "superstar-like" personalities than Rice. I constantly see people talking about professors moving in and out of Duke on the "Big Market Moves" thread, but I never see Rice get mentioned there. If you can obtain a strong letter of recommendation from someone who is well recognized, then I think that could make one's case for being accepted into a top 10 PhD program much stronger. That's the only clear advantage from going to Duke, IMHO.

Size factor is probably not a big deal from classroom size perspective because Duke is not that much bigger than Rice. However, Duke's economics department and the business school dominate the ones at Rice in terms of size and research output. Still, such differences are extremely important for graduate students, but they're kind of dampened at undergraduate level. Both school seem to be a good place to be an undergraduate student.

[MooMooCow]

Successful Duke Undergrad Economists: Susan Athey, Phil Haile, Azeem Shaikh and many more.
Duke is an up and coming economics department which is getting better every year. Duke gives undergrads a lot of research opportunities in econ. It is very easy to interact with professors especially because most undergrad econ majors are not interested in academic research.
Don't know as much about Rice but I'm sure it is a good place as well.

[treblekicker]

Are you only in high school? If so, it is pretty amazing that you are already preparing for an Econ Phd.

[GrandConjuration]

I'm actually a transfer student from a big Midwest state school applying for sophomore admission. I do, however, read Mas-Colell for fun (still trying to do all of Chp. 1's proofs) and I'll be attending the AEA Summer Program for minorities. Doesn't hurt to start early.

Leaning a little to Duke now. Still waiting to hear back form Chicago, though.

[oavdn17]

thats amazing. I read Mas-Colell, but it's not for fun! ( by the way , you should try reading Varian's Micro Theory )

[HelicopterEconDad]

Let me start out by saying that I have no connections to either Rice or Duke, other than knowing people who have attended both. I also concede that Duke's PhD economics program is significantly stronger than Rice's. Nevertheless, I believe that for some individuals interested in an undergraduate education preparatory to a PhD in economics, Rice may be the better choice.

There is a significant difference in size and philosophy about undergraduate education between the two schools. According to their respective web sites, Rice has an enrollment of 2,995 undergraduates and 2,013 graduates, while Duke has an enrollment of 6,247 undergraduates and 6,744 graduates. My impression is that Rice places a higher emphasis on its undergraduate education, while Duke places its emphasis on graduate education.

For someone wanting smaller class sizes and better teaching, I believe Rice may be a better choice than Duke. These advantages could make a substantial difference to some people. I do not believe a top Rice student would be at any disadvantage in applying to graduate economics programs vis-a-vis Duke students. I do not believe that the dominance of Duke PhD economics over Rice is necessarily significant to an undergraduate.

[486hunter]

My two cents: Both are terrific schools. It's college -- go where you'd like to go and where you think you will have the best experience. Take the right classes and seek out the right research experience and the Ph.D. in Economics will work out if you haven't changed your mind.