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 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 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

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 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 . 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, 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 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?) 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 has a lot of statistics classes. Seriously, just look at their . 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, 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.

Need help researching colleges? We can do that. Reach out here.