5 Best Universities To Pursue Your Dream of Becoming a Statistician

Being a statistician is not easy. Quite contrary to what many people think, statistics is not just about the mathematical evaluation of data. It involves critical reasoning, appreciation of the fact that numbers do not tell the entire story, and provision of feedback on results and inferences. A statistician studies numbers and provides a statistical basis for inferences from the data available—and that is not at all easy thing to do.

All the well-established statisticians in the world have not studied from prestigious universities, but those who have certainly had their learning process done easier and more resourceful. In this post, I will talk about the latter and tell you which universities offer the best courses on statistics and have scored high on research, academic course, international engagement, and others.  

Here are five best universities best suited for studying statistics:

Harvard University

It is no surprise that Harvard is on the list. But, we must talk about its program on statistics which is unprecedented and incredibly resourceful. The Department of Statistics runs several undergraduate and postgraduate programs for domestic and international students. The Harvard University has been ranked No. 4 in the world in the Top 500 Global Universities, according to the CEOWORLD magazine University Ranking for 2019.

Students enrolled in these programs are offered numerous opportunities to research, train and involve themselves in special programs such as workshops. The department organizes international conferences which are attended by many great statisticians in the world.

Stanford University

Another North American University on the list is Stanford University. Its runs an exclusive Department of Statistics which provides two postgraduate and one Ph.D. program. The Master of Science (M.S.) in Statistics is not conventional and allows students to decide whether they want to take it up for a doctoral program. The Stanford University has been ranked No. 2 in the world in the Top 500 Global Universities, according to the CEOWORLD magazine University Ranking for 2019.

The coursework of the postgraduate program is divided into four categories, namely: Statistics Core, Programming, Statistics Depth, and Linear Algebra Mathematics. The only limitation of this course is that it is not offered at a distance and hence, on-campus presence is important.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

There is no department dedicated to the study of statistics; however, the Institute is, nevertheless, engage in a plethora of statistical studies and research programs. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been ranked No. 1 in the world in the Top 500 Global Universities, according to the CEOWORLD magazine University Ranking for 2019.

In 2015, the Institute established the now-famous Statistics and Data Science Center. The Centre is dedicated to carrying out research and providing educational programs with respect to data science and statistics. In 2018, the Centre launched its MicroMasters program which is aimed at providing basic knowledge necessary to understand and apply statistics. In addition to this, the Centre runs online courses on educational platforms such as edX.

University of California—Berkeley

One of the best-known departments of statistics from any university in the world is that of the University of California-Berkeley. It is known for its wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs on statistics. It, also, runs a program on biostatistics, which is not usually found around the world. The University of California-Berkeley has been ranked No. 1. in the world in the Top 500 Global Universities, according to the CEOWORLD magazine University Ranking for 2019.

Students enrolled in any of these programs are exposed to a world of learning and working opportunities. They are provided an environment to participate in the form of internships, research projects, and conferences.

One of the key giveaways of this department is its Berkeley Statistics Industry Alliance Program that ropes in the participation of global giants such as Adobe and Google, which allow students to make practical use of their knowledge.

University of Cambridge

One of the gems in the UK’s educational sector is the University of Cambridge, which does not need any introduction. What you should know that like many other courses, it runs many well-acclaimed courses on Statistics as well. The University of Cambridge has been ranked No. 3 in the world in the Top 500 Global Universities, according to the CEOWORLD magazine University Ranking for 2019.

It runs the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (DPMMS), which has a sub-department called the Statistical Laboratory. The latter, as the name suggests, engages in extensive research work, apart from providing a number of academic programs.

The DPMMS hosts two centers and one institute: Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, Cantab Capital Institute for the Mathematics of Information, and Cambridge Centre for Analysis. In addition to this, it hosts the famous annual Mordell Lecture, which witnesses engagement of research-level students and the Rouse Ball Lecture, which is attended by undergraduate students.