Reasonably Priced PhD Programs

PhD pricing is not that straightforward. So it is hard to quote a specific price and "shop" in that way. Most programs offer fellowships, etc. that reduce the costs. The more expensive "price tag" may actually be cheaper because of the fellowships you can get.

Also, that's not the way to pick a PhD program. At that level, it is essential to find a program that is a good match for your research interests, philosophy, and career goals. I suggest you focus on those three things and develop a list of possibilities. Then talk with them and find out about the financial situation to help you make the final decision.

With all schools having websites, you can do a lot of exploring without having to invest much time or money. Look at their curricula, the research interests of their faculty, etc. Look at which authors/researchers are doing the most work (and publishing) within your field. With whom would you like to study? Which program has a curriculum that appeals to you? etc. Start there. Then add the money factor.

I agree with the two posters above. Pursuing a graduate degree is not like shopping for underwear, and whichever is the cheapest is fine. :) You need to find a program with people who share your research interests and can guide and mentor you. And funding is a whole different ball game for PhD programs than other degrees. Best wishes!

Thanks for sharing your story, UVA Grad Nursing. I hadn't read that story before and found it quite interesting.

I had some similar issues in my PhD program. When I began my PhD program search, my field of interest (the interface between nursing and technology) was not really available. It was just an emerging topic and no school was really prepared to accept a student with that focus area. So I went to a program that had a curriculum that matched me to a tee -- emphasizing philosophy, theory, and research methodolgy in general, rather than focused on specific topics. I LOVED my courses, but they led to a dissertation that didn't quite fit in with the rest of the world and the absence of a mentor who could help me with the next career steps. With graduation, I suddenly found myself "out there on my own," all alone, with no sense of where to go and what to do next.

So I have floundered a bit career-wise since then -- earning a good living as a Nursing Professional Development Specialist, but not "fulfilling my scholarly potential" and feeling frustrated (and a little like a failure) by that. I had been considered one of the top students in my PhD cohort, but I didn't successfully launch that academic career that is the expectation. Sometimes, I am satisfied with how things worked out. Sometimes, I wonder how my career and life might have been different had I found a different fit for my PhD work that would have led to more career opportunities.

Well-regarded in what, exactly? What is your particular research interest? That's what we are trying to say. A school might be terrific in one focus area and terrible in another. Where are the big research programs in your particular specialty focus?

The question can't be answered well "in general." You have to identify your focus area to locate the schools that are well-regarded in that specialty.

For example, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Washington, Univ. of California San Fransisco, etc. are all very well-respected schools. But if there are not researchers there working on projects in your specialty, they would be bad choices for you.

This is not like "basic" nursing school, or even MSN programs -- in that case, you can figure that, e.g., all psych NP programs, or all CNM programs, offer a fairly similar curriculum and end result, and focus on price and reputation of the school. But PhD programs are much more specialized and personalized. You want (need) to be at a school at which there are faculty who share your specific research interests (and please don't say you don't have any, so you can go anywhere -- that's one of the first things you'll be asked when you start applying to programs. They will expect you to already have some pretty clear ideas about what area and topics in nursing you're interested in researching).