Top Statistics Colleges in USA: Courses, Admissions, Fees, Scholarships and Scope

International students who want to study statistics abroad can choose top statistics colleges in USA. Statistics is “the science of learning from data”. As a statistics student, you will use mathematics to reach logical conclusions about probability, analyze and interpret useful data from surveys and experiments, design own experiments and other research methodologies. According to QS Statistics Ranking 2020, there are 22 top universities in the USA that are among the best statistics colleges in the world. Statistics courses are offered as bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. Apart from these degree programs, there are a number of certificates that are offered at the UG and PG levels of education.  

• According to US News and World Reports, a Statistician’s job in USA is ranked-
  • #1 in Best Business Jobs
  • #6 in Best Jobs 
  • #6 in Best STEM Jobs
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual openings for statisticians is projected to be 4,400 from 2016-26, which is third after Medical Scientists and Psychologists.
• The median annual salary of a Statistician in USA is 87,780 USD.

Top 10 Statistics Colleges in USA

Statistics courses offered at American universities are provided by the respective Department of Statistics. Being a similar course, the statistics department also offers degrees in informatics and MS in Data Science in USA.

According to QS Statistics Rankings 2020, there are a total of 11 USA universities among the best 20 statistics colleges in the world. The table below shows the top statistics colleges in USA.

Statistics Colleges in USA: Specializations and Degree Types

Statistics program has its application in various domains of study that include fields such as anthropology, business, computer science, economics, finance, engineering, mathematics, population science, etc. Programs in statistics help students acquire the conceptual, computational, and mathematical tools that are required for making sound conclusions from complex data. 

Statistics in USA is offered as degrees at various levels such as:

• Bachelor’s- Offered as a major, minor or concentration at the undergraduate level. The degrees received by students are usually that of bachelor of science or bachelor of arts.
• Master’s: Offered as MS in Statistics or MA in Statistics or Applied Statistics. 
• Doctoral Degree: Top statistics colleges in USA offer a Doctor of Philosophy or Ph.D. in Statistics. 
• Certificates: A few of the universities also offer various training programs or certificates in statistics for professional development. 

Top Statistics Colleges in USA: Undergraduate Courses

Statistics is offered as a major, minor or concentration area for study abroad in USA. Some of the top statistics colleges offering undergraduate courses are mentioned in the table below:

Eligibility for Undergraduate Courses in Statistics

To be eligible for an undergraduate program in statistics, a student is required to provide scores of senior secondary education with scores above a minimum GPA of 3.0. As a prerequisite, students must have studied subjects such as mathematics, statistics,or equivalent in their senior secondary level of education. 

Apart from this, an international student must also provide proof of -

• English language proficiency-
  • TOEFL(iBT): 80-90
  • IELTS: 6.0-7.0
• Scores of standardized exams to study in USA such as SAT/ ACT.

Documents Required:

• Completed admission application form
• Payment of non-refundable application fee
• Academic transcripts from all educational institutions attended
• Scorecard of SAT/ ACT score
• English language proficiency scores
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters in recommendation
• Copy of passport
• Proof of Finances to cover at one year of expenses

UG Fees and Funding at Top Statistics Colleges in USA

The program fee for an undergraduate statistics degree ranges from 120,000- 250,000 USD for the full program duration. To finance their studies, international students can apply for various undergraduate scholarships to study in USA. 

Top Statistics Colleges in USA: Masters Courses

Masters program in Statistics offered at top statistics colleges are offered as various degree programs. Some of these top graduate statistics courses are tabulated below:

Eligibility for admissions in Masters in Statistics

To be eligible for a masters degree in statistics program, a prospective student is strongly encouraged to have a good understanding of subjects such as mathematics, calculus, algebra, probability, statistics, etc. at the undergraduate level. 

To be eligible, an applicant must have a bachelor degree in statistics, mathematics, or a related area of study from a recognized university or college. 

Other admission requirements for masters in statistics include:

• Scores of GRE exam
• Proof of English language proficiency through one of the standardized exams such as:
  • TOEFL (iBT): 84-90
  • IELTS: 7.0
• Academic transcripts from all educational institutions attended along with their English translations
• Letters of recommendation (mostly three)
• Statement of Purpose
• Resume
• Personal Statement
• Completed admission application form and payment of non-refundable application fee

Masters Fees and Funding at Top Statistics Colleges in USA

The tuition fees for a master program in statistics depend largely on the university chosen or the subject. The estimated tuition fees for a master in statistics range between 14,000- 110,000 USD. Apart from tuition fees, students are also required to pay the cost of living in the USA. 

To cover all these expenses, international students can apply for various masters scholarships to study in USA. 

Top Statistics Colleges in USA: Certificates and Diplomas

There are a few of the top US universities that offer short term programs to international students. A few of the short term programs in statistics are:

Top Statistics Colleges in USA: Ph.D. program

Ph.D. in Statistics is a 4-5 year program that requires a student to complete a dissertation or a research project by the last semester of their program. Some of the best American universities offering a Ph.D. in Statistics are tabulated below:

Eligibility for Ph.D. in Statistics

For admissions to a Ph.D. program in Statistics, students are required to have a recognized bachelor and master’s degree in a related area of study. As a prerequisite, students are required to have knowledge of algebra, calculus, mathematical probability and statistics.

The admission requirements for Ph.D. include:

• Proof of English language proficiency with a minimum required scores of:
  • TOEFL (iBT): 80-90
  • IELTS: 6.5-7.5
• Scores of standardized exams such as GRE

Documents Required: 

• Online application form
• Application fee payment
• Academic transcripts from all educational institutions attended
• Letters of recommendation
• Statement of purpose
• GRE scorecard
• Demonstration of English proficiency
• Writing sample
• Research proposal

Fees and Funding for Ph.D. at Top Statistics Colleges in USA

Ph.D. students in USA are fully supported with a combination of financial aid options. These include stipend grants, teaching and research assistantships, etc. Ph.D. students get to work part-time during the academic year as teaching fellows or research assistants. 

Scholarships at Top Statistics Colleges in USA

International students on an F-1 student visa to USA are able to support their studies through the financial aid provided by the respective universities, USA or respective home country governments and even the private agencies or organizations.

A few of the international scholarships in USA at top statistics colleges are tabulated below:

What is the Scope of Studying at Statistics Colleges in USA?

After a statistics degree, a student can apply for a number of jobs in USA in various fields such as business, industry, agriculture, government, private, computer science, scientific, health sciences & other disciplines.

A statistics graduate is able to earn an annual average salary ranging from 69,000-101,000 USD. There are a number of occupations that can be undertaken by statistics graduates. A few of these are:

A statistician's job is considered to be one of the best jobs in the USA. According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying industries for Statisticians in USA are depicted in the chart below with the annual mean salary.

With an increase in the level of degree, the pay scale for a graduate from a top statistics college in USA also increases. From medical studies to research experiments, from satellites orbiting the globe to social networking sites like Facebook or Linkedln, from polling organizations to UN observers, data are being collected by everyone and everywhere all the time. Thus, knowledge in statistics provides a student with the necessary tools and quantitative reasoning to extract useful information from this sea of data. This makes a higher education from USA a lucrative one with good financial output.