Best Data Analytics Doctoral Degree Programs 2026

Best Data Analytics PhD Programs - Top 10 — Complete Program Data

1. #1. University of California-Irvine Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks University of California-Irvine as the #1 in data analytics degree program. Location: Irvine, CA | Type: Public | Tuition: $11,834/year | Graduation Rate: 96% | Score: 100.0

   What makes University of California-Irvine stand out: UCI ICS is only dedicated computing school in UC system. Strong data science and cybersecurity programs. Orange County tech corridor provides diverse career opportunities.

   Hakia Insight: University of California-Irvine's industry network — including Blizzard and Google — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: UC Irvine ICS is the only dedicated computing school in UC system with strong graduate programs in data science, security, and AI. Orange County tech hub provides career opportunities with local companies. The doctoral program emphasizes original research, dissertation work, and preparation for academic or research leadership careers.

   Degree Programs: BS (4 years); MS (1 year); Certificate (7-18 months)

   Research Labs: Center for Machine Learning - ML research; Security Lab - Cybersecurity; Data Science Initiative - Applied data science

   Industry Partners: Blizzard, Google, Amazon

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories, Google Research, Amazon Research, Blizzard Research

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

2. #2. University of Southern California Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks University of Southern California as the #2 in data analytics degree program. Location: Los Angeles, CA | Type: Private | Tuition: $66,640/year | Graduation Rate: 92% | Score: 99.7

   What makes University of Southern California stand out: USC Viterbi combines top research with LA industry access. Online MS CS ranks among best nationally. Strong connections to entertainment tech, gaming, and Silicon Beach startups.

   Hakia Insight: Students at University of Southern California benefit from active collaborations with Amazon and Google, connecting classroom learning to the workforce.

   Program Overview: USC Viterbi School of Engineering offers top-ranked graduate CS programs with research excellence in AI, systems, and data science. Strong entertainment and tech industry connections in Los Angeles. Online MS CS program ranked among best in nation.

   Degree Programs: MS Business Analytics (MSBA) (2 years); MS Analytics (1.5-2 years full-time, 2.5-3.5 years part-time); MS Applied Data Science (32 units)

   Research Labs: Information Sciences Institute - AI and NLP research; Integrated Media Systems Center - Multimedia

   Industry Partners: Amazon, Google, Salesforce, Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories, Google Research, Amazon Research, Disney Research

   Notable Faculty: Dr. Dawn Porter (Statistics, Academic Director of MS Business Analytics); Dr. Mohammed Alyakoob (Digital marketplaces and economic impact); Dr. Arif Ansari (Data mining, business intelligence, data warehousing); Dr. Cosimo Arnesano (AI/ML applications to business processes)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

3. #3. University of Washington-Seattle Campus Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks University of Washington-Seattle Campus as the #3 in data analytics degree program. Location: Seattle, WA | Type: Public | Tuition: $11,524/year | Graduation Rate: 97% | Score: 98.7

   What makes University of Washington-Seattle Campus stand out: UW Allen School is top 10 with unmatched Seattle tech access. Direct pipelines to Microsoft, Amazon, Google. Leading research in AI, systems, and human-computer interaction.

   Hakia Insight: Students at University of Washington-Seattle Campus benefit from active collaborations with Microsoft and Amazon, connecting classroom learning to the workforce.

   Program Overview: UW CS is top 10 nationally with world-class research in AI, systems, and HCI. Seattle tech hub location with direct pipelines to Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Strong industry partnerships and internship opportunities.

   Degree Programs: Ph.D. in Data Analytics (4-6 years); Direct Ph.D. Track (5-7 years)

   Research Labs: Allen School AI Lab - Machine learning and AI; PLSE - Programming languages; Security Lab - Security research

   Industry Partners: Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories, Microsoft Research, Amazon Research, Google Research

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

   Accreditations: ABET accredited

4. #4. Stanford University Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks Stanford University as the #4 in data analytics degree program. Location: Stanford, CA | Type: Private | Tuition: $61,731/year | Score: 98.3

   What makes Stanford University stand out: Stanford's Statistics and Data Science program sits at the epicenter of Silicon Valley, offering unmatched access to tech giants and startups while being backed by one of the world's most prestigious statistics departments with deep ties to industry innovation.

   Hakia Insight: Stanford University's Golub Capital Social Impact Lab creates a direct research-to-career pipeline with DeepLearning.AI, bridging academic research and industry practice.

   Program Overview: Stanford University offers a rigorous M.S. in Statistics and Data Science, a terminal doctoral program designed for immediate career placement in the rapidly expanding data science field. The program typically takes 5-6 quarters to complete (excluding summer), requiring 45 units of coursework that blends theoretical statistical foundations with practical machine learning applications. Students begin with core courses like Probability Theory for Statistical Inference (STATS 118) and Statistical Learning and Data Science (STATS 202), progressing through advanced topics including causal inference, matrix theory, and specialized electives. The curriculum emphasizes both R and Python programming skills, with hands-on experience analyzing real datasets of moderate size. What sets Stanford's program apart is its location in the heart of Silicon Valley and deep integration with the broader Stanford ecosystem. Students benefit from mandatory orientations, close faculty mentoring through assigned advisors, and access to Stanford's renowned research infrastructure. The program attracts a diverse cohort from around the world, with students expected to live within commuting distance to ensure significant engagement with the department and faculty. Career prospects are exceptionally strong, with graduates finding positions across technology, finance, healthcare, and government sectors, particularly in the Bay Area where Stanford's Silicon Valley location provides unparalleled industry access.

   Degree Programs: Bachelors in Data Analytics; Data Science Scholars Program; Data Science Postdoctoral Fellows; MBA with Analytics Focus (2 years)

   Research Labs: Golub Capital Social Impact Lab - Machine Learning and Causal Inference for social impact; Data, Analytics, and Research Computing (DARC) - Analytics support, machine learning, text processing, and cloud services; Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory - Artificial intelligence research and applications; Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) - AI research, education, policy, and practice to improve human condition; Center for Neural Data Science - Neural data science research and applications; Center for Decoding the Universe - Data science and AI applications in cosmic discovery; Mobilize Center - Data science for mobile health applications; RESTORE Center - Mobile sensing in rehabilitation research; Computational Services and Bioinformatics Facility (CSBF) - Sequence analysis, molecular modeling, mathematical and statistical analysis

   Industry Partners: DeepLearning.AI, Coursera

   Career Outcomes: Placement Rate: 90% | Common Roles: Product Management, Go-to-Market, Customer Success, Sales, Research Scientist, Data Scientist

   Notable Faculty: Wah Chiu (Cryo-electron microscopy and tomography); Paul Yock (Medical technology innovation); Stephen Quake (Microfluidics and bioengineering)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

5. #5. Columbia University in the City of New York Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks Columbia University in the City of New York as the #5 in data analytics degree program. Location: New York, NY | Type: Private | Tuition: $64,526/year | Graduation Rate: 100% | Score: 97.3

   What makes Columbia University in the City of New York stand out: Columbia combines Ivy League prestige with NYC tech and finance ecosystem. Leading research in NLP, machine learning, and computational biology. Strong quant finance career pipeline.

   Hakia Insight: Through ties with Google and Goldman Sachs, Columbia University in the City of New York bridges the gap between academic training and industry practice.

   Program Overview: Columbia CS graduate programs rank top 15 nationally with world-class research in AI, NLP, and systems. NYC location provides unparalleled finance and tech industry access. Strong focus on machine learning and data science research.

   Degree Programs: MS (3 terms); MS (6 terms); MSBA (3 semesters)

   Research Labs: Columbia AI Lab - Machine learning; NLP Group - Natural language processing; Data Science Institute - Applied data science

   Industry Partners: Google, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Two Sigma

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories, Google Research, Goldman Sachs Research, JPMorgan Research

   Notable Faculty: Dr. Aaron Foster (mathematics and data analytics in healthcare); Ron Papka (banking analytics)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

   Accreditations: STEM-certified

6. #6. University of Pennsylvania Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks University of Pennsylvania as the #6 in data analytics degree program. Location: Philadelphia, PA | Type: Private | Tuition: $58,620/year | Graduation Rate: 100% | Score: 90.6

   What makes University of Pennsylvania stand out: Penn Wharton offers top-ranked business analytics education. Ranked #2 nationally among all colleges. Strong integration of data science with business and finance curriculum.

   Hakia Insight: University of Pennsylvania's industry network — including McKinsey and Goldman Sachs — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: University of Pennsylvania is a top choice for data analytics with Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 schools nationwide. Wharton School offers comprehensive business analytics education. The doctoral program emphasizes original research, dissertation work, and preparation for academic or research leadership careers.

   Degree Programs: Ph.D. in Data Analytics (4-6 years); Direct Ph.D. Track (5-7 years)

   Research Labs: Wharton Analytics - Business analytics research; Penn Data Science - Data analytics

   Industry Partners: McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Google

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories, McKinsey Research, BCG Research, Goldman Sachs Research

   Notable Faculty: John Lapinski (Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor, Faculty Director of Penn's Program for Opinion Research and Election Studies, Director of the Elections Unit at NBC News); Susan Davidson (Program Director of MSE in Data Science); Matthew Levendusky (Professor, Department of Political Science, Stephen & Mary Baran Chair in the Institutions of Democracy); Marc Meredith (Associate Professor of Political Science)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

7. #7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the #7 in data analytics degree program. Location: Cambridge, MA | Type: Private | Tuition: $59,750/year | Score: 89.6

   What makes Massachusetts Institute of Technology stand out: MIT created one of the first rigorous online Microdoctoral programs that delivers authentic MIT-level education remotely, while IDSS represents a unique interdisciplinary approach combining data science with systems thinking and societal impact.

   Hakia Insight: Massachusetts Institute of Technology's industry network — including Shell and Chromatan — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: MIT offers several data analytics pathways, with the flagship being the Microdoctoral® program in Statistics and Data Science (SDS) developed by MITx and the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). This rigorous online program provides four specialized tracks: General, Methods, Time Series and Social Sciences, and Social Sciences, each comprising four courses plus a capstone exam. The program delivers MIT-level rigor without requiring students to leave their jobs, covering everything from probability and statistics to machine learning and domain-specific applications. For those seeking residential programs, MIT Sloan offers a doctoral of Business Analytics (MBAn) - a 12-month intensive program focused on applying modern data science, optimization, and machine learning tools to real-world business problems. The Institute also houses the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), which serves as MIT's hub for interdisciplinary data science research, bringing together faculty from across engineering, management, and social sciences.

   Degree Programs: Ph.D. in Data Analytics (4-6 years); Direct Ph.D. Track (5-7 years)

   Research Labs: Laboratory for Infrastructure Science and Sustainability (LISS) - Infrastructure sensing and vision-based monitoring through data analytics and AI in engineering mechanics; Braatz Group - Applied mathematics and control theory with data analytics applications in manufacturing systems; MIT Auto-ID Laboratory - RFID, Internet of Things (IoT), and predictive data analytics; Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) - Artificial intelligence and computer science research

   Industry Partners: Shell, Chromatan, Takeda, Novartis Basel, McKinsey & Company, IBM Innovation Center, Biogen, Toyota Research Institute (TRI), Gates Foundation, FDA

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories

   Notable Faculty: Dr. Oral Buyukozturk (Infrastructure sensing and vision-based monitoring through data analytics and AI); Dr. Richard D. Braatz (Applied mathematics and control theory for manufacturing data analytics); Dr. Shoumen Palit Austin Datta (RFID, IoT, and predictive data analytics)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

8. #8. Washington University in St Louis Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks Washington University in St Louis as the #8 in data analytics degree program. Location: Saint Louis, MO | Type: Private | Tuition: $61,750/year | Graduation Rate: 97% | Score: 88.7

   What makes Washington University in St Louis stand out: Washington University in St Louis is a private institution with strong data analytics doctoral research programs.

   Hakia Insight: Washington University in St Louis's industry network — including Major tech companies (internship/recruiting partners) and Amazon — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: Washington University in St Louis offers a doctoral program in data analytics designed for students pursuing advanced research and academic careers. Located in Saint Louis, MO, the program emphasizes original research contributions, dissertation work, and preparation for leadership roles in academia and industry.

   Degree Programs: Ph.D. in Data Analytics (4-6 years); Direct Ph.D. Track (5-7 years)

   Research Labs: McKelvey School of Engineering Research Labs - Machine learning, optimization, and data systems; Center for Biostatistics and Data Science - Clinical trials, genetic epidemiology, coordinating center activities; Center for Applied Health Informatics - Clinical informatics, population health, health AI; Personomics Lab - Personalized connectome and brain connectivity patterns; Breast Image Computing Lab - Machine learning for breast cancer screening and prevention; SAFE-T Lab - Patient safety, clinical decision support, perioperative care; CausAI Lab - Causal inference, federated learning, multimodal foundation models

   Industry Partners: Major tech companies (internship/recruiting partners), Amazon, Bayer, Bosch, Citigroup, Deloitte Consulting LLP, The Federal Reserve, GE, BJC Health System, UK Biobank, NIH

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories, Tech research divisions

   Notable Faculty: Dr. Philip R.O. Payne (Health AI, biomedical informatics, clinical decision support); Dr. Li Ding (Cancer proteogenomics, computational biology); Dr. Thomas Kannampallil (Biomedical informatics, human-AI interactions); Dr. Dennis Barbour (Machine learning, auditory processing, medical informatics); Dr. Roman Garnett (Bayesian machine learning, sequential decision making); Dr. Deanna Barch (Population neuroscience, brain-behavior relationships)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ recommended

   Accreditations: ABET accredited engineering programs

9. #9. Carnegie Mellon University Data Analytics Program

   Hakia ranks Carnegie Mellon University as the #9 in data analytics degree program. Location: Pittsburgh, PA | Type: Private | Tuition: $62,260/year | Graduation Rate: 98% | Score: 88.6

   What makes Carnegie Mellon University stand out: CMU pioneered data-informed business decision-making at the Tepper School and houses the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, a world leader in high-performance computing, giving students unprecedented access to cutting-edge computational resources and real scientific datasets.

   Hakia Insight: Carnegie Mellon University leverages partnerships with NIST and PwC to offer students real-world project experience valued by employers.

   Program Overview: Carnegie Mellon University offers a comprehensive ecosystem of data analytics programs spread across multiple prestigious schools, each tailored to specific career trajectories. The flagship doctoral of Science in Data Analytics for Science (MS-DAS) is housed in the Mellon College of Science as an intensive one-year program that combines rigorous coursework in applied linear algebra, machine learning, and statistical methods with hands-on experience using datasets from biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics hosted by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. Students complete a semester-long industry capstone project and a required communications and professional development component, totaling 99 units. The Tepper School of Business offers both full-time (9-month) and part-time online (20-month) doctoral of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) programs, ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report for Business Analytics. These STEM-designated programs emphasize strategic business applications of analytics, featuring experiential learning courses where students manage real company datasets and present findings to executives. The Heinz College contributes through its robust research infrastructure, including the AI Measurement Science & Engineering Cooperative Research Center (AIMSEC) in partnership with NIST, and multiple specialized research centers focusing on behavioral decision research, digital entertainment analytics, and teaching & education analytics.

   Degree Programs: Ph.D. in Data Analytics (4-6 years); Direct Ph.D. Track (5-7 years)

   Research Labs: AI Measurement Science & Engineering Cooperative Research Center (AIMSEC) - AI system evaluation, testing, and monitoring in partnership with NIST; Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center - World leader in high-performance computing and data analytics, hosts large scientific datasets; Initiative for Digital Entertainment Analytics (IDEA) - Public policy and managerial questions in digital distribution of entertainment content; Center for Behavioral Decision Research (CBDR) - Decision sciences research building on psychology, economics, neuroscience, and public policy

   Industry Partners: NIST, PwC, Singapore Management University

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Research universities, National laboratories, Consulting firms Research, Financial services Research, Healthcare Research

   Notable Faculty: Professor Rayid Ghani (data analytics for public policy)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

10. #10. The University of Texas at Austin Data Analytics Program

    Hakia ranks The University of Texas at Austin as the #10 in data analytics degree program. Location: Austin, TX | Type: Public | Tuition: $11,678/year | Graduation Rate: 89% | Score: 88.4

    What makes The University of Texas at Austin stand out: UT Austin CS is top 10 with Austin tech boom access. Leading research in AI, robotics, and machine learning. Strong connections to Dell, Apple, Google Austin offices.

    Hakia Insight: The University of Texas at Austin graduates earn $110,000, driven by the program's industry connections and hands-on data analytics curriculum.

    Program Overview: The University of Texas at Austin Computer Science department is ranked top 10 nationally, offering world-class doctoral research in AI, machine learning, data systems, and computational theory. Austin's tech boom provides exceptional career opportunities with strong startup ecosystem and deep industry partnerships with Dell, Apple, and Google.

    Degree Programs: Ph.D. in Data Analytics (4-6 years); Direct Ph.D. Track (5-7 years)

    Research Labs: UT AI Lab - Machine learning; Robotics Lab - Robotics; Security Research - Cybersecurity

    Industry Partners: Dell, Apple, Google, Meta

    Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Fulton Bank, Charles Schwab, FedEx | Common Roles: Data Analyst, Product Analyst, Business Analyst, Analytics Engineer, BI Analyst, Data Architect, Data Engineer, Data Journalist, Research Analyst, Data Scientist

    Admissions: GPA: 3.5+ for competitive admission

    Accreditations: Microsoft PL-300 Power BI Data Analyst