PhD's from one school to the next

While I would assume that all schools want their PhD programs to be extensive in their depth I assume that some schools (Harvard, Stanford, etc.) have a much more difficult PhD program then say an average state school. Am I correct?

 

State schools are often just as difficult and maybe even more than the big name schools. Depends more on the department and your chair than the school itself.

 

The most important variables might be selectivity and research opportunities.

Stanford University's religious studies program is a small program by design. They say that each year "the department typically receives some fifty to sixty applications, from which it selects four or five for the doctoral program". That means that they are only accepting 6-10% of their applicants. These students normally study full-time and receive financial support. Among the things the admissions committee looks for are strong preparation in the area of specialization, facility in the necessary languages, writing samples that indicate intellectual gifts and very strong recommendations. Doctoral students are planning academic careers and teaching is a required part of their program.

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/relstud/gradprogram.html

Stanford physics is so abundant that the university boasts not one, but two physics departments. This research rundown comes from the Applied Physics department's website:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/app-physics/research.html

The strength that Stanford and high-powered schools like it enjoy seems to be less a matter of degree requirements as it is of surrounding students with very stimulating people and then embedding them in exciting cutting-edge research projects.