The graduate school at the University of Michigan (UM) is seeking to identify the characteristics of a high quality graduate education, taking into account various aspects of quality that are susceptible to numerical analysis as well as those that are not. Contemporary research universities are composed of many autonomous spheres (undergraduate and graduate education, professional education, and faculty research). Analysis shows that the spheres are interconnected, so when the climate for intellectual exchange is improved in one, others can be enhanced, improving also the sense of intellectual community of an entire university. The UM analysis produced focuses on factors which contribute to excellence in graduate education: academic potential of the students; numbers and capacities of the faculty; professional relationship between faculty and graduate students; the amount and nature of teaching done by graduate students; the academic culture of a department; student counseling about career goals; and depth, cohesiveness, and breadth of the curriculum. The UM Rackham School of Graduate Studies offers awards to outstanding teaching assistants and for distinguished dissertations, sponsors symposia and other programs to increase communication across academic disciplines; supports requests from departments for what they believe will enhance the climate for graduate education; and encourages mentorship. (SM)