The National Science Foundation’s latest report on doctoral-degree attainment updates a data set that stretches back three decades, in some cases. Below, a sampling of key findings from the survey. Read the full story.
Doctorate recipients, by major field of study: Selected years, 1981-2011
Notes: * = value < 0.05%.
For “other,” non-science and engineering fields not shown separately.
Source: NSF/NIH/USED/USDA/NEH/NASA, Survey of Earned Doctorates
Postgraduation commitment of doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: Selected years, 1991–2011
Notes: Life sciences includes agricultural sciences/natural resources, biological/biomedical sciences, and health sciences; physical sciences includes mathematics and computer and information sciences; and social sciences includes psychology. For “other,” non-science and engineering fields not shown separately. Figures are based on number responding to the survey item on postgraduation commitment.
Source: NSF/NIH/USED/USDA/NEH/NASA, Survey of Earned Doctorates
Percentage of doctorate recipients with postgraduate employment plans, by broad field of study: Selected years, 1991–2011
Notes: Life sciences includes agricultural sciences/natural resources, biological/biomedical sciences, and health sciences; physical sciences includes mathematics and computer and information sciences; and social sciences includes psychology. For “other,” non-science and engineering fields not shown separately. Figures based on number reporting definite postgraduation commitments with response to type of plan (employment or postdoctoral study).
Source: NSF/NIH/USED/USDA/NEH/NASA, Survey of Earned Doctorates
Doctorate recipients, by sex and broad field of study, 2011
Notes: Figures exclude 22 people who did not report gender. Life sciences includes agricultural sciences/natural resources, biological/biomedical sciences, and health sciences; physical sciences includes mathematics and computer and information sciences; and social sciences includes psychology. For “other,” non-science and engineering fields not shown separately.
U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients, by race/ethnicity and major field of study, 2011
Notes: Asian excludes Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders who are not Hispanic; Hispanic includes persons reporting Hispanic ethnicity, whether singly or in combination with one or more races; “other or unknown race” includes doctorate recipients who are not Hispanic and did not indicate race, doctorate recipients with unknown race and ethnicity, and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders who are not Hispanic. Under discipline, for “other,” non-science and engineering fields not shown separately. Due to rounding, percentages may not sum to 100.
Source: NSF/NIH/USED/USDA/NEH/NASA, Survey of Earned Doctorates