Award: A credential given by a postsecondary institution. The award types that are counted in this report are certificates, associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and research doctoral degrees. In this report, an award recipient with multiple major fields of study is counted only once, for the recipient’s first major field of study (as defined by the awarding institution).

Certificate: A postsecondary credential at the sub-associate level with an expected time to completion that is less than 2 years.

Community college: A public institution that offers certificate and associate’s degree programs with an expected time to completion for full-time students that is less than 4 years and, typically, 2 years or less. Institutions that offer bachelor's degree programs are not counted as community colleges in this report.

Control (of institution): A classification of whether an institution is operated by publicly elected or appointed officials (public control) or by privately elected or appointed officials and derives its major source of funds from private sources (private control).

Doctoral degree: In this report, “doctoral degree” or “doctorate” means a research doctorate. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System terms these degrees “doctor’s degree-research/scholarship” and defines them as “a PhD or other doctor’s degree that requires advanced work beyond the master’s level, including the preparation and defense of a dissertation based on original research, or the planning and execution of an original project demonstrating substantial artistic or scholarly achievement. Some examples of this type of degree may include EdD, DMA, DBA, DSc, DA, or DM, and others, as designated by the awarding institution.”

First university degree: A terminal undergraduate degree program; these degrees are classified within level 6 (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) or as “long first degrees” within level 7 (master’s degree or equivalent) in the 2011 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). For more on ISCED levels, see the Technical Appendix.

Internationally mobile students: Students who are enrolled in an education institution in a country other than their country of origin. Internationally mobile students include degree mobile students but may or may not also include credit mobile students, depending on the data source. International statistical bodies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics (UIS) and Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) focus on degree mobile students, those that are enrolled as regular students with the objective of graduating with a degree in the country of destination. The UIS definition only includes individuals who physically cross an international border (UIS 2022). In contrast, the Institute of International Education (IIE) uses a more expansive definition that also includes credit mobile students, those that travel outside their country for short-term for-credit study (IIE 2022b).

Science and engineering (S&E) fields: Under the National Center for Science and Engineering’s Taxonomy of Disciplines, S&E fields include agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; computer and information sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics and statistics; multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences; physical sciences; psychology; and social sciences. At the doctoral level, degrees in health fields are classified as health sciences under S&E, whereas these same fields are classified as health professions and related programs under S&E-related at other degree levels.

Science and engineering–related (S&E-related) fields: Under the National Center for Science and Engineering’s Taxonomy of Disciplines, S&E-related fields include health professions and related programs; homeland security and fire protection; science and mathematics teacher education; technology and technical fields; and other science and engineering related fields. At the doctoral level, degrees in health fields are classified as health sciences under S&E, whereas these same fields are classified as health professions and related programs under S&E-related at other degree levels.

Underrepresented minorities: This category comprises three racial or ethnic minority groups (Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and American Indians or Alaska Natives) whose representation in S&E education is smaller than their representation in the U.S. population.

AANAPISI: Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–serving institution

ANNHSI: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian–serving institution

CIP: Classification of Instructional Programs

DHS: Department of Homeland Security

HBCU: historically Black college or university

HSI: Hispanic-serving institution

IIE: Institute of International Education

IPEDS: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education

MSI: minority-serving institution

NASNTI: Native American–serving nontribal institution

NCES: National Center for Education Statistics

NCSES: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

NSB: National Science Board

NSCRC: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

NSF: National Science Foundation

OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OPT: optional practical training

PBI: predominantly Black institution

R&D: research and development

S&E: science and engineering

SED: Survey of Earned Doctorates

SEVIS: Student and Exchange Visitor Information System

STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

STW: skilled technical workforce

TCCU: tribally controlled college or university

TOD: Taxonomy of Disciplines

UIS: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization