Report

U.S. doctorate awards

Each new cohort of doctorate recipients augments the supply of prospective scientists, engineers, researchers, and scholars. Data on the composition of these cohorts reveal changes in the presence of different demographic groups.

Overall trends

The number of research doctoral degrees awarded by U.S. institutions in 2021 decreased to 52,250, down from 55,224 in 2020, according to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) (figure 1). Since the survey’s inception in 1957, the number of doctorates awarded shows an upward trend—average annual growth of 3.0%—punctuated by periods of slow growth and even decline. However, the decline in 2021 is the second consecutive annual drop and the steepest in the history of the SED (-5.4%).

Since the SED began collecting data, the number of research doctorates awarded in science and engineering (S&E) fields has exceeded the number of non-S&E doctorates, and over time the gap has widened. From 1985 to 2021, the number of S&E doctorate recipients has more than doubled, while the number of non-S&E doctorate recipients in 2021 declined to just below the 1985 count. As a result, the proportion of S&E doctorates to all doctorates climbed from 62% in 1985 to 78% in 2021. The 2021 decline in the number of doctorate recipients was larger in S&E than in non-S&E fields, but the proportion was greater for non-S&E than for S&E fields.

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Doctorates awarded by U.S. colleges and universities: 1958–2021

(Number)
Year S&E fields Non-S&E fields Total
1958 5,751 3,022 8,773
1959 6,043 3,170 9,213
1960 6,388 3,345 9,733
1961 6,872 3,541 10,413
1962 7,612 3,888 11,500
1963 8,422 4,306 12,728
1964 9,462 4,863 14,325
1965 10,706 5,634 16,340
1966 11,732 6,217 17,949
1967 13,274 7,129 20,403
1968 14,824 8,113 22,937
1969 16,574 9,169 25,743
1970 18,458 11,040 29,498
1971 19,869 11,998 31,867
1972 19,752 13,289 33,041
1973 19,808 13,947 33,755
1974 19,137 13,910 33,047
1975 19,210 13,742 32,952
1976 18,821 14,125 32,946
1977 18,298 13,418 31,716
1978 17,952 12,923 30,875
1979 18,213 13,025 31,238
1980 18,169 12,850 31,019
1981 18,713 12,642 31,355
1982 18,736 12,372 31,108
1983 19,117 12,163 31,280
1984 19,285 12,049 31,334
1985 19,504 11,791 31,295
1986 20,064 11,833 31,897
1987 20,558 11,807 32,365
1988 21,675 11,822 33,497
1989 22,565 11,760 34,325
1990 23,689 12,376 36,065
1991 24,894 12,636 37,530
1992 25,616 13,270 38,886
1993 26,449 13,351 39,800
1994 27,304 13,730 41,034
1995 27,663 14,084 41,747
1996 28,405 14,032 42,437
1997 28,486 14,053 42,539
1998 28,592 14,044 42,636
1999 27,148 13,953 41,101
2000 27,378 13,991 41,369
2001 26,896 13,848 40,744
2002 26,088 13,943 40,031
2003 26,713 14,049 40,762
2004 27,794 14,328 42,122
2005 29,578 13,807 43,385
2006 31,584 14,036 45,620
2007 33,758 14,374 48,132
2008 34,717 14,059 48,776
2009 35,313 14,239 49,552
2010 34,997 13,031 48,028
2011 36,331 12,578 48,909
2012 37,846 13,097 50,943
2013 39,031 13,672 52,703
2014 40,630 13,356 53,986
2015 41,175 13,711 54,886
2016 41,240 13,569 54,809
2017 41,288 13,264 54,552
2018 42,146 12,934 55,080
2019 42,898 12,711 55,609
2020 42,580 12,644 55,224
2021 40,859 11,391 52,250

S&E = science and engineering.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2021. Related detailed table 1-1.

Citizenship

Trends in citizenship

In 2021, the number of doctorates in S&E fields awarded to temporary visa holders was 15,216, down 784 from 2020 (figure 2). Despite this decline, S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders have increased 85% since 2001 and 25% since 2011. Over the past 20 years, the proportion of S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders peaked at 41% in 2007, held steady at about 36% between 2010 and 2017, and increased to 39% in 2021.

In comparison, although starting from a larger base, the number of S&E doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents decreased by 1,464 in 2021; overall, it has experienced a slower relative increase over the past 20 years (35% since 2001 and 7% since 2011).

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Doctorates awarded in S&E and non-S&E fields, by citizenship status: 2001–21

(Number)
Year S&E U.S. citizens and permanent residents S&E temporary visa holders Non-S&E U.S. citizens and permanent residents Non-S&E temporary visa holders
2001 17,361 8,244 11,533 1,568
2002 16,608 8,000 11,129 1,747
2003 16,831 8,685 11,339 1,912
2004 16,879 9,494 11,161 2,134
2005 17,177 10,761 10,768 2,071
2006 18,073 11,941 10,955 2,257
2007 18,635 12,762 10,866 2,361
2008 19,869 13,045 10,975 2,216
2009 21,103 12,570 11,224 2,166
2010 21,406 11,675 10,196 1,961
2011 21,963 12,185 9,762 2,050
2012 22,857 12,729 10,124 2,055
2013 23,461 13,435 10,503 2,239
2014 23,883 13,725 10,120 2,114
2015 24,518 14,010 10,553 2,119
2016 25,060 14,313 10,618 2,164
2017 25,444 14,122 10,292 2,166
2018 25,437 15,204 9,913 2,378
2019 25,673 15,777 9,554 2,547
2020 24,929 16,000 9,544 2,476
2021 23,465 15,216 8,209 2,422

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report citizenship. Counts of unreported citizenship fluctuated between 1,989 and 4,137.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2021. Related detailed table 1-6 and table 1-7.

Countries or economies of foreign citizenship

The number of doctorate recipients on temporary visas is highly concentrated in a few places of origin. Between 2011 and 2021, 10 places accounted for 70% of the 181,446 doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders, and the top 3 countries—China, India, and South Korea—accounted for over half (53%) (figure 3). Between 70% and 94% of doctorate recipients from each of these top 10 locations earned a doctorate in an S&E field.

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Top 10 countries or economies of foreign citizenship for doctorate recipients with temporary visas: 2011–21

(Number)
Country or economy S&E fields Non-S&E fields
China 54,645 4,785
India 22,617 1,352
South Korea 9,822 3,641
Iran 6,696 443
Taiwan 5,389 999
Turkey 3,947 887
Canada 3,304 1,441
Saudi Arabia 2,267 776
Bangladesh 2,211 134
Mexico 1,831 354

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

China includes Hong Kong. Ranking based on total number of doctorate recipients.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2021. Related detailed table 7-7 and table 7-8.

Citizenship and sex

In 2021, women earned 46% of all doctorate awards. Since 2002, women have earned just over half of all doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents and more than 30% of doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders (figure 4). In the past 10 years, the proportion of women has been stable in both citizenship categories (51%–52% for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and 35%–36% for temporary visa holders).

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Doctorates awarded, by sex and citizenship: 2001–21

(Number)
Year Male U.S. citizens and permanent residents Male temporary visa holders Female U.S. citizens and permanent residents Female temporary visa holders
2001 14,684 7,011 14,209 2,800
2002 13,779 6,765 13,957 2,977
2003 13,920 7,257 14,250 3,340
2004 13,770 7,913 14,270 3,715
2005 13,586 8,749 14,357 4,079
2006 14,266 9,398 14,762 4,800
2007 14,240 9,994 15,260 5,128
2008 14,774 9,984 16,069 5,277
2009 15,508 9,564 16,818 5,167
2010 15,275 8,768 16,327 4,868
2011 15,396 9,179 16,329 5,056
2012 16,072 9,556 16,909 5,224
2013 16,550 10,103 17,414 5,571
2014 16,660 10,204 17,343 5,633
2015 17,218 10,395 17,853 5,734
2016 17,530 10,671 18,147 5,805
2017 17,565 10,601 18,170 5,686
2018 17,312 11,308 18,037 6,274
2019 17,263 11,767 17,963 6,556
2020 16,776 11,870 17,697 6,606
2021 15,231 11,399 16,441 6,239
Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report sex or citizenship.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2021. Related detailed table 1-9 and table 1-10.

Sex

In the past 20 years, most of the growth in the number of doctorates earned by both men and women has been in S&E fields (figure 5). During this period, the number of female doctorate recipients in S&E fields increased by 72%, although starting from a smaller base, compared with a 40% increase in the number of male S&E doctorate recipients. The proportion of female doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 38% in 2001 to 42% in 2010, and it has remained fairly stable since then.

In non-S&E fields, women earned 58% of doctorates in 2021, a proportion that has changed little since the early 2000s. Between 2001 and 2021, the number of female non-S&E doctorate recipients declined by 14%, while the number of male doctorate recipients in those fields declined by 22%.

Between 2019 and 2021, the decline in the number and proportion of male S&E doctorate recipients was larger than the decline in female S&E doctorate recipients. In contrast, in non-S&E fields, the decline was larger among women than among men.

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Doctorates awarded, by sex and field: 2001–21

(Number)
Year S&E men Non-S&E men S&E women Non-S&E women
2001 16,622 6,158 10,220 7,667
2002 15,802 6,004 10,236 7,904
2003 16,196 6,060 10,517 7,989
2004 16,836 6,129 10,957 8,198
2005 17,869 5,868 11,665 7,917
2006 18,886 6,134 12,676 7,883
2007 20,120 6,082 13,622 8,282
2008 20,419 5,852 14,289 8,205
2009 20,346 5,985 14,937 8,250
2010 20,075 5,449 14,912 7,576
2011 20,902 5,286 15,411 7,288
2012 21,761 5,601 16,041 7,485
2013 22,448 5,878 16,573 7,792
2014 23,302 5,706 17,189 7,624
2015 23,703 5,829 17,467 7,880
2016 23,915 5,657 17,314 7,908
2017 23,838 5,608 17,433 7,651
2018 24,240 5,503 17,887 7,422
2019 24,802 5,309 18,088 7,400
2020 24,476 5,379 18,100 7,264
2021 23,273 4,809 17,577 6,579

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report sex.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2021. Related detailed table 1-4, table 1-5, and table 3-2.

Race and ethnicity

From 2001 to 2021, the proportion of doctorates earned by White U.S. citizens and permanent residents declined from 77% to 67%, and the proportion earned by Asian U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased from 7% to 10%. The participation in doctoral education by Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased, although starting from a small number.

In the past 20 years, the number of Hispanic or Latino doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 693 to 2,135 (figure 6). As a result, the proportion of doctorates earned by this group among U.S. citizens and permanent residents grew from 4% in 2001 to 9% in 2021. The number of Black or African American doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 715 in 2001 to 1,392 in 2021, and the proportion of doctorates they earned among U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased from 4% to 6% during this period. Between 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2021, however, the number of Black or African American doctorate recipients in S&E declined by 73 and the number of Hispanic or Latino doctorate recipients in S&E increased by 57.

Between 2001 and 2021, the number of American Indian or Alaska Native doctorate recipients in S&E fluctuated between 49 and 86. Since 2019, it declined from 77 to 64, remaining under 0.5% of S&E doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

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Doctorates earned by underrepresented minority U.S. citizens and permanent residents, by field: 2001–21

(Number)
Year S&E American Indian or Alaska Native S&E Black or African American S&E Hispanic or Latino Non-S&E American Indian or Alaska Native Non-S&E Black or African American Non-S&E Hispanic or Latino
2001 74 715 693 68 925 573
2002 68 728 752 74 938 618
2003 73 713 786 63 1,010 649
2004 57 811 755 68 1,086 547
2005 70 799 844 67 942 591
2006 49 845 924 64 944 608
2007 86 867 987 54 1,024 668
2008 62 897 1,135 53 1,064 638
2009 75 1,055 1,145 57 1,113 735
2010 78 1,008 1,213 39 931 629
2011 78 1,094 1,371 49 805 618
2012 61 1,125 1,458 43 930 686
2013 71 1,311 1,424 48 861 711
2014 70 1,282 1,506 33 890 684
2015 71 1,307 1,678 60 968 771
2016 75 1,350 1,785 53 1,008 763
2017 68 1,405 1,752 41 995 784
2018 76 1,441 1,845 39 1,008 727
2019 77 1,465 2,078 42 1,047 766
2020 54 1,404 1,998 43 1,049 852
2021 64 1,392 2,135 36 1,039 721

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

Excludes U.S. citizen and permanent resident respondents who did not report race or ethnicity. Counts of unreported race or ethnicity fluctuated between 434 and 982.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2021. Related detailed table 1-8, table 1-11, table 3-3, and table 3-4.