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 increased from 52,194 in 2021 to 57,596 in 2022, according to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) (figure 1). Since the survey’s inception in 1957, there has been an upward trend in the number of doctorates awarded—with an average annual growth of 3.1% punctuated by periods of slow growth and some declines. However, the increase in 2022 was the steepest 1-year increase in the history of the SED (10.3%), surpassing the sharp decline seen in the previous year.

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 this gap has widened over time. From 2002 to 2022, the number of S&E doctorate recipients has increased by 74%, while the number of non-S&E doctorate recipients in 2022 was 13% lower than in 2002. As a result, the proportion of S&E doctorates to all doctorates climbed from 65% in 2002 to 79% in 2022.

Doctorates awarded by U.S. colleges and universities: 1958–2022
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Doctorates awarded by U.S. colleges and universities: 1958–2022

(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 42,144 12,934 55,078
2019 42,898 12,711 55,609
2020 42,565 12,643 55,208
2021 40,834 11,360 52,194
2022 45,479 12,117 57,596

S&E = science and engineering.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2022. Related detailed table 1-1.

Citizenship

Trends in citizenship

In 2022, the number of doctorates in S&E fields awarded to temporary visa holders was 17,091, an increase of 1,756 from 2021 (figure 2). Overall, S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders increased 114% since 2002 and 34% since 2012. 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 2011 and 2017, and gradually increased to 39% in 2022.

Although starting from a larger base, the number of S&E doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents experienced a slower relative increase over the past 20 years (59% since 2002 and 16% since 2012) compared with S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders. In 2022, the number of S&E U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients was 26,408, an increase of 2,787 from 2021.

Doctorates awarded in S&E and non-S&E fields, by citizenship status: 2002–22
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Doctorates awarded in S&E and non-S&E fields, by citizenship status: 2002–22

(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
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 25,436 15,204 9,913 2,378
2019 25,673 15,777 9,554 2,547
2020 24,919 15,997 9,543 2,476
2021 23,621 15,335 8,270 2,436
2022 26,408 17,091 8,903 2,542

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report citizenship. Counts of unreported citizenship fluctuated between 1,995 and 4,144.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2022. 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 countries or economies of origin. Between 2012 and 2022, 10 countries or economies accounted for 70% of the 186,974 doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders during that time, and the top three countries—China, India, and South Korea—accounted for 53% (figure 3). Between 70% and 96% of doctorate recipients from each of the top 10 countries or economies earned a doctorate in an S&E field.

Top 10 countries or economies of foreign citizenship for doctorate recipients with temporary visas: 2012–22
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Top 10 countries or economies of foreign citizenship for doctorate recipients with temporary visas: 2012–22

(Number)
Country or economy S&E fields Non-S&E fields
China 57,072 5,085
India 23,103 1,381
South Korea 9,501 3,603
Iran 7,300 506
Taiwan 5,195 917
Canada 3,354 1,412
Turkey 3,815 880
Saudi Arabia 2,625 870
Bangladesh 2,663 156
Nepal 2,196 97

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, 2022. Related detailed table 7-7.

Citizenship and sex

In 2022, women earned 47% of all doctorate awards (figure 4). Between 2002 and 2022, the rate of growth of female temporary visa holders was faster than the rate of growth of their U.S. citizen and permanent resident counterparts, although from a lower base. During this period, the proportion of women among U.S. citizens and permanent residents hovered around 51%–52%. Meanwhile, the proportion of women among temporary visa holders increased gradually from 31% in 2002 to 35% in 2009, held steady until 2021, and increased to 37% in 2022.

From 2021 to 2022, the increase in the number of female doctorate recipients was larger than the increase in male doctorate recipients, regardless of citizenship status. Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the number of women increased by 1,932 compared with 1,485 for men. Among temporary visa holders, the number of women increased by 972, compared with 890 for men.

Doctorates awarded, by sex and citizenship: 2002–22
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Doctorates awarded, by sex and citizenship: 2002–22

(Number)
Year Female U.S. citizens and permanent residents Male U.S. citizens and permanent residents Male temporary visa holders Female temporary visa holders
2002 13,957 13,779 6,765 2,977
2003 14,250 13,920 7,257 3,340
2004 14,270 13,770 7,913 3,715
2005 14,357 13,586 8,749 4,079
2006 14,762 14,266 9,398 4,800
2007 15,260 14,240 9,994 5,128
2008 16,069 14,774 9,984 5,277
2009 16,818 15,508 9,564 5,167
2010 16,327 15,275 8,768 4,868
2011 16,329 15,396 9,179 5,056
2012 16,909 16,072 9,556 5,224
2013 17,414 16,550 10,103 5,571
2014 17,343 16,660 10,204 5,633
2015 17,853 17,218 10,395 5,734
2016 18,147 17,530 10,671 5,805
2017 18,170 17,565 10,601 5,686
2018 18,036 17,312 11,308 6,274
2019 17,963 17,263 11,767 6,556
2020 17,692 16,770 11,868 6,605
2021 16,576 15,313 11,476 6,295
2022 18,508 16,798 12,366 7,267
Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report sex or citizenship.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2022. 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 94%, compared with a 62% increase in the number of male S&E doctorate recipients. The proportion of female doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 39% in 2002 to 42% in 2009, remained fairly stable through 2019, and increased to 44% by 2022. In non-S&E fields, women earned 59% of doctorates in 2022, a proportion that has hovered around 57%–59% since the early 2000s. Between 2002 and 2022, the number of female doctorate recipients in non-S&E fields declined by 9%, while the number of male doctorate recipients in those fields declined by 18%. Between 2021 and 2022, the increase in the number of women (2,313) among S&E doctorate recipients was close to that of men (2,339). In contrast, the increase in the number of women in non-S&E fields (628) was nearly five times that of men (127).

Doctorates awarded, by sex and field: 2002–22
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Doctorates awarded, by sex and field: 2002–22

(Number)
Year S&E men S&E women Non-S&E women Non-S&E men
2002 15,802 10,236 7,904 6,004
2003 16,196 10,517 7,989 6,060
2004 16,836 10,957 8,198 6,129
2005 17,869 11,665 7,917 5,868
2006 18,886 12,676 7,883 6,134
2007 20,120 13,622 8,282 6,082
2008 20,419 14,289 8,205 5,852
2009 20,346 14,937 8,250 5,985
2010 20,075 14,912 7,576 5,449
2011 20,902 15,411 7,288 5,286
2012 21,761 16,041 7,485 5,601
2013 22,448 16,573 7,792 5,878
2014 23,302 17,189 7,624 5,706
2015 23,703 17,467 7,880 5,829
2016 23,915 17,314 7,908 5,657
2017 23,838 17,433 7,651 5,608
2018 24,239 17,886 7,422 5,503
2019 24,802 18,088 7,400 5,309
2020 24,468 18,092 7,264 5,378
2021 23,267 17,559 6,569 4,789
2022 25,606 19,872 7,197 4,916

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, 2022. Related detailed table 1-4 and table 1-5.

Race and ethnicity

Racial and ethnic minority representation in doctorate awards has increased over time. From 2002 to 2022, the proportion of doctorates earned by White doctorate recipients among U.S. citizens and permanent residents declined from 76% to 66%, and the proportion earned by Asian U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased from 8% to 10%. The proportion of Hispanic or Latino and Black or African American U.S. citizens and permanent residents also increased, although starting from a small base (figure 6). In the past 20 years, the number of Hispanic or Latino doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 752 (5%) to 2,488 (9%). The number of Black or African American doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 728 (4%) in 2002 to 1,540 (6%) in 2022. In the same time period, the number of American Indian or Alaska Native doctorate recipients in S&E fluctuated between 49 and 86. Between 2021 and 2022, S&E doctorates awarded to American Indians or Alaska Natives declined from 64 to 58, remaining under 0.5% of S&E doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. In the same time period, the number of Black or African American doctorate recipients in S&E increased by 133 to 1,540 and the number of Hispanic or Latino doctorate recipients in S&E increased by 340 to 2,488—the highest numbers of doctorates awarded to each of these groups in the past 20 years.

Doctorates earned by U.S. citizen and permanent resident minority groups underrepresented in S&E, by field: 2002–22
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Doctorates earned by U.S. citizen and permanent resident minority groups underrepresented in S&E, by field: 2002–22

(Number)
Year S&E Hispanic or Latino S&E Black or African American Non-S&E Black or African American Non-S&E Hispanic or Latino S&E American Indian or Alaska Native Non-S&E American Indian or Alaska Native
2002 752 728 938 618 68 74
2003 786 713 1,010 649 73 63
2004 755 811 1,086 547 57 68
2005 844 799 942 591 70 67
2006 924 845 944 608 49 64
2007 987 867 1,024 668 86 54
2008 1,135 897 1,064 638 62 53
2009 1,145 1,055 1,113 735 75 57
2010 1,213 1,008 931 629 78 39
2011 1,371 1,094 805 618 78 49
2012 1,458 1,125 930 686 61 43
2013 1,424 1,311 861 711 71 48
2014 1,506 1,282 890 684 70 33
2015 1,678 1,307 968 771 71 60
2016 1,785 1,350 1,008 763 75 53
2017 1,752 1,405 995 784 68 41
2018 1,845 1,441 1,008 727 76 39
2019 2,078 1,465 1,047 766 77 42
2020 1,998 1,404 1,049 852 54 43
2021 2,148 1,407 1,055 728 64 36
2022 2,488 1,540 1,107 866 58 40

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. Beginning in 2021, a modified version of the 2020 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes was used in the survey data collection; the historical fields were constructed using the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)-CIP code crosswalk in table A-6. The survey data collection for field of study changed in 2021, which may affect the data comparability across years. For more information, see the “Data source” section.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2022. Related detailed table 1-8 and table 1-11.