Report

U.S. doctorate awards

Each annual 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 57,448 in 2022 to 57,862 in 2023, according to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) (figure 1). This increase is considerably smaller than in 2022, when the number of doctorate awards grew by 5,288 after a decline of 3,043 in 2021, suggesting that the number of doctorates awarded may have stabilized following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the survey’s inception, there has been an upward trend in the number of doctorates awarded—with an average annual growth of 3.0% punctuated by periods of slower growth and some declines.

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 2003 to 2023, the number of S&E doctorate recipients increased by 70%, while the number of non-S&E doctorate recipients decreased by 12%. As a result, the proportion of S&E doctorates to all doctorates climbed from 66% in 2003 to 79% in 2023.

Figure 1 Doctorates awarded by U.S. colleges and universities: 1958–2023

(Number)

Year	Total	S&E fields	Non-S&E fields
1958	8,773	5,751	3,022
1959	9,213	6,043	3,170
1960	9,733	6,388	3,345
1961	10,413	6,872	3,541
1962	11,500	7,612	3,888
1963	12,728	8,422	4,306
1964	14,325	9,462	4,863
1965	16,340	10,706	5,634
1966	17,949	11,732	6,217
1967	20,403	13,274	7,129
1968	22,937	14,824	8,113
1969	25,743	16,574	9,169
1970	29,498	18,458	11,040
1971	31,867	19,904	11,963
1972	33,041	19,791	13,250
1973	33,755	19,838	13,917
1974	33,047	19,170	13,877
1975	32,952	19,237	13,715
1976	32,946	18,857	14,089
1977	31,716	18,327	13,389
1978	30,875	17,977	12,898
1979	31,238	18,241	12,997
1980	31,019	18,190	12,829
1981	31,355	18,739	12,616
1982	31,108	18,765	12,343
1983	31,280	19,130	12,150
1984	31,334	19,309	12,025
1985	31,295	19,527	11,768
1986	31,897	20,088	11,809
1987	32,365	20,583	11,782
1988	33,497	21,697	11,800
1989	34,325	22,585	11,740
1990	36,065	23,715	12,350
1991	37,530	24,921	12,609
1992	38,886	25,644	13,242
1993	39,800	26,486	13,314
1994	41,034	27,331	13,703
1995	41,747	27,704	14,043
1996	42,437	28,442	13,995
1997	42,539	28,521	14,018
1998	42,636	28,636	14,000
1999	41,101	27,198	13,903
2000	41,369	27,420	13,949
2001	40,744	26,936	13,808
2002	40,031	26,136	13,895
2003	40,762	26,759	14,003
2004	42,122	27,842	14,280
2005	43,385	29,621	13,764
2006	45,620	31,640	13,980
2007	48,132	33,809	14,323
2008	48,776	34,765	14,011
2009	49,552	35,369	14,183
2010	48,028	35,043	12,985
2011	48,909	36,378	12,531
2012	50,943	37,895	13,048
2013	52,703	39,084	13,619
2014	53,986	40,708	13,278
2015	54,886	41,247	13,639
2016	54,809	41,306	13,503
2017	54,550	41,364	13,186
2018	55,078	42,144	12,934
2019	55,599	42,897	12,702
2020	55,203	42,564	12,639
2021	52,160	40,819	11,341
2022	57,448	45,402	12,046
2023	57,862	45,533	12,329

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

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, 2023. Related detailed table 1-1.

Citizenship

Trends in citizenship

In 2023, the number of S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders was 16,768, a decline of 315 from 2022 (figure 2). Overall, the number of S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders has increased by 93% since 2003 and by 25% since 2013. Over the past 20 years, the proportion of S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders peaked at 41% in 2007, declined to 35% in 2010, held steady at about 36% between 2011 and 2017, and grew to 39% through 2020, where it remained through 2023.^{The calculation of these proportions excluded doctorate recipients who did not report citizenship. Counts of unreported citizenship fluctuated between 610 and 3,022.}

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 (58% since 2003 and 13% since 2013) compared with the increase in S&E doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders. In 2023, the number of S&E U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients was 26,622, an increase of 264 from 2022.

Figure 2 Doctorates awarded in S&E and non-S&E fields, by citizenship status: 2003–23

(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
2003	16,867	8,694	11,303	1,903
2004	16,921	9,499	11,119	2,129
2005	17,211	10,769	10,734	2,063
2006	18,121	11,949	10,907	2,249
2007	18,679	12,769	10,822	2,354
2008	19,907	13,053	10,937	2,208
2009	21,146	12,581	11,181	2,155
2010	21,444	11,683	10,158	1,953
2011	22,000	12,195	9,725	2,040
2012	22,894	12,739	10,087	2,045
2013	23,503	13,444	10,461	2,230
2014	23,943	13,743	10,060	2,096
2015	24,571	14,027	10,500	2,102
2016	25,112	14,325	10,566	2,152
2017	25,495	14,134	10,238	2,154
2018	25,436	15,204	9,913	2,378
2019	25,673	15,777	9,545	2,547
2020	24,919	15,997	9,539	2,476
2021	23,609	15,333	8,252	2,435
2022	26,358	17,083	8,849	2,537
2023	26,622	16,768	8,944	2,625

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report citizenship. 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, 2023. Related detailed table 1-6 and table 1-7.

Citizenship and sex

In 2023, women earned 47% of all doctorate awards (figure 3).^{The exact percentage of women among all doctorate awards in figure 3, which excludes respondents who did not report sex or citizenship, is 47.48%.} Between 2003 and 2023, the rate of growth in doctorates awarded to female temporary visa holders was higher (116%) than the rate of growth among their U.S. citizen and permanent resident counterparts (33%), although starting from a lower base. During this period, the proportion of doctorates earned by women hovered between 51% and 53% among U.S. citizens and permanent residents and increased gradually from 32% to 37% among temporary visa holders.^{The calculation of these proportions excluded respondents who did not report sex or citizenship.}

From 2022 to 2023, the number of female doctorate recipients who were U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased by 447, whereas the number of female doctorate recipients who were temporary visa holders and the number of male doctorate recipients regardless of citizenship status all declined slightly.

Figure 3 Doctorates awarded, by sex and citizenship: 2003–23

(Number)

Year	Female U.S. citizens and permanent residents	Male U.S. citizens and permanent residents	Male temporary visa holders	Female temporary visa holders
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	18,171	17,561	10,601	5,686
2018	18,036	17,312	11,308	6,274
2019	17,959	17,258	11,767	6,556
2020	17,689	16,769	11,868	6,605
2021	16,555	15,304	11,475	6,293
2022	18,446	16,756	12,359	7,261
2023	18,893	16,669	12,194	7,198

Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report sex or citizenship.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2023. Related detailed table 1-9 and table 1-10.

Sex

In the past 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of doctorates awarded to both men and women in the S&E fields (figure 4). During this period, the number of female doctorate recipients in S&E fields increased by 91% (from 10,540 in 2003 to 20,106 in 2023), compared with a 57% increase in the number of male S&E doctorate recipients (from 16,219 in 2003 to 25,421 in 2023). The proportion of female doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 39% in 2003 to 42% in 2009, remained fairly stable through 2019, and increased to 44% by 2022, staying at this level in 2023. In non-S&E fields, women earned 60% of doctorates in 2023, a proportion that had hovered around 57%–58% since the early 2000s and increased to 59% in 2022. In the past 20 years, the number of men awarded doctorates in non-S&E fields declined by 18% (from 6,037 in 2003 to 4,935 in 2023) and women by 7% (from 7,966 to 7,393). Between 2022 and 2023, the number of women among S&E doctorate recipients increased by 274, while the number of men declined by 148; in non-S&E fields, the increase in the number of women (239) was about five times that of men (47).

Figure 4 Doctorates awarded, by sex and field: 2003–23

(Number)

Year	S&E men	S&E women	Non-S&E women	Non-S&E men
2003	16,219	10,540	7,966	6,037
2004	16,872	10,969	8,186	6,093
2005	17,896	11,681	7,901	5,841
2006	18,917	12,701	7,858	6,103
2007	20,147	13,646	8,258	6,055
2008	20,447	14,309	8,185	5,824
2009	20,377	14,962	8,225	5,954
2010	20,102	14,931	7,557	5,422
2011	20,931	15,429	7,270	5,257
2012	21,790	16,061	7,465	5,572
2013	22,471	16,603	7,762	5,855
2014	23,341	17,228	7,585	5,667
2015	23,741	17,501	7,846	5,791
2016	23,949	17,346	7,876	5,623
2017	23,877	17,470	7,616	5,565
2018	24,239	17,886	7,422	5,503
2019	24,801	18,088	7,396	5,304
2020	24,467	18,092	7,261	5,377
2021	23,263	17,548	6,557	4,782
2022	25,569	19,832	7,154	4,888
2023	25,421	20,106	7,393	4,935

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

Excludes respondents who did not report sex. 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, 2023. Related detailed table 1-4 and table 1-5.

Race and ethnicity

Racial and ethnic minority representation in doctorate awards has increased over time.^{For detailed data on racial and ethnic representation, see National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. 2023. Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities: 2023. NSF 23-315. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23315.} From 2003 to 2023, the proportion of doctorates earned by White U.S. citizens and permanent residents declined from 75% to 65%. The proportion earned by Asian U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased from 7% to 11%.^{For additional data on the race and ethnicity of doctorate recipients, see SED 2023 related detailed table 1-11. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin; Hispanic may be any race. From 2003 to 2023, counts of unreported race or ethnicity fluctuated between 434 and 982.} The number and proportion of doctorates earned by both Hispanic or Latino and Black or African American U.S. citizens and permanent residents also increased, although starting from a small base. In the past 20 years, the number of Hispanic or Latino doctorate recipients in S&E increased from 787 (5%) to 2,566 (10%) (figure 5).^{In 2003, there were 16,867 S&E U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients; in 2023, there were 26,622 (see figure 2).} The number of Black or African American doctorate recipients in S&E among U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased from 713 (4%) in 2003 to 1,597 (6%) in 2023. In the same period, the number of American Indian or Alaska Native doctorate recipients in S&E among U.S. citizens and permanent residents fluctuated between 50 and 86. Between 2022 and 2023, S&E doctorates awarded to American Indians or Alaska Natives increased from 58 to 66, remaining under 0.5% of S&E doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Between 2022 and 2023, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the number of Black or African American doctorate recipients in S&E increased by 61 to 1,597, and the number of Hispanic or Latino doctorate recipients in S&E increased by 81 to 2,566—the highest numbers of S&E doctorates awarded to students from these groups in the past 20 years.

Figure 5 Doctorates earned by U.S. citizen and permanent resident racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in S&E, by field: 2003–23

(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
2003	787	713	1,010	648	73	63
2004	757	812	1,085	545	57	68
2005	846	800	941	589	70	67
2006	925	846	943	607	50	63
2007	989	868	1,023	666	86	54
2008	1,135	898	1,063	638	62	53
2009	1,145	1,056	1,112	735	75	57
2010	1,213	1,009	930	629	78	39
2011	1,372	1,095	804	617	78	49
2012	1,459	1,126	929	685	61	43
2013	1,425	1,313	859	710	71	48
2014	1,508	1,285	887	682	70	33
2015	1,681	1,307	968	768	71	60
2016	1,788	1,351	1,007	760	75	53
2017	1,754	1,405	993	782	69	40
2018	1,845	1,441	1,008	727	76	39
2019	2,078	1,465	1,046	766	77	42
2020	1,998	1,404	1,049	852	54	43
2021	2,147	1,407	1,051	726	64	36
2022	2,485	1,536	1,101	863	58	40
2023	2,566	1,597	1,128	883	66	49

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s):

Excludes U.S. citizen and permanent resident respondents who did not report race or ethnicity. 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, 2023. Related detailed table 1-8 and table 1-11.

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