Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2021 | NSF - National Science Foundation

This report summarizes trends in U.S. doctoral education by using data from the 2021 Survey of Earned Doctorates, an annual census of research doctorate recipients from U.S. universities. Important trends in this population are highlighted in this report, including the representation of women, minorities, and temporary visa holders; fields that are attracting graduate students; time to complete doctoral degree; employment opportunities after graduation; and educational pathways to the doctorate. A special section focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on doctorate recipients’ graduate experiences and postgraduation plans. Detailed data tables and additional resources are also available.

Close Menu Report Executive summary Doctoral education trains scientists, engineers, researchers, and scholars, all of whom are critical to the nation’s progress. These individuals create and share new knowledge and new ways of thinking that lead, directly and indirectly, to new products, services, and works of art. Annual counts of doctorate recipients from U.S. universities are measures of the incremental investment in human resources devoted to science, engineering, research, and scholarship, and these counts can serve as leading indicators of the capacity for knowledge creation and innovat

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