Characteristics of U.S. Science and Engineering Doctorates Detailed in New Report

New data show recent trends in U.S. doctoral STEM education

The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) yesterday released a report titled Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2010 that unveils important trends in U.S. doctoral education.

The report calls attention to the changing characteristics of U.S. doctorate recipients over time, including the increased representation of women, minorities and foreign nationals; the emergence of new fields of study; the time it takes to complete doctoral study; the expansion of the postdoctoral pool; and employment opportunities after graduation.

Understanding connections among these characteristics is of paramount importance to improving U.S. doctoral education and helping the system maintain its leadership role.

This annual count by the National Science Foundation (NSF) is a direct measure of the human resource pool that is on a path to careers in science, engineering, mathematics and research, and these data can serve as leading indicators of U.S. capacity for knowledge creation and innovation.

Trends in the report can be examined in greater depth through accompanying online resources including an interactive version of the report and 70 detailed data tables available as PDF and Excel files.


The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2012, its budget is $7.0 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives over 50,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards nearly $420 million in professional and service contracts yearly.


Useful NSF Web Sites:
NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov
NSF News: http://www.nsf.gov/news/
For the News Media: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jsp
Science and Engineering Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards Searches: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/