Who earns S&E doctoral degrees in the United States?

The annual number of S&E doctorates conferred by U.S. universities increased rapidly between 2003 and 2007, and faster for women than for men. S&E doctorate production slowed and then declined over the next three years, before resuming growth to attain record highs in both 2011 (34,205) and 2012 (35,360).

The annual number of S&E doctoral degrees earned by U.S. citizens and permanent residents rose from 17,446 in 2000 to 22,259 in 2012, an increase of 28%. The fastest growth was among Hispanics and blacks.

• Between 2000 and 2012, the percentage of S&E doctorates awarded to temporary residents rose from 31% to 37%. In 2012, U.S. citizens and permanent residents received 22,259 S&E doctorates, and temporary residents received 13,101 S&E doctorates.
• Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents as well as temporary residents, men earned a majority of the S&E doctorates awarded in every year from 2000 to 2012, although the gap between men and women has narrowed.
• Between 2000 and 2012, women’s share of S&E doctorates increased from 43% to 46% among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and from 24% to 32% among temporary residents. Combined, women accounted for 41% of all S&E doctoral awards in 2012, remaining underrepresented relative to their 49% share of the U.S. college-age population in 2012.
• In 2012, women earned three-fourths (76%) of the doctorates awarded in psychology and a slim majority (53%) of those in biological sciences. They received almost half of the doctorates conferred in social sciences (49%) and in agricultural sciences (47%), as well as 43% of the doctorates conferred in earth/atmospheric/ocean sciences.
• Men continue to receive a large majority of the doctorates awarded in mathematics/statistics, engineering, computer sciences, and physical sciences, although women have increased their shares in all of these fields except mathematics/statistics since 2000. In 2012, women received 32% of the doctorates conferred in physical sciences, 28% of those in computer sciences, 23% of those in engineering, and 21% of those in mathematics/statistics.

• Of the minority groups, Asians/Pacific Islanders earned the most S&E doctorates in 2012: 2,186 degrees, compared to 1,327 for Hispanics, 1,140 for blacks, and 100 for American Indians/Alaska Natives.
• The number of S&E doctorates earned in 2012 represents an increase of 85% for Hispanics, 57% for blacks, 44% for Asians/Pacific Islanders, and 35% for American Indians/Alaska Natives over the number of S&E doctorates they earned in 2000.
• In comparison, the number of S&E doctorates earned by whites increased by 14% between 2000 (13,431 degrees) and 2012 (15,255 degrees).
• Whites’ share of S&E doctoral awards gradually declined over the decade, from 77% in 2000 to 69% in 2012, as the shares for most minority groups grew. In 2012, Asians/Pacific Islanders earned 10% of all S&E doctorates, Hispanics 6%, blacks 5%, and American Indians/Alaska Natives 0.4%.
• Whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders are overrepresented among recipients of S&E doctorates compared to their proportions in the U.S. college-age population in 2012 (56% and 5%, respectively). The other minority groups are quite underrepresented relative to their proportions in the college-age population: Hispanics 21%, blacks 15%, American Indians/Alaska Natives 0.9%.