Table 1. Doctorate recipients from U.S. colleges and universities: 1957–2016
Year |
Doctorate recipients |
% change from previous year |
1957 |
8,611 |
1.1 |
1958 |
8,773 |
1.9 |
1959 |
9,213 |
5.0 |
1960 |
9,733 |
5.6 |
1961 |
10,413 |
7.0 |
1962 |
11,500 |
10.4 |
1963 |
12,728 |
10.7 |
1964 |
14,325 |
12.5 |
1965 |
16,340 |
14.1 |
1966 |
17,949 |
9.8 |
1967 |
20,403 |
13.7 |
1968 |
22,937 |
12.4 |
1969 |
25,743 |
12.2 |
1970 |
29,498 |
14.6 |
1971 |
31,867 |
8.0 |
1972 |
33,041 |
3.7 |
1973 |
33,755 |
2.2 |
1974 |
33,047 |
-2.1 |
1975 |
32,952 |
-0.3 |
1976 |
32,946 |
* |
1977 |
31,716 |
-3.7 |
1978 |
30,875 |
-2.7 |
1979 |
31,238 |
1.2 |
1980 |
31,019 |
-0.7 |
1981 |
31,355 |
1.1 |
1982 |
31,108 |
-0.8 |
1983 |
31,280 |
0.6 |
1984 |
31,334 |
0.2 |
1985 |
31,295 |
-0.1 |
1986 |
31,897 |
1.9 |
1987 |
32,365 |
1.5 |
1988 |
33,497 |
3.5 |
1989 |
34,325 |
2.5 |
1990 |
36,065 |
5.1 |
1991 |
37,530 |
4.1 |
1992 |
38,886 |
3.6 |
1993 |
39,800 |
2.4 |
1994 |
41,034 |
3.1 |
1995 |
41,747 |
1.7 |
1996 |
42,437 |
1.7 |
1997 |
42,539 |
0.2 |
1998 |
42,636 |
0.2 |
1999 |
41,100 |
-3.6 |
2000 |
41,369 |
0.7 |
2001 |
40,744 |
-1.5 |
2002 |
40,031 |
-1.7 |
2003 |
40,762 |
1.8 |
2004 |
42,122 |
3.3 |
2005 |
43,385 |
3.0 |
2006 |
45,620 |
5.2 |
2007 |
48,132 |
5.5 |
2008 |
48,777 |
1.3 |
2009 |
49,552 |
1.6 |
2010 |
48,029 |
-3.1 |
2011 |
48,911 |
1.8 |
2012 |
50,945 |
4.2 |
2013 |
52,704 |
3.5 |
2014 |
53,994 |
2.4 |
2015 |
54,909 |
1.7 |
2016 |
54,904 |
* |