Table 39. Graduate education-related debt of doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: 2006–16
Debt level and broad field of study |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
All doctorate recipients |
41,024 |
42,987 |
44,074 |
45,137 |
43,898 |
44,782 |
46,491 |
46,451 |
46,823 |
48,772 |
49,782 |
No debt |
27,889 |
27,877 |
28,227 |
28,442 |
28,105 |
28,663 |
29,297 |
28,884 |
29,335 |
30,900 |
31,988 |
$10,000 or less |
3,123 |
3,591 |
3,929 |
3,915 |
3,510 |
3,697 |
4,030 |
3,931 |
3,843 |
4,190 |
4,075 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
3,470 |
4,264 |
4,461 |
4,582 |
4,238 |
4,314 |
4,565 |
4,609 |
4,435 |
4,464 |
4,380 |
$30,001 or more |
6,542 |
7,255 |
7,457 |
8,198 |
8,045 |
8,108 |
8,599 |
9,027 |
9,210 |
9,218 |
9,339 |
Life sciencesa |
8,823 |
9,754 |
10,163 |
10,507 |
10,466 |
10,673 |
11,115 |
10,869 |
10,917 |
11,314 |
11,648 |
No debt |
6,406 |
6,773 |
7,016 |
7,158 |
7,268 |
7,451 |
7,658 |
7,319 |
7,427 |
7,817 |
8,108 |
$10,000 or less |
652 |
818 |
891 |
930 |
849 |
853 |
943 |
904 |
860 |
941 |
916 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
712 |
928 |
962 |
1,019 |
944 |
909 |
1,001 |
1,016 |
997 |
943 |
943 |
$30,001 or more |
1,053 |
1,235 |
1,294 |
1,400 |
1,405 |
1,460 |
1,513 |
1,630 |
1,633 |
1,613 |
1,681 |
Physical sciences and earth sciences |
4,268 |
4,466 |
4,476 |
4,749 |
4,629 |
4,900 |
5,009 |
5,005 |
5,203 |
5,329 |
5,741 |
No debt |
3,315 |
3,363 |
3,372 |
3,591 |
3,575 |
3,734 |
3,833 |
3,831 |
4,023 |
4,165 |
4,527 |
$10,000 or less |
346 |
428 |
415 |
434 |
384 |
401 |
426 |
421 |
404 |
460 |
483 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
286 |
325 |
352 |
348 |
333 |
353 |
377 |
380 |
365 |
324 |
334 |
$30,001 or more |
321 |
350 |
337 |
376 |
337 |
412 |
373 |
373 |
411 |
380 |
397 |
Mathematics and computer sciences |
2,546 |
2,742 |
2,909 |
2,911 |
2,956 |
2,999 |
3,149 |
3,273 |
3,416 |
3,407 |
3,585 |
No debt |
2,089 |
2,210 |
2,335 |
2,335 |
2,358 |
2,381 |
2,505 |
2,633 |
2,686 |
2,747 |
2,883 |
$10,000 or less |
161 |
176 |
209 |
193 |
174 |
217 |
202 |
204 |
238 |
222 |
190 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
124 |
170 |
155 |
164 |
171 |
178 |
187 |
182 |
189 |
175 |
217 |
$30,001 or more |
172 |
186 |
210 |
219 |
253 |
223 |
255 |
254 |
303 |
263 |
295 |
Psychology and social sciences |
6,450 |
6,444 |
6,798 |
7,105 |
7,095 |
7,363 |
7,598 |
7,442 |
7,437 |
7,855 |
8,091 |
No debt |
3,518 |
3,206 |
3,352 |
3,444 |
3,415 |
3,523 |
3,560 |
3,446 |
3,432 |
3,637 |
3,975 |
$10,000 or less |
453 |
522 |
586 |
603 |
556 |
630 |
657 |
615 |
609 |
670 |
689 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
693 |
763 |
886 |
865 |
866 |
882 |
983 |
880 |
860 |
947 |
883 |
$30,001 or more |
1,786 |
1,953 |
1,974 |
2,193 |
2,258 |
2,328 |
2,398 |
2,501 |
2,536 |
2,601 |
2,544 |
Engineering |
6,455 |
6,924 |
7,130 |
7,034 |
6,989 |
7,363 |
7,747 |
7,964 |
8,446 |
8,829 |
8,544 |
No debt |
5,096 |
5,355 |
5,416 |
5,340 |
5,347 |
5,654 |
5,907 |
5,981 |
6,426 |
6,789 |
6,551 |
$10,000 or less |
532 |
540 |
643 |
609 |
581 |
635 |
692 |
706 |
747 |
774 |
758 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
381 |
491 |
526 |
550 |
528 |
504 |
549 |
615 |
617 |
613 |
570 |
$30,001 or more |
446 |
538 |
545 |
535 |
533 |
570 |
599 |
662 |
656 |
653 |
665 |
Education |
5,489 |
5,721 |
5,868 |
5,898 |
4,766 |
4,255 |
4,397 |
4,300 |
4,079 |
4,490 |
4,616 |
No debt |
3,398 |
3,224 |
3,163 |
2,967 |
2,445 |
2,152 |
2,115 |
1,898 |
1,725 |
1,942 |
2,035 |
$10,000 or less |
412 |
470 |
520 |
488 |
365 |
312 |
373 |
361 |
347 |
396 |
369 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
506 |
651 |
711 |
727 |
556 |
542 |
534 |
574 |
502 |
555 |
556 |
$30,001 or more |
1,173 |
1,376 |
1,474 |
1,716 |
1,400 |
1,249 |
1,375 |
1,467 |
1,505 |
1,597 |
1,656 |
Humanities and arts |
4,761 |
4,517 |
4,270 |
4,449 |
4,577 |
4,809 |
5,060 |
4,974 |
4,771 |
4,939 |
4,949 |
No debt |
2,698 |
2,355 |
2,218 |
2,264 |
2,383 |
2,459 |
2,451 |
2,431 |
2,325 |
2,437 |
2,548 |
$10,000 or less |
380 |
451 |
483 |
472 |
434 |
477 |
539 |
525 |
450 |
543 |
467 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
579 |
646 |
577 |
612 |
569 |
657 |
671 |
667 |
629 |
633 |
611 |
$30,001 or more |
1,104 |
1,065 |
992 |
1,101 |
1,191 |
1,216 |
1,399 |
1,351 |
1,367 |
1,326 |
1,323 |
Otherb |
2,232 |
2,419 |
2,460 |
2,484 |
2,420 |
2,420 |
2,416 |
2,624 |
2,554 |
2,609 |
2,608 |
No debt |
1,369 |
1,391 |
1,355 |
1,343 |
1,314 |
1,309 |
1,268 |
1,345 |
1,291 |
1,366 |
1,361 |
$10,000 or less |
187 |
186 |
182 |
186 |
167 |
172 |
198 |
195 |
188 |
184 |
203 |
$10,001–$30,000 |
189 |
290 |
292 |
297 |
271 |
289 |
263 |
295 |
276 |
274 |
266 |
$30,001 or more |
487 |
552 |
631 |
658 |
668 |
650 |
687 |
789 |
799 |
785 |
778 |