Table 54. Statistical profile of doctorate recipients, by sex and broad field of study: 2016
Characteristic |
All fields |
Life sciencesa |
Physical sciences and earth sciences |
Mathematics and computer sciences |
Psychology and social sciences |
Engineering |
Education |
Humanities and arts |
Otherb |
All doctorate recipients (number)c |
54,904 |
12,568 |
6,252 |
3,957 |
9,078 |
9,469 |
5,153 |
5,484 |
2,943 |
Sex (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Male |
53.9 |
44.9 |
68.6 |
75.8 |
41.3 |
76.9 |
30.1 |
48.1 |
50.1 |
Female |
46.0 |
55.1 |
31.4 |
24.2 |
58.7 |
23.1 |
69.9 |
51.8 |
49.8 |
Unknown |
* |
* |
* |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
* |
0.1 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
65.1 |
69.2 |
58.6 |
43.7 |
75.2 |
44.2 |
83.5 |
81.1 |
63.4 |
Temporary visa holder |
30.0 |
26.8 |
37.0 |
51.9 |
19.3 |
51.2 |
10.9 |
13.0 |
30.2 |
Unknown |
4.9 |
4.0 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
5.4 |
4.6 |
5.6 |
5.9 |
6.4 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Never married |
31.6 |
33.1 |
40.7 |
37.4 |
27.7 |
38.3 |
17.7 |
25.9 |
23.5 |
Married |
44.8 |
45.1 |
37.1 |
42.8 |
44.0 |
41.5 |
56.7 |
46.8 |
51.7 |
Marriage-like relationship |
8.3 |
9.6 |
9.9 |
6.2 |
10.3 |
6.6 |
4.9 |
10.1 |
4.7 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
3.4 |
2.8 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
4.0 |
1.3 |
7.4 |
5.0 |
5.2 |
Unknown |
11.9 |
9.4 |
10.3 |
11.5 |
14.0 |
12.3 |
13.3 |
12.2 |
15.0 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)d |
54.0 |
49.7 |
66.9 |
60.2 |
48.4 |
75.9 |
24.9 |
53.5 |
35.6 |
Master's earned (%) |
69.4 |
50.9 |
51.4 |
72.8 |
81.8 |
69.7 |
87.9 |
84.4 |
82.8 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
31.6 |
30.9 |
29.5 |
30.3 |
32.5 |
30.0 |
38.6 |
34.1 |
34.7 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
8.8 |
8.2 |
6.9 |
7.9 |
9.5 |
7.3 |
15.0 |
11.0 |
11.2 |
From graduate school start |
7.3 |
6.7 |
6.1 |
6.9 |
7.9 |
6.5 |
11.7 |
9.3 |
9.0 |
From doctoral program starte |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
6.0 |
5.3 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
5.3 |
Male doctorate recipients (number) |
29,616 |
5,643 |
4,286 |
2,998 |
3,749 |
7,277 |
1,550 |
2,639 |
1,474 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
59.2 |
65.8 |
57.1 |
43.8 |
70.1 |
43.4 |
82.1 |
81.1 |
59.2 |
Temporary visa holder |
36.1 |
30.2 |
38.4 |
52.0 |
24.9 |
52.1 |
13.2 |
12.8 |
34.5 |
Unknown |
4.7 |
4.0 |
4.5 |
4.2 |
5.0 |
4.5 |
4.7 |
6.1 |
6.3 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Never married |
33.6 |
34.1 |
41.3 |
38.4 |
28.7 |
38.3 |
16.8 |
24.3 |
23.5 |
Married |
45.1 |
45.3 |
37.5 |
42.9 |
46.6 |
42.1 |
61.5 |
50.7 |
54.3 |
Marriage-like relationship |
7.6 |
9.1 |
9.1 |
5.8 |
9.5 |
6.4 |
5.7 |
8.4 |
3.5 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
2.1 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
2.3 |
1.1 |
4.5 |
4.2 |
3.8 |
Unknown |
11.5 |
9.6 |
10.3 |
11.3 |
12.9 |
12.1 |
11.6 |
12.5 |
15.0 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)d |
57.8 |
48.7 |
66.9 |
59.7 |
46.9 |
77.1 |
23.9 |
55.2 |
34.7 |
Master's earned (%) |
68.2 |
49.8 |
52.1 |
71.5 |
81.9 |
70.6 |
89.7 |
83.6 |
82.4 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
31.3 |
31.0 |
29.5 |
30.4 |
32.8 |
30.2 |
38.4 |
34.3 |
34.7 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
8.3 |
8.0 |
7.0 |
7.8 |
9.6 |
7.4 |
14.6 |
11.0 |
11.0 |
From graduate school start |
7.1 |
6.7 |
6.2 |
6.9 |
7.8 |
6.7 |
11.7 |
9.2 |
8.7 |
From doctoral program starte |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.9 |
5.3 |
5.9 |
6.9 |
5.1 |
Female doctorate recipients (number) |
25,278 |
6,923 |
1,963 |
959 |
5,329 |
2,192 |
3,603 |
2,843 |
1,466 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
71.9 |
72.0 |
62.0 |
43.4 |
78.9 |
46.7 |
84.1 |
81.2 |
67.7 |
Temporary visa holder |
23.0 |
23.9 |
34.0 |
51.6 |
15.4 |
48.3 |
9.9 |
13.1 |
26.0 |
Unknown |
5.1 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
5.0 |
5.7 |
5.0 |
5.9 |
5.7 |
6.3 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Never married |
29.3 |
32.4 |
39.5 |
34.0 |
27.1 |
38.5 |
18.1 |
27.4 |
23.5 |
Married |
44.5 |
44.9 |
36.1 |
42.5 |
42.2 |
39.2 |
54.6 |
43.3 |
49.2 |
Marriage-like relationship |
9.1 |
10.0 |
11.4 |
7.4 |
10.8 |
7.3 |
4.6 |
11.6 |
5.9 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
4.9 |
3.5 |
2.9 |
3.9 |
5.1 |
2.0 |
8.7 |
5.8 |
6.5 |
Unknown |
12.2 |
9.2 |
10.0 |
12.2 |
14.8 |
13.1 |
14.0 |
11.9 |
14.9 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)d |
49.6 |
50.6 |
66.8 |
61.8 |
49.4 |
72.1 |
25.4 |
51.9 |
36.5 |
Master's earned (%) |
70.9 |
51.9 |
49.9 |
76.6 |
81.8 |
67.0 |
87.1 |
85.1 |
83.4 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
32.0 |
30.9 |
29.3 |
30.2 |
32.2 |
29.4 |
38.7 |
33.8 |
34.7 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
9.3 |
8.3 |
6.8 |
7.9 |
9.5 |
7.0 |
15.0 |
11.0 |
11.5 |
From graduate school start |
7.7 |
6.7 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
7.9 |
6.3 |
11.9 |
9.3 |
9.2 |
From doctoral program starte |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.4 |
5.7 |
6.0 |
5.3 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
5.7 |