Characteristics of doctorate recipients
Citizenship
From 1996 to 2016, the median age at the time of doctorate award declined for U.S. citizens by 2.9 years to 31.9 years and declined 1.4 years for temporary visa holders to 31.0 years. Doctorate recipients with temporary visas consistently received doctorates at a younger median age than did U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizen permanent residents, although the difference between U.S. citizens and temporary visa holders narrowed to less than a year after 2008. Permanent residents exhibited year-to-year variability in median age at doctorate but stayed around 34 years over the 20-year period, whereas the other groups—U.S. citizens and temporary visa holders—exhibited a pronounced decline in median age at the time of degree award.
Median age at doctorate award, by citizenship 1996–2016
| Year | U.S. citizens | Non-U.S. citizens, permanent residents | Non-U.S. citizens, temporary visa holders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 34.8 | 33.6 | 32.4 |
| 1997 | 34.3 | 34.1 | 32.5 |
| 1998 | 34.3 | 34.2 | 32.6 |
| 1999 | 34.2 | 34.6 | 32.6 |
| 2000 | 34.1 | 34.6 | 32.6 |
| 2001 | 34.0 | 34.2 | 32.3 |
| 2002 | 34.0 | 34.3 | 32.3 |
| 2003 | 33.9 | 34.5 | 32.2 |
| 2004 | 33.8 | 34.7 | 32.2 |
| 2005 | 33.8 | 34.1 | 32.0 |
| 2006 | 33.4 | 33.9 | 31.8 |
| 2007 | 33.2 | 33.8 | 31.7 |
| 2008 | 32.8 | 34.3 | 31.7 |
| 2009 | 32.5 | 33.8 | 31.7 |
| 2010 | 32.2 | 34.0 | 31.8 |
| 2011 | 32.1 | 33.7 | 31.7 |
| 2012 | 32.0 | 33.8 | 31.5 |
| 2013 | 32.1 | 33.7 | 31.2 |
| 2014 | 31.9 | 33.5 | 31.0 |
| 2015 | 31.9 | 33.4 | 31.0 |
| 2016 | 31.9 | 33.6 | 31.0 |
- SOURCE: Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities 2016. Related detailed data: table 19, 27, 72.
