Who earns a U.S. doctorate?

The number of research doctorate degrees awarded by U.S. institutions in 2016 remained essentially unchanged at 54,904, slightly fewer than the 54,909 awarded in 2015, according to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). Over time, the number of doctorates awarded shows a strong upward trend—average annual growth of 3.3%—punctuated by periods of slow growth and even decline.

Since the SED began collecting data in 1957, the number of research doctorates awarded in science and engineering (S&E) fields has exceeded the number of non-S&E doctorates, and the gap is widening as S&E fields make up a larger share of all research doctorates. From 1976 to 2016, the number of S&E doctorate recipients has more than doubled, with an average annual growth rate of 2.0%. However, the number of non-S&E doctorates awarded in 2016 is slightly lower than the 1976 count. The net result is that the proportion of S&E doctorates climbed from 57% in 1976 to 75% in 2016.