As researchers, entrepreneurs, inventors, and more, graduate students and graduate degree holders contribute to the resolution of complex social problems and advancement of our society. Thus, a robust growth of graduate education and the number of advanced degree holders in our nation’s labor force is essential to economic prosperity and continued global leadership of the United States. The most recent Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED:14), an annual census of research doctorate recipients conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF), reported that a total of 54,070 individuals earned a research doctorate at 426 US academic institutions between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. This represents both the highest number in the survey’s history since 1957 and positive growth of earned doctorates for the fourth year in a row. Detailed characteristics of the doctoral recipients can be found in the recently released NSF report on SED:14, “Doctorate Recipients from US Universities: 2014,”and this article summarizes some key takeaways for graduate deans.

Citizenship

International graduate students continue to increase in their share of US earned doctorates. Nearly three out of ten (29%) doctoral recipients were temporary visa holders in 2014, compared to 22% a decade ago. Their presence is particularly robust in science and engineering (S&E) fields, as 40% of S&E doctorates were conferred to international students in 2014. However, their countries of origin are not as diverse; only three countries—China, India, and South Korea—accounted for more than one- half of all doctorates earned by international students in 2014. Moreover, the top ten sending countries constituted 70% of the doctorates earned (See Table 1).

The robust representation and continued growth of international graduate students does not come as a surprise, and will likely continue as pointed out in recent CGS reports on enrollment trends of international graduate students. Most of the recent growth in first-time graduate enrollment was driven by international students, with a particularly high concentration of them enrolled in S&E fields (Allum & Okahana, 2015). China and India continue to hold the largest shares of international graduate enrollment in the United States, and the largest share of South Korean students (47%) pursued doctorates (Okahana & Allum, 2015). While these statistics demonstrate the consistent appeal and desirability of US doctoral programs (Okahana & Allum, 2015), heavy reliance on a few selected countries of origin may pose vulnerability for long-term and sustainable enrollment planning for graduate institutions. Given the volatility of changes in first-time graduate enrollment seen in the results from the past CGS International Graduate Admissions Surveys, international recruitment strategies should look to diverse sets of countries.

Race/Ethnicity

International graduate students were not the only ones who increased their shares of US earned doctorates. Traditionally underrepresented minority (URM) students made gains in their attainment of research doctorates. Between 1994 and 2014, the proportion of doctorates awarded to Blacks/African Americans rose from 4.1% to 6.4%, while the proportion for Hispanics/Latinos nearly doubled, from 3.3% to 6.5% during the same time period (See Table 2). We anticipate this growth trend to continue, as first-time graduate enrollment of both Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American students are on the rise. According to the most recent CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees (GE&D), first-time graduate enrollment of Hispanic/Latino students and Black/African American students grew on average 6.0% and 5.2%, respectively, each year between 2004 and 2014 (Allum & Okahana, 2015).

However, not all URM populations gain their ground. According to the SED:14, there was no growth in the number of earned doctorates between Fall 2004 and Fall 2014 among American Indian/Alaska Native students (See Table 2). They were also the only ethnic and racial group that did not experience a decline in the number of doctorate holders who were also first- generation students between 1994 and 2014. This is consistent with the enrollment trend in the most recent GE&D report, which showed first-time graduate enrollment of American Indian/Alaska Native students declined by -0.6% annually between Fall 2004 and Fall 2014 (Allum & Okahana, 2015). The challenges that impact the enrollment and completion of doctoral education by American Indian/Alaska Native students are worth further exploration.

Gender and Field of Study

Over the past 20 years, the growth in the number of women awarded S&E doctorates has exceeded the growth in males earning S&E doctorates, as reported in the 2014 SED. Between 1994 and 2014, the number of men awarded S&E doctorates increased by 26% (nearly 5,000 more doctorates) while the number for female S&E doctorates increased by nearly 50% (at least 8,500 more doctorates). The fastest growing subfields of doctoral study for women over the past decade, according to the SED:14, were the physical sciences field with computer and information sciences as lead subfield, and engineering with materials science engineering as lead subfield. Though the gap between men and women in these two fields is still substantial (See Figure 1), this is an encouraging sign. The enrollment trends of women in these two fields also shed some positive light, as the average annual percent changes between 2009 and 2014, for first- time enrollment of women in engineering (2.6%) and mathematics and computer sciences (3.5%) surpassed that of men (1.7% and 1.8%, respectively) (Allum & Okahana, 2015).

Summary

The average annual growth in the number of doctorates awarded between 1957 and 2014 was 3.4%, a strong upward trend in spite of periods of slow growth and decline. The increase in earned research doctorates by individuals with traditionally underrepresented backgrounds is impressive and an encouraging and critical step in our pursuit of a more diverse, educated, and skilled workforce that is better prepared for a competitive global economy. However, there is still work to be done as attainment gaps between men and women, URMs and non- URMs, and within URM students persist. In the meantime, the NSF report, “Doctorate Recipients from US Universities: 2014,” offers other interesting insights about the most recent cohort of doctoral recipients, and we encourage you to explore the data.

By Hironao Okahana, Director, Statistical Analysis & Policy Research and Keonna Feaster, Program Manager, Best Practices, Council of Graduate Schools

References

National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. 2015. Doctorate Recipients from US Universities: 2014. Special Report NSF 16, Arlington, VA. Available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsf16300/

Okahana, H., & Allum, J. (2015). International graduate applications and enrollment: Fall 2015. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.

Allum, J., & Okahana, H. (2015). Graduate enrollment and degrees: 2004 to 2014. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.