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Table 15. Doctorate recipients, by sex and major field of study: 2005–15

Sex and major field of study 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 % change 2005–15
All doctorate recipientsa 43,385 45,621 48,132 48,777 49,553 48,031 48,914 50,951 52,707 54,003 55,006 26.8
Life sciences 9,310 9,703 10,702 11,086 11,403 11,319 11,536 11,965 12,209 12,484 12,520 34.5
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 1,160 1,146 1,321 1,198 1,283 1,100 1,206 1,255 1,324 1,338 1,439 24.1
Biological and biomedical sciences 6,367 6,652 7,238 7,797 8,025 8,046 8,153 8,323 8,356 8,867 8,801 38.2
Health sciences 1,783 1,905 2,143 2,091 2,095 2,173 2,177 2,387 2,529 2,279 2,280 27.9
Physical sciences and earth sciences 4,359 4,686 4,956 4,946 5,161 4,995 5,271 5,420 5,584 5,912 5,924 35.9
Chemistry 2,126 2,364 2,318 2,246 2,392 2,304 2,432 2,416 2,484 2,673 2,675 25.8
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 714 757 875 865 877 862 852 941 989 1,099 1,057 48.0
Physics and astronomy 1,519 1,565 1,763 1,835 1,892 1,829 1,987 2,063 2,111 2,140 2,192 44.3
Mathematics and computer sciences 2,334 2,778 3,042 3,187 3,163 3,223 3,273 3,496 3,660 3,863 3,825 63.9
Computer and information sciences 1,129 1,453 1,654 1,787 1,610 1,633 1,667 1,793 1,843 1,989 2,005 77.6
Mathematics and statistics 1,205 1,325 1,388 1,400 1,553 1,590 1,606 1,703 1,817 1,874 1,820 51.0
Psychology and social sciences 7,149 7,231 7,309 7,635 7,945 7,883 8,222 8,501 8,580 8,752 9,095 27.2
Psychology 3,322 3,260 3,276 3,357 3,472 3,421 3,577 3,601 3,592 3,724 3,782 13.8
Anthropology 456 472 512 483 503 507 553 547 550 524 493 8.1
Economics 1,061 1,029 1,004 1,091 1,118 1,073 1,121 1,243 1,183 1,196 1,256 18.4
Political science and government 618 616 588 628 682 728 685 724 803 777 859 39.0
Sociology 536 579 576 601 662 639 657 633 636 679 745 39.0
Other social sciences 1,156 1,275 1,353 1,475 1,508 1,515 1,629 1,753 1,816 1,852 1,960 69.6
Engineering 6,426 7,186 7,749 7,864 7,642 7,578 8,032 8,470 9,001 9,633 9,897 54.0
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 219 238 267 266 297 252 262 307 348 386 361 64.8
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 417 525 637 762 834 824 898 943 1,039 1,046 1,129 170.7
Chemical engineering 774 799 817 873 807 822 823 840 824 973 1,002 29.5
Civil engineering 622 655 703 713 707 643 634 495 542 622 633 1.8
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,547 1,786 1,967 1,888 1,693 1,778 1,886 1,939 1,897 1,953 2,004 29.5
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 221 234 279 280 251 215 258 226 241 298 244 10.4
Materials science engineering 493 583 646 636 625 670 662 743 815 833 874 77.3
Mechanical engineering 892 1,045 1,071 1,082 1,095 983 1,084 1,220 1,277 1,331 1,467 64.5
Other engineering 1,241 1,321 1,362 1,364 1,333 1,391 1,525 1,757 2,018 2,191 2,183 75.9
Education 6,227 6,122 6,448 6,561 6,528 5,288 4,670 4,803 4,935 4,791 5,117 -17.8
Education administration 2,167 2,051 2,161 2,238 2,146 1,439 924 1,057 966 893 922 -57.5
Education research 2,674 2,751 2,671 2,640 2,663 2,443 2,438 2,569 2,703 2,560 2,783 4.1
Teacher education 263 250 297 274 332 245 204 156 109 152 155 -41.1
Teaching fields 663 707 873 912 906 800 805 757 892 917 957 44.3
Other education 460 363 446 497 481 361 299 264 265 269 300 -34.8
Humanities and arts 5,187 5,333 5,085 4,736 4,904 5,016 5,227 5,562 5,715 5,526 5,600 8.0
Foreign languages and literature 607 615 607 627 598 601 644 684 701 674 656 8.1
History 924 973 937 971 1,045 1,005 1,065 1,087 1,148 1,186 1,145 23.9
Letters 1,389 1,457 1,340 1,420 1,413 1,516 1,513 1,638 1,606 1,552 1,590 14.5
Other humanities and arts 2,267 2,288 2,201 1,718 1,848 1,894 2,005 2,153 2,260 2,114 2,209 -2.6
Otherb 2,393 2,582 2,841 2,762 2,807 2,729 2,683 2,734 3,023 3,042 3,028 26.5
Business management and administration 1,171 1,311 1,506 1,421 1,405 1,366 1,327 1,404 1,551 1,583 1,588 35.6
Communication 488 510 560 557 627 638 650 595 645 663 668 36.9
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 733 757 772 784 775 725 706 735 827 796 772 5.3
Unknown field 1 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -100.0
Male 23,737 25,021 26,202 26,272 26,332 25,526 26,191 27,365 28,328 29,018 29,596 24.7
Life sciences 4,561 4,690 5,197 5,223 5,183 5,101 5,244 5,335 5,492 5,514 5,578 22.3
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 744 698 802 700 722 609 652 698 702 691 748 0.5
Biological and biomedical sciences 3,253 3,377 3,708 3,861 3,834 3,823 3,879 3,891 3,941 4,087 4,112 26.4
Health sciences 564 615 687 662 627 669 713 746 849 736 718 27.3
Physical sciences and earth sciences 3,141 3,321 3,447 3,505 3,534 3,379 3,629 3,685 3,717 3,969 3,935 25.3
Chemistry 1,403 1,551 1,486 1,479 1,491 1,440 1,508 1,521 1,497 1,642 1,598 13.9
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 470 490 542 548 539 496 522 538 539 623 600 27.7
Physics and astronomy 1,268 1,280 1,419 1,478 1,504 1,443 1,599 1,626 1,681 1,704 1,737 37.0
Mathematics and computer sciences 1,782 2,074 2,307 2,353 2,327 2,409 2,456 2,638 2,792 2,913 2,880 61.6
Computer and information sciences 905 1,142 1,322 1,387 1,260 1,286 1,312 1,419 1,502 1,581 1,582 74.8
Mathematics and statistics 877 932 985 966 1,067 1,123 1,144 1,219 1,290 1,332 1,298 48.0
Psychology and social sciences 3,159 3,072 3,028 3,171 3,297 3,358 3,332 3,539 3,501 3,509 3,762 19.1
Psychology 1,058 936 941 999 991 1,032 1,003 1,040 997 1,063 1,060 0.2
Anthropology 199 203 196 189 195 201 223 187 188 195 186 -6.5
Economics 741 717 684 717 735 703 734 840 767 786 820 10.7
Political science and government 373 396 345 367 409 434 389 420 469 434 527 41.3
Sociology 201 216 216 235 263 250 254 230 259 247 284 41.3
Other social sciences 587 604 646 664 704 738 729 822 821 784 885 50.8
Engineering 5,226 5,729 6,141 6,168 6,006 5,829 6,242 6,566 6,947 7,407 7,596 45.4
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 190 212 236 238 255 215 228 268 293 330 308 62.1
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 306 345 412 477 525 509 563 608 684 660 701 129.1
Chemical engineering 590 583 620 641 591 574 566 583 566 682 685 16.1
Civil engineering 503 538 538 568 559 473 486 388 417 469 458 -8.9
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,338 1,535 1,662 1,568 1,433 1,462 1,579 1,595 1,616 1,615 1,711 27.9
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 177 167 201 201 186 159 180 164 176 209 154 -13.0
Materials science engineering 380 430 482 482 466 495 496 556 598 618 651 71.3
Mechanical engineering 778 901 940 930 942 858 934 1,042 1,081 1,126 1,265 62.6
Other engineering 964 1,018 1,050 1,063 1,049 1,084 1,210 1,362 1,516 1,698 1,663 72.5
Education 2,065 2,130 2,103 2,158 2,161 1,662 1,432 1,500 1,571 1,469 1,614 -21.8
Education administration 844 839 805 892 838 547 349 389 373 371 345 -59.1
Education research 809 866 816 763 819 706 699 761 826 723 855 5.7
Teacher education 63 63 72 58 92 59 38 43 22 35 36 -42.9
Teaching fields 205 248 281 289 275 234 250 229 275 266 296 44.4
Other education 144 114 129 156 137 116 96 78 75 74 82 -43.1
Humanities and arts 2,600 2,681 2,605 2,308 2,404 2,462 2,573 2,742 2,829 2,760 2,767 6.4
Foreign languages and literature 240 236 237 220 224 218 248 238 271 248 239 -0.4
History 539 575 553 561 608 556 586 603 632 664 632 17.3
Letters 558 618 569 527 524 625 615 659 665 657 650 16.5
Other humanities and arts 1,263 1,252 1,246 1,000 1,048 1,063 1,124 1,242 1,261 1,191 1,246 -1.3
Otherb 1,203 1,324 1,374 1,386 1,420 1,326 1,283 1,360 1,479 1,477 1,464 21.7
Business management and administration 696 798 863 861 872 814 792 837 909 908 937 34.6
Communication 214 220 209 232 263 247 233 244 244 277 256 19.6
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 293 305 302 293 285 265 258 279 326 292 271 -7.5
Unknown field 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Female 19,582 20,559 21,904 22,494 23,187 22,489 22,701 23,531 24,367 24,822 25,403 29.7
Life sciences 4,735 5,006 5,497 5,859 6,210 6,213 6,289 6,615 6,714 6,931 6,941 46.6
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 413 448 516 498 559 490 554 554 622 646 691 67.3
Biological and biomedical sciences 3,106 3,271 3,529 3,934 4,185 4,219 4,272 4,423 4,412 4,748 4,688 50.9
Health sciences 1,216 1,287 1,452 1,427 1,466 1,504 1,463 1,638 1,680 1,537 1,562 28.5
Physical sciences and earth sciences 1,216 1,360 1,508 1,440 1,618 1,615 1,640 1,730 1,864 1,925 1,988 63.5
Chemistry 723 810 832 767 895 864 922 894 985 1,021 1,077 49.0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 244 266 333 316 338 366 330 403 449 475 457 87.3
Physics and astronomy 249 284 343 357 385 385 388 433 430 429 454 82.3
Mathematics and computer sciences 547 704 734 833 832 814 813 855 868 934 943 72.4
Computer and information sciences 221 311 332 400 349 347 353 374 341 400 423 91.4
Mathematics and statistics 326 393 402 433 483 467 460 481 527 534 520 59.5
Psychology and social sciences 3,985 4,154 4,278 4,464 4,646 4,524 4,889 4,958 5,077 5,220 5,332 33.8
Psychology 2,263 2,322 2,335 2,358 2,481 2,389 2,574 2,560 2,594 2,648 2,722 20.3
Anthropology 256 269 316 294 308 306 330 360 362 329 307 19.9
Economics 318 310 319 374 382 369 387 402 416 404 436 37.1
Political science and government 245 220 242 261 272 294 296 303 333 342 332 35.5
Sociology 335 363 360 366 399 389 403 402 377 432 461 37.6
Other social sciences 568 670 706 811 804 777 899 931 995 1,065 1,074 89.1
Engineering 1,182 1,452 1,605 1,693 1,631 1,746 1,782 1,887 2,052 2,185 2,301 94.7
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 29 25 31 28 41 37 34 39 55 55 53 82.8
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 111 179 225 285 308 315 335 335 355 384 428 285.6
Chemical engineering 183 216 197 232 216 248 256 256 258 290 317 73.2
Civil engineering 118 117 165 145 148 169 147 106 125 148 175 48.3
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 205 250 304 319 260 315 301 336 279 325 293 42.9
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 41 67 78 79 65 55 78 62 65 89 90 119.5
Materials science engineering 112 152 164 154 159 175 166 184 217 211 223 99.1
Mechanical engineering 114 144 131 152 152 125 150 177 196 197 202 77.2
Other engineering 269 302 310 299 282 307 315 392 502 486 520 93.3
Education 4,152 3,985 4,344 4,402 4,366 3,624 3,234 3,299 3,364 3,312 3,502 -15.7
Education administration 1,319 1,211 1,356 1,346 1,308 892 574 665 593 522 577 -56.3
Education research 1,862 1,884 1,854 1,876 1,844 1,736 1,736 1,808 1,877 1,828 1,927 3.5
Teacher education 199 186 225 216 240 186 166 113 87 117 119 -40.2
Teaching fields 457 457 592 623 630 566 555 527 617 650 661 44.6
Other education 315 247 317 341 344 244 203 186 190 195 218 -30.8
Humanities and arts 2,581 2,647 2,478 2,428 2,499 2,553 2,654 2,818 2,885 2,762 2,832 9.7
Foreign languages and literature 366 379 370 407 374 382 396 446 430 424 417 13.9
History 384 398 384 410 437 449 479 484 516 521 513 33.6
Letters 831 839 771 893 888 891 898 978 941 895 940 13.1
Other humanities and arts 1,000 1,031 953 718 800 831 881 910 998 922 962 -3.8
Otherb 1,184 1,251 1,460 1,375 1,385 1,400 1,400 1,369 1,543 1,553 1,564 32.1
Business management and administration 471 507 638 560 533 550 535 564 641 669 651 38.2
Communication 273 290 351 325 364 390 417 350 401 383 412 50.9
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 439 451 468 490 488 460 448 455 501 501 501 14.1
Unknown field 1 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -100.0
- = no value possible; percent change could not be calculated because there were no doctorate recipients with unknown field in 2005.
S&E = science and engineering.
a Includes respondents who did not report sex.
b Non-science and engineering fields.
NOTE: See table A-6 in the technical notes for a listing of major fields and their constituent subfields.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates.