Table 17. Doctorate recipients, by broad field of study and citizenship status: Selected years, 1985–2015
| Field of study and citizenship status |
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
2000 |
2005 |
2010 |
2015 |
| All fields |
31,295 |
36,065 |
41,747 |
41,369 |
43,385 |
48,031 |
55,006 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
24,711 |
26,619 |
32,062 |
29,952 |
27,945 |
31,604 |
35,117 |
| Temporary visa holder |
5,252 |
8,140 |
8,831 |
9,667 |
12,832 |
13,636 |
16,155 |
| Unknown |
1,332 |
1,306 |
854 |
1,750 |
2,608 |
2,791 |
3,734 |
| Life sciencesa |
5,822 |
6,655 |
7,998 |
8,622 |
9,310 |
11,319 |
12,520 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
4,694 |
4,944 |
6,131 |
6,086 |
6,282 |
7,812 |
8,484 |
| Temporary visa holder |
934 |
1,539 |
1,741 |
2,213 |
2,553 |
2,926 |
3,262 |
| Unknown |
194 |
172 |
126 |
323 |
475 |
581 |
774 |
| Physical sciences and earth sciences |
3,491 |
4,212 |
4,540 |
4,071 |
4,359 |
4,995 |
5,924 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
2,618 |
2,835 |
3,367 |
2,547 |
2,344 |
2,860 |
3,481 |
| Temporary visa holder |
734 |
1,240 |
1,091 |
1,331 |
1,788 |
1,884 |
2,104 |
| Unknown |
139 |
137 |
82 |
193 |
227 |
251 |
339 |
| Mathematics and computer sciences |
998 |
1,597 |
2,187 |
1,910 |
2,334 |
3,223 |
3,825 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
632 |
828 |
1,389 |
1,035 |
1,011 |
1,599 |
1,661 |
| Temporary visa holder |
332 |
699 |
749 |
807 |
1,200 |
1,446 |
1,924 |
| Unknown |
34 |
70 |
49 |
68 |
123 |
178 |
240 |
| Psychology and social sciences |
6,027 |
6,331 |
6,930 |
7,452 |
7,149 |
7,883 |
9,095 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
4,994 |
5,078 |
5,652 |
5,930 |
5,252 |
5,803 |
6,698 |
| Temporary visa holder |
721 |
983 |
1,115 |
1,148 |
1,464 |
1,553 |
1,625 |
| Unknown |
312 |
270 |
163 |
374 |
433 |
527 |
772 |
| Engineering |
3,166 |
4,894 |
6,008 |
5,323 |
6,426 |
7,578 |
9,897 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
1,594 |
2,349 |
3,343 |
2,575 |
2,288 |
3,332 |
4,223 |
| Temporary visa holder |
1,423 |
2,286 |
2,527 |
2,451 |
3,756 |
3,866 |
5,122 |
| Unknown |
149 |
259 |
138 |
297 |
382 |
380 |
552 |
| Education |
6,733 |
6,509 |
6,648 |
6,442 |
6,227 |
5,288 |
5,117 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
5,909 |
5,789 |
5,993 |
5,686 |
5,255 |
4,477 |
4,209 |
| Temporary visa holder |
577 |
506 |
506 |
539 |
536 |
478 |
539 |
| Unknown |
247 |
214 |
149 |
217 |
436 |
333 |
369 |
| Humanities and arts |
3,406 |
3,854 |
5,040 |
5,462 |
5,187 |
5,016 |
5,600 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
3,024 |
3,372 |
4,360 |
4,604 |
4,036 |
4,030 |
4,480 |
| Temporary visa holder |
232 |
384 |
591 |
665 |
806 |
667 |
713 |
| Unknown |
150 |
98 |
89 |
193 |
345 |
319 |
407 |
| Otherb |
1,652 |
2,013 |
2,396 |
2,087 |
2,393 |
2,729 |
3,028 |
| U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
1,246 |
1,424 |
1,827 |
1,489 |
1,477 |
1,691 |
1,881 |
| Temporary visa holder |
299 |
503 |
511 |
513 |
729 |
816 |
866 |
| Unknown |
107 |
86 |
58 |
85 |
187 |
222 |
281 |