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Table 38. Education-related debt of doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: 2015

Debt level Total Life sciencesa Physical sciences and earth sciences Mathematics and computer sciences Psychology and social sciences Engineering Education Humanities and arts Otherb
Cumulative debt
Mean $23,191 $20,080 $13,658 $10,798 $36,509 $11,549 $38,178 $30,651 $31,687
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 26,203 53.1 6,229 54.4 3,298 61.2 2,476 72.1 3,147 39.7 5,989 66.9 1,770 38.8 2,032 40.7 1,262 47.7
$10,000 or less 4,510 9.1 1,075 9.4 567 10.5 276 8.0 632 8.0 891 9.9 378 8.3 513 10.3 178 6.7
$10,001–$20,000 3,481 7.1 885 7.7 396 7.3 177 5.2 577 7.3 545 6.1 291 6.4 453 9.1 157 5.9
$20,001–$30,000 2,906 5.9 752 6.6 330 6.1 128 3.7 501 6.3 418 4.7 279 6.1 343 6.9 155 5.9
$30,001–$40,000 1,804 3.7 441 3.9 184 3.4 66 1.9 344 4.3 250 2.8 205 4.5 224 4.5 90 3.4
$40,001–$50,000 1,579 3.2 363 3.2 145 2.7 60 1.7 327 4.1 184 2.1 192 4.2 193 3.9 115 4.3
$50,001–$60,000 1,206 2.4 280 2.4 85 1.6 35 1.0 249 3.1 122 1.4 162 3.6 188 3.8 85 3.2
$60,001–$70,000 1,042 2.1 213 1.9 87 1.6 27 0.8 239 3.0 105 1.2 149 3.3 153 3.1 69 2.6
$70,001–$80,000 881 1.8 205 1.8 47 0.9 31 0.9 222 2.8 85 0.9 119 2.6 103 2.1 69 2.6
$80,001–$90,000 1,235 2.5 246 2.2 64 1.2 49 1.4 329 4.1 97 1.1 188 4.1 172 3.4 90 3.4
$90,001 or more 4,508 9.1 752 6.6 186 3.5 109 3.2 1,367 17.2 269 3.0 829 18.2 622 12.4 374 14.1
Total 49,355 100.0 11,441 100.0 5,389 100.0 3,434 100.0 7,934 100.0 8,955 100.0 4,562 100.0 4,996 100.0 2,644 100.0
Graduate debt
Mean $15,245 $11,501 $6,025 $6,348 $26,590 $6,279 $28,271 $21,672 $23,494
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 30,915 63.3 7,814 69.1 4,169 78.2 2,747 80.6 3,642 46.3 6,797 76.9 1,943 43.2 2,437 49.3 1,366 52.3
$10,000 or less 4,188 8.6 940 8.3 460 8.6 222 6.5 669 8.5 775 8.8 397 8.8 542 11.0 183 7.0
$10,001–$20,000 2,514 5.2 549 4.9 195 3.7 110 3.2 508 6.5 377 4.3 270 6.0 364 7.4 141 5.4
$20,001–$30,000 1,957 4.0 399 3.5 129 2.4 65 1.9 438 5.6 238 2.7 287 6.4 268 5.4 133 5.1
$30,001–$40,000 1,390 2.8 266 2.4 83 1.6 45 1.3 333 4.2 144 1.6 212 4.7 191 3.9 116 4.4
$40,001–$50,000 1,202 2.5 246 2.2 61 1.1 49 1.4 289 3.7 113 1.3 176 3.9 158 3.2 110 4.2
$50,001–$60,000 1,088 2.2 212 1.9 46 0.9 31 0.9 275 3.5 94 1.1 190 4.2 164 3.3 76 2.9
$60,001–$70,000 835 1.7 136 1.2 48 0.9 20 0.6 229 2.9 70 0.8 137 3.0 138 2.8 57 2.2
$70,001–$80,000 795 1.6 160 1.4 29 0.5 19 0.6 219 2.8 62 0.7 135 3.0 94 1.9 77 3.0
$80,001–$90,000 1,285 2.6 191 1.7 53 1.0 46 1.3 366 4.7 71 0.8 248 5.5 205 4.2 105 4.0
$90,001 or more 2,640 5.4 401 3.5 60 1.1 54 1.6 894 11.4 100 1.1 507 11.3 378 7.7 246 9.4
Total 48,809 100.0 11,314 100.0 5,333 100.0 3,408 100.0 7,862 100.0 8,841 100.0 4,502 100.0 4,939 100.0 2,610 100.0
Undergraduate debt
Mean $8,132 $8,725 $7,703 $4,507 $10,197 $5,364 $10,295 $9,235 $8,511
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 34,598 70.2 7,776 68.1 3,743 69.5 2,802 81.8 5,101 64.5 7,020 78.6 3,006 66.0 3,239 64.9 1,911 72.4
$10,000 or less 3,569 7.2 856 7.5 428 7.9 191 5.6 609 7.7 557 6.2 365 8.0 397 8.0 166 6.3
$10,001–$20,000 3,539 7.2 882 7.7 399 7.4 156 4.6 671 8.5 449 5.0 332 7.3 502 10.1 148 5.6
$20,001–$30,000 2,784 5.7 721 6.3 348 6.5 104 3.0 548 6.9 345 3.9 270 5.9 310 6.2 138 5.2
$30,001–$40,000 1,532 3.1 373 3.3 164 3.0 56 1.6 317 4.0 197 2.2 167 3.7 191 3.8 67 2.5
$40,001–$50,000 1,010 2.1 272 2.4 102 1.9 38 1.1 185 2.3 111 1.2 112 2.5 119 2.4 71 2.7
$50,001–$60,000 682 1.4 153 1.3 58 1.1 24 0.7 157 2.0 84 0.9 85 1.9 82 1.6 39 1.5
$60,001–$70,000 436 0.9 118 1.0 49 0.9 11 0.3 89 1.1 58 0.6 53 1.2 39 0.8 19 0.7
$70,001–$80,000 280 0.6 77 0.7 31 0.6 14 0.4 47 0.6 31 0.3 42 0.9 25 0.5 13 0.5
$80,001–$90,000 385 0.8 94 0.8 27 0.5 15 0.4 85 1.1 44 0.5 50 1.1 40 0.8 30 1.1
$90,001 or more 435 0.9 94 0.8 35 0.7 16 0.5 97 1.2 36 0.4 73 1.6 47 0.9 37 1.4
Total 49,250 100.0 11,416 100.0 5,384 100.0 3,427 100.0 7,906 100.0 8,932 100.0 4,555 100.0 4,991 100.0 2,639 100.0
a Includes agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; and health sciences.
b Non-science and engineering fields not shown separately.
NOTES: Mean calculations are based on all valid responses to debt item. See technical notes for details on calculations of means.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2015.