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Table 51. Definite postgraduation commitments of doctorate recipients, by citizenship status and major field of study: 2015

Citizenship status and major field of study All recipients Recipients with definite commitments Location of definite commitments
United States Abroad Unknown
Total Postdoctoral study Academic employment Industry employmenta Otherb
All doctorate recipientsc 55,006 27,787 24,972 9,812 7,356 4,914 2,890 2,765 50
Life sciences 12,520 6,154 5,631 3,609 920 669 433 520 3
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 1,439 711 600 296 130 115 59 111 0
Biological and biomedical sciences 8,801 4,317 3,977 2,984 355 452 186 338 2
Health sciences 2,280 1,126 1,054 329 435 102 188 71 1
Physical sciences and earth sciences 5,924 3,092 2,735 1,705 246 667 117 356 1
Chemistry 2,675 1,304 1,209 760 101 316 32 95 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 1,057 627 552 352 70 88 42 74 1
Physics and astronomy 2,192 1,161 974 593 75 263 43 187 0
Mathematics and computer sciences 3,825 2,207 1,961 599 441 804 117 238 8
Computer and information sciences 2,005 1,113 1,009 204 187 552 66 98 6
Mathematics and statistics 1,820 1,094 952 395 254 252 51 140 2
Psychology and social sciences 9,095 4,949 4,350 1,660 1,604 437 649 592 7
Psychology 3,782 2,099 2,019 1,172 389 214 244 78 2
Anthropology 493 192 157 58 72 7 20 35 0
Economics 1,256 829 592 82 270 114 126 236 1
Political science and government 859 454 379 91 220 16 52 75 0
Sociology 745 420 375 95 216 18 46 D D
Other social sciences 1,960 955 828 162 437 68 161 D D
Engineering 9,897 4,758 4,269 1,506 399 1,992 372 472 17
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 361 188 173 56 17 55 45 15 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 1,129 519 468 273 32 144 19 51 0
Chemical engineering 1,002 493 451 163 14 256 18 D D
Civil engineering 633 282 246 100 41 78 27 D D
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 2,004 1,003 921 240 52 554 75 78 4
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 244 115 96 13 24 51 8 19 0
Materials science engineering 874 415 368 161 18 174 15 46 1
Mechanical engineering 1,467 684 620 226 73 277 44 62 2
Other engineering 2,183 1,059 926 274 128 403 121 126 7
Education 5,117 2,612 2,462 217 1,334 101 810 144 6
Education administration 922 489 467 7 195 14 251 21 1
Education research 2,783 1,444 1,370 154 753 70 393 72 2
Teacher education 155 D D D 39 D 22 D 0
Teaching fields 957 492 446 43 279 10 114 43 3
Other education 300 D D D 68 D 30 D 0
Humanities and arts 5,600 2,402 2,148 390 1,383 100 275 249 5
Foreign languages and literature 656 290 262 29 203 7 23 D D
History 1,145 519 447 116 258 17 56 71 1
Letters 1,590 706 659 108 479 31 41 D D
Other humanities and arts 2,209 887 780 137 443 45 155 106 1
Otherd 3,028 1,613 1,416 126 1,029 144 117 194 3
Business management and administration 1,588 936 807 37 621 98 51 128 1
Communication 668 321 295 35 232 15 13 24 2
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 772 356 314 54 176 31 53 42 0
Unknown field 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
U.S. citizen or permanent resident 35,117 19,369 18,499 6,693 6,261 2,834 2,711 847 23
Life sciences 8,484 4,459 4,278 2,564 805 500 409 D D
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 774 442 420 176 108 82 54 22 0
Biological and biomedical sciences 6,043 3,096 2,951 2,138 301 338 174 D D
Health sciences 1,667 921 907 250 396 80 181 13 1
Physical sciences and earth sciences 3,481 2,019 1,846 1,082 203 449 112 173 0
Chemistry 1,574 877 830 490 83 226 31 47 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 704 441 408 250 60 58 40 33 0
Physics and astronomy 1,203 701 608 342 60 165 41 93 0
Mathematics and computer sciences 1,661 1,055 989 295 300 298 96 64 2
Computer and information sciences 773 482 458 83 124 197 54 22 2
Mathematics and statistics 888 573 531 212 176 101 42 42 0
Psychology and social sciences 6,698 3,995 3,831 1,488 1,395 360 588 160 4
Psychology 3,107 1,953 1,922 1,110 371 203 238 30 1
Anthropology 397 164 144 D 66 D D 20 0
Economics 552 401 377 D 183 D 88 24 0
Political science and government 621 355 330 68 194 16 52 25 0
Sociology 598 367 349 D 203 17 D D D
Other social sciences 1,423 755 709 124 378 60 147 D D
Engineering 4,223 2,255 2,153 644 241 933 335 95 7
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 216 125 D D D 43 43 D 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 725 339 317 164 26 109 18 22 0
Chemical engineering 488 256 248 78 7 150 13 D D
Civil engineering 230 112 D 31 22 29 D D 0
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 632 374 360 78 38 177 67 D D
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 65 36 36 D 10 18 D 0 0
Materials science engineering 382 205 188 58 D 102 D 17 0
Mechanical engineering 620 317 303 95 43 123 42 13 1
Other engineering 865 491 473 113 67 182 111 14 4
Education 4,209 2,381 2,343 187 1,269 94 793 34 4
Education administration 798 475 D D D 14 251 D 1
Education research 2,282 1,306 1,292 D 717 D 377 13 1
Teacher education 132 D D D D D 22 D 0
Teaching fields 765 423 414 36 D D 113 7 2
Other education 232 D 108 8 D D 30 D 0
Humanities and arts 4,480 2,085 1,972 337 1,270 D D D D
Foreign languages and literature 463 218 210 23 159 D D 8 0
History 942 450 410 96 241 17 56 40 0
Letters 1,360 648 625 D 459 D 41 D D
Other humanities and arts 1,715 769 727 D 411 D 149 42 0
Otherd 1,881 1,120 1,087 96 778 D D 30 3
Business management and administration 893 584 565 D 428 63 D 18 1
Communication 480 258 D D 201 D 12 D 2
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 508 278 D 42 149 D 53 D 0
Unknown field 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Temporary visa holder 16,155 8,348 6,416 3,101 1,076 2,070 169 1,912 20
Life sciences 3,262 1,685 1,344 1,038 113 169 24 D D
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 558 269 180 120 22 33 5 89 0
Biological and biomedical sciences 2,261 1,215 1,021 842 53 114 12 D D
Health sciences 443 201 143 76 38 22 7 58 0
Physical sciences and earth sciences 2,104 1,064 881 620 41 216 4 183 0
Chemistry 933 424 376 268 18 89 1 48 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 307 183 142 102 9 30 1 41 0
Physics and astronomy 864 457 363 250 14 97 2 94 0
Mathematics and computer sciences 1,924 1,146 967 304 139 505 19 174 5
Computer and information sciences 1,096 627 548 121 62 355 10 76 3
Mathematics and statistics 828 519 419 183 77 150 9 98 2
Psychology and social sciences 1,625 939 508 168 207 76 57 428 3
Psychology 260 143 94 61 17 11 5 48 1
Anthropology 69 27 13 D 6 D D 14 0
Economics 607 424 213 D 86 D 38 210 1
Political science and government 178 99 49 23 26 0 0 50 0
Sociology 101 50 23 D 13 0 D 27 0
Other social sciences 410 196 116 37 59 8 12 79 1
Engineering 5,122 2,491 2,107 860 157 1,053 37 376 8
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 132 63 D D D 12 2 D 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 349 180 151 109 6 35 1 29 0
Chemical engineering 461 236 203 85 7 106 5 33 0
Civil engineering 360 170 D 69 19 49 D 28 D
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,243 623 556 162 13 373 8 D D
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 161 79 60 D 14 33 D 19 0
Materials science engineering 450 208 178 102 D 71 D 29 1
Mechanical engineering 784 364 315 130 30 153 2 48 1
Other engineering 1,182 568 453 161 61 221 10 112 3
Education 539 223 112 29 61 7 15 110 1
Education administration 35 13 D D D 0 0 D 0
Education research 327 134 74 D 35 D 14 59 1
Teacher education 13 D D 0 D 0 0 D 0
Teaching fields 145 67 31 7 D D 1 36 0
Other education 19 D D D D 0 0 D 0
Humanities and arts 713 311 172 53 109 D D D D
Foreign languages and literature 151 71 52 6 44 D D D D
History 131 67 35 20 15 0 0 31 1
Letters 122 58 34 D 20 D 0 24 0
Other humanities and arts 309 115 51 D 30 D 6 64 0
Otherd 866 489 325 29 249 D D 164 0
Business management and administration 545 350 240 D 191 35 D 110 0
Communication 137 62 D D 31 D 0 D 0
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 184 77 D 11 27 D 0 D 0
Unknown field 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
S&E = science and engineering.
a Includes doctorate recipients who indicated self-employment.
b Includes doctorate recipients who indicated government, nonprofit, elementary or secondary school, or other employment and those with unknown employment.
c Includes respondents who did not report citizenship status.
d Non-science and engineering fields.
NOTES: See table A-6 in the technical notes for a listing of major fields and their constituent subfields. Definite postgraduate commitment includes doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation commitments for employment or postdoctoral study.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2015.