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Table 52. Definite postgraduation commitments of doctorate recipients, by sex and major field of study: 2015

Sex 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
Male 29,596 15,358 13,575 5,369 3,398 3,441 1,367 1,757 26
Life sciences 5,578 2,833 2,548 1,724 329 347 148 284 1
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 748 389 320 154 65 66 35 69 0
Biological and biomedical sciences 4,112 2,089 1,901 1,442 153 237 69 187 1
Health sciences 718 355 327 128 111 44 44 28 0
Physical sciences and earth sciences 3,935 2,125 1,865 1,157 158 473 77 260 0
Chemistry 1,598 822 760 491 53 199 17 62 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 600 365 319 204 40 53 22 46 0
Physics and astronomy 1,737 938 786 462 65 221 38 152 0
Mathematics and computer sciences 2,880 1,682 1,505 462 305 641 97 173 4
Computer and information sciences 1,582 909 834 162 146 467 59 71 4
Mathematics and statistics 1,298 773 671 300 159 174 38 102 0
Psychology and social sciences 3,762 2,127 1,772 550 749 198 275 352 3
Psychology 1,060 597 567 305 123 73 66 30 0
Anthropology 186 82 61 20 29 D D 21 0
Economics 820 553 397 58 183 66 90 155 1
Political science and government 527 280 231 50 137 D D 49 0
Sociology 284 155 131 32 80 6 13 24 0
Other social sciences 885 460 385 85 197 36 67 73 2
Engineering 7,596 3,716 3,343 1,163 292 1,601 287 360 13
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 308 165 D 48 D 47 42 D 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 701 330 304 176 19 97 12 26 0
Chemical engineering 685 336 306 116 9 172 9 28 2
Civil engineering 458 211 186 83 28 60 15 25 0
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,711 873 805 204 41 493 67 65 3
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 154 69 D 7 D 29 D D 0
Materials science engineering 651 310 277 127 13 129 8 32 1
Mechanical engineering 1,265 591 D 196 58 243 D D 2
Other engineering 1,663 831 728 206 96 331 95 98 5
Education 1,614 871 792 65 409 39 279 77 2
Education administration 345 D D D 58 D 107 D 1
Education research 855 472 434 43 253 22 116 38 0
Teacher education 36 18 18 0 9 0 9 0 0
Teaching fields 296 153 D 16 73 D 37 D 1
Other education 82 D D D 16 D 10 D 0
Humanities and arts 2,767 1,187 1,049 197 636 54 162 136 2
Foreign languages and literature 239 116 106 12 82 D D D D
History 632 281 244 63 140 11 30 36 1
Letters 650 276 253 47 171 D D D D
Other humanities and arts 1,246 514 446 75 243 26 102 68 0
Otherd 1,464 817 701 51 520 88 42 115 1
Business management and administration 937 565 486 19 377 64 26 79 0
Communication 256 127 117 15 92 5 5 9 1
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 271 125 98 17 51 19 11 27 0
Unknown field 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Female 25,403 12,429 11,397 4,443 3,958 1,473 1,523 1,008 24
Life sciences 6,941 3,321 3,083 1,885 591 322 285 236 2
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 691 322 280 142 65 49 24 42 0
Biological and biomedical sciences 4,688 2,228 2,076 1,542 202 215 117 151 1
Health sciences 1,562 771 727 201 324 58 144 43 1
Physical sciences and earth sciences 1,988 967 870 548 88 194 40 96 1
Chemistry 1,077 482 449 269 48 117 15 33 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 457 262 233 148 30 35 20 28 1
Physics and astronomy 454 223 188 131 10 42 5 35 0
Mathematics and computer sciences 943 525 456 137 136 163 20 65 4
Computer and information sciences 423 204 175 42 41 85 7 27 2
Mathematics and statistics 520 321 281 95 95 78 13 38 2
Psychology and social sciences 5,332 2,822 2,578 1,110 855 239 374 240 4
Psychology 2,722 1,502 1,452 867 266 141 178 48 2
Anthropology 307 110 96 38 43 D D 14 0
Economics 436 276 195 24 87 48 36 81 0
Political science and government 332 174 148 41 83 D D 26 0
Sociology 461 265 244 63 136 12 33 D D
Other social sciences 1,074 495 443 77 240 32 94 D D
Engineering 2,301 1,042 926 343 107 391 85 112 4
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 53 23 D 8 D 8 3 D 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 428 189 164 97 13 47 7 25 0
Chemical engineering 317 157 145 47 5 84 9 D D
Civil engineering 175 71 60 17 13 18 12 D D
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 293 130 116 36 11 61 8 13 1
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 90 46 D 6 D 22 D D 0
Materials science engineering 223 105 91 34 5 45 7 14 0
Mechanical engineering 202 93 D 30 15 34 D D 0
Other engineering 520 228 198 68 32 72 26 28 2
Education 3,502 1,741 1,670 152 925 62 531 67 4
Education administration 577 D D D 137 D 144 D 0
Education research 1,927 972 936 111 500 48 277 34 2
Teacher education 119 D D D 30 D 13 D 0
Teaching fields 661 339 D 27 206 D 77 D 2
Other education 218 83 D 7 52 D 20 D 0
Humanities and arts 2,832 1,215 1,099 193 747 46 113 113 3
Foreign languages and literature 417 174 156 17 121 D D 16 2
History 513 238 203 53 118 6 26 35 0
Letters 940 430 406 61 308 D D 24 0
Other humanities and arts 962 373 334 62 200 19 53 38 1
Otherd 1,564 796 715 75 509 56 75 79 2
Business management and administration 651 371 321 18 244 34 25 49 1
Communication 412 194 178 20 140 10 8 15 1
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 501 231 216 37 125 12 42 15 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 sex.
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.