Table 54. Statistical profile of doctorate recipients, by sex and broad field of study: 2015
Characteristic |
All fields |
Life sciencesa |
Physical sciences and earth sciences |
Mathematics and computer sciences |
Psychology and social sciences |
Engineering |
Education |
Humanities and arts |
Otherb |
All doctorate recipients (number)c |
55,006 |
12,520 |
5,924 |
3,825 |
9,095 |
9,897 |
5,117 |
5,600 |
3,028 |
Sex (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Male |
53.8 |
44.6 |
66.4 |
75.3 |
41.4 |
76.8 |
31.5 |
49.4 |
48.3 |
Female |
46.2 |
55.4 |
33.6 |
24.7 |
58.6 |
23.2 |
68.4 |
50.6 |
51.7 |
Unknown |
* |
* |
* |
0.1 |
* |
0.0 |
* |
* |
0.0 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
63.8 |
67.8 |
58.8 |
43.4 |
73.6 |
42.7 |
82.3 |
80.0 |
62.1 |
Temporary visa holder |
29.4 |
26.1 |
35.5 |
50.3 |
17.9 |
51.8 |
10.5 |
12.7 |
28.6 |
Unknown |
6.8 |
6.2 |
5.7 |
6.3 |
8.5 |
5.6 |
7.2 |
7.3 |
9.3 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Never married |
30.9 |
31.9 |
38.6 |
37.3 |
26.8 |
39.0 |
18.5 |
24.0 |
23.2 |
Married |
45.1 |
45.3 |
38.3 |
42.0 |
44.0 |
41.5 |
55.8 |
48.2 |
51.9 |
Marriage-like relationship |
8.2 |
9.4 |
9.9 |
5.8 |
10.3 |
6.4 |
5.1 |
10.4 |
4.5 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
3.3 |
3.1 |
1.9 |
1.7 |
3.7 |
1.5 |
7.0 |
4.7 |
4.8 |
Unknown |
12.5 |
10.4 |
11.3 |
13.1 |
15.2 |
11.5 |
13.5 |
12.7 |
15.6 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)d |
54.3 |
49.4 |
68.3 |
60.8 |
48.9 |
76.4 |
24.0 |
52.9 |
36.5 |
Master's earned (%) |
68.4 |
48.8 |
50.6 |
71.5 |
80.3 |
70.6 |
86.4 |
82.7 |
80.5 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
31.6 |
30.9 |
29.6 |
30.3 |
32.3 |
30.0 |
38.6 |
34.2 |
34.7 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
8.7 |
8.2 |
7.0 |
7.8 |
9.3 |
7.3 |
14.8 |
11.0 |
11.2 |
From graduate school start |
7.3 |
6.7 |
6.2 |
6.7 |
7.7 |
6.7 |
11.7 |
9.2 |
8.9 |
From doctoral program starte |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
6.0 |
5.2 |
6.0 |
6.9 |
5.3 |
Male doctorate recipients (number) |
29,596 |
5,578 |
3,935 |
2,880 |
3,762 |
7,596 |
1,614 |
2,767 |
1,464 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
58.3 |
64.6 |
58.2 |
44.0 |
68.9 |
41.3 |
81.1 |
79.5 |
57.9 |
Temporary visa holder |
35.2 |
29.1 |
35.8 |
50.3 |
23.7 |
53.3 |
10.8 |
12.7 |
31.8 |
Unknown |
6.5 |
6.3 |
6.0 |
5.6 |
7.5 |
5.4 |
8.1 |
7.8 |
10.3 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Never married |
32.5 |
32.1 |
38.9 |
38.9 |
27.1 |
39.0 |
18.1 |
21.1 |
21.4 |
Married |
45.5 |
46.1 |
38.9 |
42.0 |
47.6 |
42.2 |
57.9 |
51.9 |
55.0 |
Marriage-like relationship |
7.6 |
9.1 |
9.3 |
5.6 |
9.1 |
6.0 |
5.0 |
10.0 |
4.2 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
2.2 |
2.1 |
1.6 |
1.3 |
2.6 |
1.4 |
4.7 |
3.7 |
3.1 |
Unknown |
12.2 |
10.6 |
11.3 |
12.3 |
13.6 |
11.4 |
14.3 |
13.3 |
16.3 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)d |
58.1 |
47.6 |
69.2 |
61.8 |
47.1 |
77.8 |
22.2 |
53.8 |
35.2 |
Master's earned (%) |
67.5 |
47.1 |
51.5 |
71.2 |
81.1 |
71.6 |
85.6 |
81.5 |
77.8 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
31.3 |
31.0 |
29.7 |
30.4 |
32.8 |
30.1 |
39.0 |
34.5 |
35.0 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
8.3 |
8.0 |
7.0 |
7.8 |
9.4 |
7.5 |
14.6 |
11.0 |
11.3 |
From graduate school start |
7.2 |
6.7 |
6.2 |
6.8 |
7.7 |
6.7 |
11.7 |
9.3 |
8.9 |
From doctoral program starte |
5.7 |
5.6 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.9 |
5.2 |
6.2 |
6.7 |
5.0 |
Female doctorate recipients (number) |
25,403 |
6,941 |
1,988 |
943 |
5,332 |
2,301 |
3,502 |
2,832 |
1,564 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
70.4 |
70.3 |
59.9 |
41.7 |
77.0 |
47.3 |
82.8 |
80.5 |
66.0 |
Temporary visa holder |
22.6 |
23.6 |
35.0 |
50.3 |
13.8 |
46.5 |
10.4 |
12.8 |
25.6 |
Unknown |
7.0 |
6.1 |
5.2 |
8.1 |
9.2 |
6.2 |
6.8 |
6.7 |
8.3 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Never married |
29.0 |
31.8 |
38.1 |
32.7 |
26.5 |
38.8 |
18.7 |
26.8 |
24.7 |
Married |
44.5 |
44.6 |
37.2 |
42.3 |
41.5 |
39.5 |
54.8 |
44.7 |
49.1 |
Marriage-like relationship |
9.0 |
9.5 |
11.2 |
6.7 |
11.2 |
8.0 |
5.2 |
10.7 |
4.9 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
4.6 |
3.8 |
2.5 |
3.1 |
4.5 |
1.7 |
8.1 |
5.7 |
6.4 |
Unknown |
12.8 |
10.2 |
11.1 |
15.3 |
16.3 |
12.0 |
13.2 |
12.1 |
14.9 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)d |
49.8 |
50.8 |
66.4 |
57.8 |
50.3 |
72.0 |
24.8 |
52.0 |
37.7 |
Master's earned (%) |
69.5 |
50.3 |
48.8 |
72.7 |
79.7 |
67.1 |
86.8 |
83.9 |
83.1 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
31.9 |
30.8 |
29.3 |
30.2 |
32.0 |
29.4 |
38.3 |
33.8 |
34.3 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
9.3 |
8.3 |
6.8 |
7.7 |
9.3 |
7.0 |
14.9 |
11.0 |
11.1 |
From graduate school start |
7.7 |
6.9 |
6.0 |
6.7 |
7.7 |
6.3 |
11.7 |
9.2 |
9.0 |
From doctoral program starte |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.5 |
5.7 |
6.0 |
5.2 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
5.3 |