Table 56. Statistical profile of doctorate recipients in life sciences fields, by sex and field of study: 2015
Characteristic |
All life sciences fields |
Agricultural sciences and natural resources |
Biological and biomedical sciences |
Health sciences |
All doctorate recipients (number)a |
12,520 |
1,439 |
8,801 |
2,280 |
Sex (%) |
|
|
|
|
Male |
44.6 |
52.0 |
46.7 |
31.5 |
Female |
55.4 |
48.0 |
53.3 |
68.5 |
Unknown |
* |
0.0 |
* |
0.0 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
67.8 |
53.8 |
68.7 |
73.1 |
Temporary visa holder |
26.1 |
38.8 |
25.7 |
19.4 |
Unknown |
6.2 |
7.4 |
5.6 |
7.5 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
Never married |
31.9 |
27.0 |
35.0 |
22.9 |
Married |
45.3 |
51.8 |
42.4 |
52.4 |
Marriage-like relationship |
9.4 |
6.8 |
10.8 |
5.4 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
3.1 |
3.1 |
2.3 |
6.1 |
Unknown |
10.4 |
11.3 |
9.5 |
13.2 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)b |
49.4 |
42.2 |
52.6 |
41.4 |
Master's earned (%) |
48.8 |
74.4 |
37.9 |
75.0 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
30.9 |
32.2 |
30.3 |
35.3 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
8.2 |
9.1 |
7.7 |
11.7 |
From graduate school start |
6.7 |
7.3 |
6.5 |
9.2 |
From doctoral program startc |
5.7 |
5.2 |
5.7 |
5.3 |
Male doctorate recipients (number) |
5,578 |
748 |
4,112 |
718 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
64.6 |
51.7 |
67.5 |
61.6 |
Temporary visa holder |
29.1 |
41.3 |
26.7 |
29.8 |
Unknown |
6.3 |
7.0 |
5.8 |
8.6 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
Never married |
32.1 |
25.0 |
34.8 |
23.7 |
Married |
46.1 |
56.4 |
43.2 |
51.8 |
Marriage-like relationship |
9.1 |
5.7 |
10.4 |
5.7 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
2.1 |
2.0 |
1.9 |
3.2 |
Unknown |
10.6 |
10.8 |
9.7 |
15.6 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)b |
47.6 |
46.1 |
49.8 |
36.2 |
Master's earned (%) |
47.1 |
75.7 |
38.5 |
66.6 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
31.0 |
32.5 |
30.6 |
33.2 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
8.0 |
9.2 |
7.9 |
9.5 |
From graduate school start |
6.7 |
7.3 |
6.7 |
7.7 |
From doctoral program startc |
5.6 |
5.2 |
5.7 |
5.2 |
Female doctorate recipients (number) |
6,941 |
691 |
4,688 |
1,562 |
Citizenship (%) |
|
|
|
|
U.S. citizen or permanent resident |
70.3 |
56.0 |
69.7 |
78.4 |
Temporary visa holder |
23.6 |
36.0 |
24.8 |
14.7 |
Unknown |
6.1 |
8.0 |
5.5 |
6.9 |
Marital status (%) |
|
|
|
|
Never married |
31.8 |
29.2 |
35.2 |
22.5 |
Married |
44.6 |
46.9 |
41.6 |
52.6 |
Marriage-like relationship |
9.5 |
8.0 |
11.2 |
5.2 |
Separated, divorced, widowed |
3.8 |
4.2 |
2.6 |
7.4 |
Unknown |
10.2 |
11.7 |
9.3 |
12.2 |
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)b |
50.8 |
37.9 |
55.1 |
43.8 |
Master's earned (%) |
50.3 |
73.1 |
37.3 |
78.9 |
Age at doctorate (median years) |
30.8 |
31.7 |
30.1 |
36.8 |
Time to doctorate (median years) |
|
|
|
|
From bachelor's |
8.3 |
9.0 |
7.6 |
13.0 |
From graduate school start |
6.9 |
7.3 |
6.3 |
10.0 |
From doctoral program startc |
5.7 |
5.2 |
5.7 |
5.6 |