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Table 58. Statistical profile of doctorate recipients in physical sciences and earth sciences fields, by sex and field of study: 2015

Characteristic All physical sciences and earth sciences fields Chemistry Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences Physics and astronomy
All doctorate recipients (number)a 5,924 2,675 1,057 2,192
Sex (%)
Male 66.4 59.7 56.8 79.2
Female 33.6 40.3 43.2 20.7
Unknown * 0.0 0.0 *
Citizenship (%)
U.S. citizen or permanent resident 58.8 58.8 66.6 54.9
Temporary visa holder 35.5 34.9 29.0 39.4
Unknown 5.7 6.3 4.4 5.7
Marital status (%)
Never married 38.6 39.9 32.8 39.8
Married 38.3 36.9 43.5 37.5
Marriage-like relationship 9.9 9.7 11.4 9.4
Separated, divorced, widowed 1.9 1.9 2.3 1.7
Unknown 11.3 11.5 10.0 11.5
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)b 68.3 72.4 47.3 73.3
Master's earned (%) 50.6 35.1 67.5 61.2
Age at doctorate (median years) 29.6 29.1 30.7 29.8
Time to doctorate (median years)
From bachelor's 7.0 6.3 8.0 7.1
From graduate school start 6.2 5.7 7.0 6.3
From doctoral program startc 5.7 5.3 5.6 5.9
Male doctorate recipients (number) 3,935 1,598 600 1,737
Citizenship (%)
U.S. citizen or permanent resident 58.2 58.9 64.7 55.3
Temporary visa holder 35.8 34.2 31.0 38.9
Unknown 6.0 6.8 4.3 5.8
Marital status (%)
Never married 38.9 39.2 33.5 40.5
Married 38.9 37.7 44.3 38.0
Marriage-like relationship 9.3 9.4 10.7 8.6
Separated, divorced, widowed 1.6 1.5 2.5 1.4
Unknown 11.3 12.1 9.0 11.4
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)b 69.2 72.2 48.5 73.7
Master's earned (%) 51.5 35.4 69.8 59.9
Age at doctorate (median years) 29.7 29.3 31.2 29.8
Time to doctorate (median years)
From bachelor's 7.0 6.4 8.0 7.1
From graduate school start 6.2 5.7 7.0 6.3
From doctoral program startc 5.7 5.3 5.7 5.9
Female doctorate recipients (number) 1,988 1,077 457 454
Citizenship (%)
U.S. citizen or permanent resident 59.9 58.7 69.1 53.3
Temporary visa holder 35.0 35.8 26.5 41.4
Unknown 5.2 5.5 4.4 5.3
Marital status (%)
Never married 38.1 41.0 31.9 37.2
Married 37.2 35.7 42.5 35.7
Marriage-like relationship 11.2 10.1 12.3 12.6
Separated, divorced, widowed 2.5 2.6 2.0 2.6
Unknown 11.1 10.6 11.4 11.9
Bachelor's in same field as doctorate (%)b 66.4 72.8 45.7 72.0
Master's earned (%) 48.8 34.8 64.3 66.3
Age at doctorate (median years) 29.3 28.8 30.3 29.5
Time to doctorate (median years)
From bachelor's 6.8 6.3 8.0 7.1
From graduate school start 6.0 5.7 6.9 6.4
From doctoral program startc 5.5 5.3 5.4 6.0