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Table 72. Statistical profile of doctorate recipients, by ethnicity, race, and citizenship status: 2015

Characteristics Totala U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity not reported
U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American White More than one race Other race or race not reported U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen
U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen U.S. citizen Non-U.S. citizen
All doctorate recipients (number) 55,006 35,117 16,155 2,451 963 130 10 3,072 10,754 2,281 495 25,407 3,185 905 67 249 173 622 508
Primary source of support (%)b
Teaching assistantships 20.7 19.8 22.5 17.7 21.1 16.9 0.0 18.0 22.5 11.6 29.5 21.1 22.3 17.9 20.3 19.2 20.7 17.3 20.9
Research or other assistantships or traineeships 32.1 24.2 49.3 17.3 30.3 7.6 D 31.6 55.0 13.7 31.8 25.1 39.5 22.3 D 17.3 31.5 24.9 47.3
Fellowships or grants 27.3 30.5 20.2 38.4 31.1 31.4 D 36.0 16.7 28.8 26.1 29.0 26.6 37.7 40.6 36.4 D 29.4 24.2
Own resources 15.3 20.9 3.0 22.8 2.0 39.0 0.0 11.0 2.8 41.1 7.4 20.1 3.4 18.8 D 22.9 D 22.8 4.4
Employer 3.1 4.3 0.5 3.6 0.8 5.1 0.0 3.1 0.4 4.6 1.3 4.5 0.7 3.2 D 3.7 D 5.1 0.0
Other source 1.6 0.2 4.5 0.3 14.7 0.0 11.1 0.4 2.6 0.2 3.8 0.2 7.6 0.2 10.9 0.5 9.0 0.5 3.3
Postgraduation status (number)c
Definite postgraduation study 11,035 7,262 3,751 514 225 23 D 622 2,567 296 82 5,521 810 206 D 50 33 30 17
Definite employment 16,752 12,107 4,597 639 302 38 D 915 3,136 774 125 9,286 949 308 D 82 35 65 25
Seeking employment or study 16,505 10,729 5,747 865 332 41 D 1,074 3,997 865 236 7,498 1,104 278 D 55 30 53 22
Other statusd 2,148 1,555 580 129 19 9 0 229 399 100 20 999 125 59 3 18 10 12 4
Postgraduation study plans (%)e 39.7 37.5 44.9 44.6 42.7 37.7 D 40.5 45.0 27.7 39.6 37.3 46.0 40.1 D 37.9 48.5 31.6 40.5
Postgraduation employment plans (%)f
Academe 49.8 53.3 40.7 54.1 59.6 63.2 D 38.8 35.5 53.0 57.6 54.4 48.4 57.8 D 58.5 57.1 55.4 44.0
Government 7.6 8.6 5.0 8.0 7.0 D 0.0 8.1 4.1 11.4 D 8.5 6.6 7.8 D D 0.0 12.3 8.0
Industry or businessg 31.0 23.8 50.1 23.2 27.2 D 0.0 42.2 56.6 13.0 D 23.1 40.8 22.1 D D 42.9 16.9 32.0
Nonprofit 6.0 7.2 3.0 7.2 3.3 D 0.0 7.2 2.8 8.1 D 7.1 2.7 7.1 D D 0.0 10.8 4.0
Other or unknown plansh 5.5 7.1 1.3 7.5 3.0 13.2 0.0 3.7 1.1 14.5 0.0 6.9 1.5 5.2 0.0 3.7 0.0 4.6 12.0
Employment location (%)i
United States 90.5 97.5 72.1 98.6 53.3 100.0 D 95.2 76.9 98.3 60.8 97.7 65.0 97.7 D 90.2 54.3 90.8 60.0
Not United States 9.3 2.3 27.5 1.4 46.4 0.0 D 4.4 22.8 1.6 39.2 2.2 34.8 2.3 D 8.5 40.0 6.2 40.0
Unknown 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 1.2 5.7 3.1 0.0
Age at doctorate (median years) 31.6 32.0 31.0 32.6 33.4 37.2 33.2 31.3 30.5 35.7 34.7 31.8 31.7 31.4 31.6 32.7 31.2 32.3 30.7
Time to degree (median years)
From bachelor's 8.7 9.0 8.3 9.2 9.5 12.5 13.8 8.9 8.0 12.0 10.0 9.0 8.7 8.6 8.8 9.4 8.3 8.8 8.0
From graduate school start 7.3 7.4 7.3 7.7 7.8 9.7 8.3 7.3 7.1 9.7 7.4 7.3 7.7 7.2 7.7 7.8 8.0 7.0 6.9
From doctoral program startj 5.7 5.8 5.3 6.1 5.7 6.7 5.7 5.8 5.3 6.1 5.2 5.7 5.3 5.7 5.7 6.0 5.7 5.7 5.3
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
a Includes respondents who did not report their citizenship.
b Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients who reported a primary source of financial support during graduate school.
c Includes only respondents who reported postgraduation status.
d Includes respondents who indicated having no plans to work or study, respondents indicating another type of postgraduation plan, and respondents indicating definite plans for another full-time degree program.
e Excludes respondents who indicated plans for another full-time degree program. Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans and type of plans.
f Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients who reported definite postgraduation plans for employment.
g Includes doctorate recipients who indicated self-employment.
h "Other" is mainly composed of elementary and secondary schools.
i Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients who reported definite postgraduation plan for employment and the location of employment.
j Time to doctorate from doctoral program start is based on master's program entry if the master's degree was at the doctoral institution in the same fine field of study or was a prerequisite to the doctorate; otherwise, it is based on doctoral program entry.
NOTES: U.S. citizen refers to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Non-U.S. citizen refers to temporary visa holders. Due to rounding, percentages may not sum to 100.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2015.