Science and Engineering Doctorates
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What influences the path to the doctorate?

Time to degree

The time between entering graduate school and earning the doctorate has fallen in all fields of study over the past 20 years, particularly in education. Since 2005, the declines in the duration of study of doctorate recipients in non-S&E fields have exceeded the declines in the duration of study of S&E doctorates. Despite these trends, it still takes years longer to earn a doctorate in non-S&E fields than it does to complete doctoral training in S&E fields (figure F).

Median time to degree of U.S. doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: 1995–2015

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Chart of Median time to degree of U.S. doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: 1995–2015
(Years from graduate school entry to doctorate)
Year Life sciences Physical sciences and earth sciences Mathematics and computer sciences Psychology and social sciences Engineering Education Humanities and arts Other non-S&E fields
1995 7.7 6.9 7.7 8.7 7.3 15.7 10.1 10.3
1996 7.9 6.8 7.7 8.2 7.2 15.9 9.9 10.2
1997 7.7 6.7 7.8 8.2 7.2 15.7 9.7 10.2
1998 7.5 6.7 7.4 7.9 7.2 15.0 9.7 10.2
1999 7.3 6.7 7.2 7.9 7.2 14.7 9.7 10.2
2000 7.7 6.7 7.2 7.9 7.2 14.2 9.7 10.2
2001 7.3 6.6 7.2 7.9 7.1 13.9 9.7 10.7
2002 7.4 6.7 7.3 8.2 7.2 14.1 9.7 10.2
2003 7.2 6.7 7.7 8.2 7.3 13.2 9.7 10.2
2004 7.0 6.5 7.1 8.0 7.2 12.7 9.7 9.8
2005 7.1 6.6 7.2 8.2 7.3 13.0 9.9 10.3
2006 7.0 6.5 7.2 8.0 7.0 12.7 9.7 9.8
2007 7.0 6.5 7.0 8.0 6.7 12.6 9.7 9.4
2008 6.9 6.4 7.0 7.7 6.7 12.7 9.3 9.1
2009 7.0 6.3 7.0 7.7 6.9 12.4 9.7 9.6
2010 6.8 6.5 7.0 7.7 6.9 12.5 9.5 9.3
2011 6.9 6.6 6.9 7.8 6.8 11.7 9.3 9.3
2012 6.9 6.4 7.0 7.7 6.7 11.9 9.2 8.9
2013 6.9 6.3 6.9 7.7 6.7 11.7 9.3 9.0
2014 6.7 6.3 6.9 7.9 6.5 11.7 9.3 9.0
2015 6.7 6.2 6.7 7.7 6.7 11.7 9.2 8.9
Table of Median time to degree of U.S. doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: 1995–2015