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Table 33. Educational attainment of doctorate recipients' parents, by sex, citizenship status, ethnicity, race, and broad field of study: 2016

(Percent distribution)

Demographic characteristic and broad field of study Total (number) Parental education attainment (%)
All High school or less Some collegea Bachelor's degree Advanced degree
All doctorate recipients
Father's educationb 47,477 100.0 24.1 13.6 27.0 35.3
Mother's educationc 47,684 100.0 29.3 16.7 28.3 25.7
Sex
Male
Father's education 25,658 100.0 24.6 12.7 27.7 35.0
Mother's education 25,704 100.0 31.2 15.6 28.6 24.5
Female
Father's education 21,818 100.0 23.5 14.6 26.3 35.6
Mother's education 21,979 100.0 27.0 17.9 27.9 27.2
Citizenship status
U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Father's education 32,656 100.0 21.3 14.8 24.6 39.3
Mother's education 32,899 100.0 23.3 18.7 27.9 30.1
Temporary visa holder
Father's education 14,801 100.0 30.1 10.9 32.5 26.5
Mother's education 14,765 100.0 42.7 12.1 29.2 16.0
Ethnicity and race (U.S. citizens and permanent residents)
Hispanic or Latino
Father's education 2,286 100.0 35.3 17.8 20.1 26.9
Mother's education 2,330 100.0 36.7 20.3 22.0 20.9
Not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Father's education 110 100.0 41.8 20.0 19.1 19.1
Mother's education 113 100.0 32.7 20.4 21.2 25.7
Asian
Father's education 2,857 100.0 20.5 10.2 24.9 44.5
Mother's education 2,867 100.0 29.9 12.9 30.4 26.9
Black or African American
Father's education 2,003 100.0 41.6 21.4 14.6 22.3
Mother's education 2,070 100.0 35.0 23.9 16.7 24.5
White
Father's education 24,138 100.0 18.4 14.4 25.9 41.2
Mother's education 24,244 100.0 20.2 18.8 29.3 31.8
More than one race
Father's education 967 100.0 19.6 15.4 23.0 42.0
Mother's education 975 100.0 22.2 19.9 26.7 31.3
Other race or race not reported
Father's education 183 100.0 19.7 13.7 23.5 43.2
Mother's education 187 100.0 24.1 18.2 24.6 33.2
Ethnicity not reported
Father's education 112 100.0 21.4 11.6 26.8 40.2
Mother's education 113 100.0 28.3 17.7 28.3 25.7
Field of study
Life sciencesd
Father's education 11,185 100.0 23.1 13.7 27.1 36.1
Mother's education 11,240 100.0 27.5 17.3 29.0 26.2
Physical sciences and earth sciences
Father's education 5,518 100.0 23.9 14.0 28.9 33.3
Mother's education 5,535 100.0 29.8 16.4 28.8 25.0
Mathematics and computer sciences
Father's education 3,420 100.0 24.1 12.0 29.5 34.4
Mother's education 3,425 100.0 31.4 14.3 29.4 24.9
Psychology and social sciences
Father's education 7,658 100.0 23.2 14.5 24.3 37.9
Mother's education 7,722 100.0 25.9 17.7 26.6 29.8
Engineering
Father's education 8,129 100.0 22.7 11.5 32.2 33.7
Mother's education 8,124 100.0 32.2 14.2 31.5 22.1
Education
Father's education 4,376 100.0 34.0 17.3 21.1 27.5
Mother's education 4,406 100.0 36.9 20.3 21.9 20.9
Humanities and arts
Father's education 4,747 100.0 20.7 12.3 24.3 42.8
Mother's education 4,777 100.0 23.8 15.8 28.3 32.0
Othere
Father's education 2,444 100.0 25.0 14.1 26.6 34.3
Mother's education 2,455 100.0 31.0 17.6 28.8 22.5