Bookmark and Share

Table 38. Education-related debt of doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: 2016

Debt level Total Life sciencesa Physical sciences and earth sciences Mathematics and computer sciences Psychology and social sciences Engineering Education Humanities and arts Otherb
Cumulative debt
Mean $23,838 $20,562 $14,156 $11,564 $36,347 $12,228 $40,827 $31,213 $31,874
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 26,969 53.7 6,452 55.0 3,568 61.6 2,592 71.6 3,360 41.2 5,733 66.4 1,869 40.0 2,135 42.9 1,260 48.0
$10,000 or less 4,409 8.8 1,026 8.7 577 10.0 273 7.5 698 8.6 854 9.9 360 7.7 417 8.4 204 7.8
$10,001–$20,000 3,367 6.7 897 7.6 444 7.7 171 4.7 561 6.9 514 6.0 245 5.2 396 8.0 139 5.3
$20,001–$30,000 2,831 5.6 757 6.5 328 5.7 139 3.8 462 5.7 404 4.7 263 5.6 349 7.0 129 4.9
$30,001–$40,000 1,848 3.7 471 4.0 183 3.2 86 2.4 348 4.3 224 2.6 196 4.2 251 5.0 89 3.4
$40,001–$50,000 1,570 3.1 380 3.2 140 2.4 54 1.5 325 4.0 192 2.2 168 3.6 207 4.2 104 4.0
$50,001–$60,000 1,161 2.3 268 2.3 95 1.6 48 1.3 221 2.7 122 1.4 157 3.4 167 3.4 83 3.2
$60,001–$70,000 1,089 2.2 243 2.1 71 1.2 45 1.2 248 3.0 106 1.2 156 3.3 139 2.8 81 3.1
$70,001–$80,000 929 1.9 179 1.5 82 1.4 42 1.2 208 2.6 77 0.9 155 3.3 122 2.4 64 2.4
$80,001–$90,000 1,200 2.4 246 2.1 85 1.5 48 1.3 275 3.4 122 1.4 182 3.9 149 3.0 93 3.5
$90,001 or more 4,830 9.6 814 6.9 218 3.8 122 3.4 1,443 17.7 283 3.3 922 19.7 649 13.0 379 14.4
Total 50,203 100.0 11,733 100.0 5,791 100.0 3,620 100.0 8,149 100.0 8,631 100.0 4,673 100.0 4,981 100.0 2,625 100.0
Graduate debt
Mean $15,125 $11,513 $5,877 $6,731 $25,485 $6,554 $28,591 $21,345 $23,453
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 31,988 64.3 8,108 69.6 4,527 78.9 2,883 80.4 3,975 49.1 6,551 76.7 2,035 44.1 2,548 51.5 1,361 52.2
$10,000 or less 4,075 8.2 916 7.9 483 8.4 190 5.3 689 8.5 758 8.9 369 8.0 467 9.4 203 7.8
$10,001–$20,000 2,431 4.9 544 4.7 210 3.7 128 3.6 449 5.5 338 4.0 301 6.5 323 6.5 138 5.3
$20,001–$30,000 1,949 3.9 399 3.4 124 2.2 89 2.5 434 5.4 232 2.7 255 5.5 288 5.8 128 4.9
$30,001–$40,000 1,396 2.8 298 2.6 76 1.3 70 2.0 327 4.0 141 1.7 178 3.9 207 4.2 99 3.8
$40,001–$50,000 1,193 2.4 242 2.1 61 1.1 28 0.8 284 3.5 114 1.3 193 4.2 172 3.5 99 3.8
$50,001–$60,000 1,061 2.1 216 1.9 55 1.0 36 1.0 240 3.0 101 1.2 194 4.2 137 2.8 82 3.1
$60,001–$70,000 877 1.8 147 1.3 49 0.9 31 0.9 215 2.7 59 0.7 155 3.4 140 2.8 81 3.1
$70,001–$80,000 774 1.6 149 1.3 45 0.8 32 0.9 186 2.3 48 0.6 148 3.2 102 2.1 64 2.5
$80,001–$90,000 1,219 2.4 230 2.0 46 0.8 38 1.1 292 3.6 91 1.1 238 5.2 169 3.4 115 4.4
$90,001 or more 2,819 5.7 399 3.4 65 1.1 60 1.7 1,000 12.4 111 1.3 550 11.9 396 8.0 238 9.1
Total 49,782 100.0 11,648 100.0 5,741 100.0 3,585 100.0 8,091 100.0 8,544 100.0 4,616 100.0 4,949 100.0 2,608 100.0
Undergraduate debt
Mean $8,853 $9,145 $8,339 $4,906 $11,072 $5,749 $12,599 $10,011 $8,586
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 34,997 69.8 7,966 68.0 4,033 69.7 2,924 80.9 5,228 64.3 6,749 78.3 2,962 63.5 3,219 64.7 1,916 73.1
$10,000 or less 3,529 7.0 823 7.0 417 7.2 208 5.8 668 8.2 511 5.9 355 7.6 379 7.6 168 6.4
$10,001–$20,000 3,452 6.9 896 7.6 435 7.5 156 4.3 627 7.7 423 4.9 324 6.9 442 8.9 149 5.7
$20,001–$30,000 2,768 5.5 750 6.4 340 5.9 117 3.2 490 6.0 347 4.0 276 5.9 331 6.6 117 4.5
$30,001–$40,000 1,620 3.2 426 3.6 170 2.9 70 1.9 301 3.7 189 2.2 200 4.3 205 4.1 59 2.3
$40,001–$50,000 1,073 2.1 263 2.2 114 2.0 37 1.0 217 2.7 126 1.5 133 2.8 125 2.5 58 2.2
$50,001–$60,000 727 1.5 157 1.3 79 1.4 34 0.9 168 2.1 84 1.0 98 2.1 77 1.5 30 1.1
$60,001–$70,000 503 1.0 116 1.0 55 1.0 20 0.6 109 1.3 50 0.6 61 1.3 64 1.3 28 1.1
$70,001–$80,000 339 0.7 67 0.6 50 0.9 11 0.3 64 0.8 40 0.5 47 1.0 35 0.7 25 1.0
$80,001–$90,000 440 0.9 113 1.0 36 0.6 20 0.6 75 0.9 59 0.7 73 1.6 38 0.8 26 1.0
$90,001 or more 681 1.4 140 1.2 56 1.0 17 0.5 181 2.2 40 0.5 139 3.0 63 1.3 45 1.7
Total 50,129 100.0 11,717 100.0 5,785 100.0 3,614 100.0 8,128 100.0 8,618 100.0 4,668 100.0 4,978 100.0 2,621 100.0
a Includes agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; and health sciences.
b Non-science and engineering fields not shown separately.
NOTES: Mean calculations are based on all valid responses to debt item. See technical notes for details on calculations of means.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2016.