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Table 43. Postgraduation commitment of doctorate recipients, by sex, citizenship status, ethnicity, and race: Selected years, 1996–2016

Commitment status Totala Sex Citizenship status U.S. citizens and permanent residents
Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity not reported
Male Female U.S. citizen or permanent resident Temporary visa holder American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American White More than one race Other race or race not reported
All doctorate recipients (number)
1996 42,437 25,288 16,956 31,548 9,740 1,115 186 3,674 1,446 24,668 na 192 267
2001 40,744 22,780 17,887 28,894 9,812 1,266 142 2,134 1,640 22,179 301 355 877
2006 45,620 25,020 20,559 29,028 14,198 1,532 113 2,391 1,789 21,923 464 287 529
2011 48,911 26,189 22,700 31,726 14,235 1,989 127 2,832 1,899 23,279 722 248 630
2016 54,904 29,616 25,278 35,719 16,498 2,555 128 3,082 2,360 25,524 1,032 273 765
All responses to postgraduation commitment
1996 38,634 23,124 15,505 29,695 8,909 1,051 171 3,447 1,299 23,429 na 183 115
2001 37,127 20,817 16,309 27,780 9,303 1,210 135 2,078 1,569 21,722 296 334 436
2006 42,069 23,037 19,030 28,307 13,682 1,457 109 2,359 1,743 21,674 455 267 243
2011 44,704 23,966 20,737 30,803 13,660 1,880 117 2,767 1,849 22,887 718 222 363
2016 49,827 26,963 22,864 34,167 15,527 2,426 120 3,016 2,237 24,961 1,020 223 164
Definite commitment for employment or postdoctoral study (%)b
1996 67.5 67.6 67.4 69.3 61.5 70.9 69.6 61.9 67.9 70.4 na 65.0 71.3
2001 72.9 74.2 71.1 73.4 71.4 74.0 68.9 69.3 69.5 74.2 70.9 65.0 70.9
2006 71.6 72.8 70.1 73.5 67.5 71.7 67.9 68.5 68.8 74.7 72.1 69.7 72.4
2011 65.5 67.1 63.7 66.3 63.8 60.7 63.2 60.5 59.7 68.3 62.3 61.7 60.1
2016 61.8 62.7 60.6 63.2 58.6 59.0 61.7 57.5 53.5 65.1 63.3 63.2 59.1
No definite commitment for employment or postdoctoral study (%)b,c
1996 32.5 32.4 32.6 30.7 38.5 29.1 30.4 38.1 32.1 29.6 na 35.0 28.7
2001 27.1 25.8 28.9 26.6 28.6 26.0 31.1 30.7 30.5 25.8 29.1 35.0 29.1
2006 28.4 27.2 29.9 26.5 32.5 28.3 32.1 31.5 31.2 25.3 27.9 30.3 27.6
2011 34.5 32.9 36.3 33.7 36.2 39.3 36.8 39.5 40.3 31.7 37.7 38.3 39.9
2016 38.2 37.3 39.4 36.8 41.4 41.0 38.3 42.5 46.5 34.9 36.7 36.8 40.9
na = not applicable; respondents were instructed to indicate only one race.
a Includes respondents who did not report sex and respondents who did not report citizenship status.
b Percentages based on number responding to the survey item on postgraduation commitment.
c Includes respondents who indicated "other" in all years, respondents who indicated "do not plan to work or study" in 2004 and later years, and respondents who indicated definite plans for "other full-time degree program" in 2007 and later years.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates.