Table 44. Postgraduation plans of doctorate recipients with definite commitments, by broad field of study: Selected years, 1996–2016
| Definite commitment and plan |
All fields |
Life sciencesa |
Physical sciences and earth sciences |
Mathematics and computer sciences |
Psychology and social sciences |
Engineering |
Education |
Humanities and arts |
Otherb |
| All definite commitments (number) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1996 |
26,077 |
5,435 |
2,841 |
1,240 |
4,235 |
3,655 |
4,484 |
2,711 |
1,476 |
| 2001 |
27,052 |
5,630 |
2,873 |
1,259 |
4,702 |
3,643 |
4,215 |
3,283 |
1,447 |
| 2006 |
30,106 |
6,474 |
3,152 |
1,929 |
4,902 |
4,353 |
4,226 |
3,273 |
1,797 |
| 2011 |
29,295 |
6,684 |
3,379 |
2,095 |
5,077 |
4,693 |
2,893 |
2,754 |
1,720 |
| 2016 |
30,771 |
6,944 |
3,566 |
2,419 |
5,464 |
5,018 |
2,990 |
2,576 |
1,794 |
| Reported type of plan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1996 |
26,031 |
5,427 |
2,837 |
1,238 |
4,226 |
3,649 |
4,477 |
2,705 |
1,472 |
| 2001 |
26,906 |
5,612 |
2,866 |
1,255 |
4,677 |
3,629 |
4,183 |
3,246 |
1,438 |
| 2006 |
29,501 |
6,334 |
3,118 |
1,902 |
4,809 |
4,292 |
4,107 |
3,183 |
1,756 |
| 2011 |
27,744 |
6,367 |
3,272 |
2,007 |
4,796 |
4,441 |
2,721 |
2,554 |
1,586 |
| 2016 |
29,300 |
6,660 |
3,466 |
2,330 |
5,175 |
4,846 |
2,787 |
2,386 |
1,650 |
| Employment (%)c |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1996 |
70.5 |
35.2 |
39.8 |
73.7 |
78.1 |
77.6 |
97.2 |
92.8 |
96.4 |
| 2001 |
71.0 |
39.1 |
47.6 |
73.0 |
73.9 |
81.1 |
94.1 |
90.4 |
94.1 |
| 2006 |
66.1 |
35.5 |
35.7 |
68.5 |
71.1 |
70.4 |
95.1 |
89.4 |
94.1 |
| 2011 |
57.3 |
30.7 |
30.9 |
58.9 |
63.1 |
59.0 |
92.1 |
83.2 |
92.1 |
| 2016 |
61.2 |
38.3 |
38.9 |
68.1 |
63.1 |
66.6 |
92.1 |
78.4 |
92.1 |
| Postdoctoral study (%)c |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1996 |
29.5 |
64.8 |
60.2 |
26.3 |
21.9 |
22.4 |
2.8 |
7.2 |
3.6 |
| 2001 |
29.0 |
60.9 |
52.4 |
27.0 |
26.1 |
18.9 |
5.9 |
9.6 |
5.9 |
| 2006 |
33.9 |
64.5 |
64.3 |
31.5 |
28.9 |
29.6 |
4.9 |
10.6 |
5.9 |
| 2011 |
42.7 |
69.3 |
69.1 |
41.1 |
36.9 |
41.0 |
7.9 |
16.8 |
7.9 |
| 2016 |
38.8 |
61.7 |
61.1 |
31.9 |
36.9 |
33.4 |
7.9 |
21.6 |
7.9 |