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Table 51. Definite postgraduation commitments of doctorate recipients, by citizenship status and major field of study: 2016

Citizenship status and major field of study All recipients Recipients with definite commitments Location of definite commitments
United States Abroad Unknown
Total Postdoctoral study Academic employment Industry employmenta Otherb
All doctorate recipientsc 54,904 29,300 26,514 10,209 7,268 5,639 3,398 2,740 46
Life sciences 12,568 6,660 6,148 3,847 882 865 554 503 9
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 1,385 710 591 264 119 130 78 D D
Biological and biomedical sciences 8,884 4,716 4,414 3,193 374 577 270 D D
Health sciences 2,299 1,234 1,143 390 389 158 206 D D
Physical sciences and earth sciences 6,252 3,466 3,088 1,824 253 831 180 D D
Chemistry 2,704 1,436 1,324 757 108 418 41 112 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 1,227 738 646 414 74 92 66 92 0
Physics and astronomy 2,321 1,292 1,118 653 71 321 73 D D
Mathematics and computer sciences 3,957 2,330 2,089 610 437 916 126 237 4
Computer and information sciences 2,085 1,212 1,112 220 201 616 75 97 3
Mathematics and statistics 1,872 1,118 977 390 236 300 51 140 1
Psychology and social sciences 9,078 5,175 4,586 1,740 1,543 544 759 579 10
Psychology 3,946 2,297 2,210 1,232 411 247 320 84 3
Anthropology 460 197 162 72 58 10 22 34 1
Economics 1,238 857 623 87 258 147 131 232 2
Political science and government 745 431 374 94 193 25 62 57 0
Sociology 615 362 326 82 186 14 44 36 0
Other social sciences 2,074 1,031 891 173 437 101 180 136 4
Engineering 9,469 4,846 4,396 1,469 412 2,133 382 433 17
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 369 215 198 68 24 59 47 17 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 1,089 538 511 287 36 167 21 26 1
Chemical engineering 923 485 440 161 14 248 17 44 1
Civil engineering 565 278 245 91 40 85 29 31 2
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,827 929 860 186 56 537 81 66 3
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 256 135 110 20 25 55 10 24 1
Materials science engineering 985 474 436 184 23 202 27 34 4
Mechanical engineering 1,299 662 606 199 60 291 56 54 2
Other engineering 2,156 1,130 990 273 134 489 94 137 3
Education 5,153 2,787 2,634 201 1,415 116 902 D D
Education administration 829 461 450 11 183 14 242 11 0
Education research 2,386 1,303 1,228 127 672 74 355 D D
Teacher education 181 D D D 48 D 32 D 0
Teaching fields 1,167 649 596 41 366 16 173 53 0
Other education 590 D D D 146 D 100 D 0
Humanities and arts 5,484 2,386 2,124 408 1,311 88 317 260 2
Foreign languages and literature 599 263 235 37 173 D D 28 0
History 1,147 492 441 124 222 19 76 50 1
Letters 1,533 699 648 102 463 D D 51 0
Other humanities and arts 2,205 932 800 145 453 44 158 131 1
Otherd 2,943 1,650 1,449 110 1,015 146 178 199 2
Business management and administration 1,510 923 789 24 613 90 62 132 2
Communication 673 346 317 40 222 24 31 29 0
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 760 381 343 46 180 32 85 38 0
Unknown field 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
U.S. citizen or permanent resident 35,719 20,443 19,634 7,062 6,093 3,327 3,152 792 17
Life sciences 8,697 4,903 4,739 2,799 769 651 520 160 4
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 773 452 435 167 98 96 74 17 0
Biological and biomedical sciences 6,225 3,476 3,345 2,340 318 437 250 127 4
Health sciences 1,699 975 959 292 353 118 196 16 0
Physical sciences and earth sciences 3,666 2,210 2,055 1,134 197 556 168 D D
Chemistry 1,579 920 876 451 80 307 38 44 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 802 506 471 285 61 63 62 35 0
Physics and astronomy 1,285 784 708 398 56 186 68 D D
Mathematics and computer sciences 1,730 1,082 1,016 282 291 344 99 66 0
Computer and information sciences 783 496 479 79 125 222 53 17 0
Mathematics and statistics 947 586 537 203 166 122 46 49 0
Psychology and social sciences 6,830 4,169 4,013 1,566 1,307 438 702 152 4
Psychology 3,371 2,123 2,086 1,155 379 239 313 35 2
Anthropology 360 163 145 62 52 10 21 18 0
Economics 521 402 380 D 161 D 94 22 0
Political science and government 579 355 332 D 169 D 59 23 0
Sociology 508 313 304 D 174 D 44 9 0
Other social sciences 1,491 813 766 142 372 81 171 45 2
Engineering 4,181 2,374 2,285 681 254 1,029 321 85 4
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 233 146 D D D 41 45 D 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 746 386 371 194 29 131 17 15 0
Chemical engineering 470 277 263 D D 155 16 14 0
Civil engineering 219 130 125 33 29 39 24 D D
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 547 330 321 49 30 178 64 9 0
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 82 45 D D 7 21 7 D 0
Materials science engineering 456 238 231 77 14 116 24 7 0
Mechanical engineering 585 340 329 84 37 162 46 D D
Other engineering 843 482 462 120 78 186 78 D D
Education 4,303 2,521 2,495 170 1,338 108 879 D D
Education administration 730 450 D 11 183 14 D D 0
Education research 1,981 1,168 1,154 D 634 D 343 D D
Teacher education 159 85 85 D D D 32 0 0
Teaching fields 949 561 554 32 339 D D 7 0
Other education 484 257 D 15 D D 96 D 0
Humanities and arts 4,447 2,056 1,940 348 1,203 D D 114 2
Foreign languages and literature 399 191 181 32 126 D D 10 0
History 949 423 407 102 213 19 73 15 1
Letters 1,314 640 622 D 441 D 60 18 0
Other humanities and arts 1,785 802 730 D 423 D 151 71 1
Otherd 1,865 1,128 1,091 82 734 D D 36 1
Business management and administration 845 558 537 16 407 63 51 20 1
Communication 472 266 261 32 178 D D 5 0
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 548 304 293 34 149 D D 11 0
Unknown field 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Temporary visa holder 16,498 8,766 6,805 3,121 1,160 2,289 235 1,938 23
Life sciences 3,362 1,742 1,396 1,040 111 212 33 342 4
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 564 253 152 96 19 34 3 D D
Biological and biomedical sciences 2,311 1,232 1,062 847 56 139 20 D D
Health sciences 487 257 182 97 36 39 10 D D
Physical sciences and earth sciences 2,313 1,242 1,021 684 56 269 12 221 0
Chemistry 1,000 511 444 304 28 109 3 67 0
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 390 230 173 127 13 29 4 57 0
Physics and astronomy 923 501 404 253 15 131 5 97 0
Mathematics and computer sciences 2,054 1,239 1,066 326 146 567 27 171 2
Computer and information sciences 1,204 711 629 139 76 392 22 80 2
Mathematics and statistics 850 528 437 187 70 175 5 91 0
Psychology and social sciences 1,756 990 560 169 235 103 53 426 4
Psychology 306 167 118 73 32 8 5 49 0
Anthropology 76 32 16 9 6 0 1 16 0
Economics 658 450 238 D 96 D 36 210 2
Political science and government 128 75 42 D 24 D 3 33 0
Sociology 89 49 22 D 12 D 0 27 0
Other social sciences 499 217 124 31 65 20 8 91 2
Engineering 4,848 2,452 2,093 785 156 1,097 55 347 12
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 119 69 D D D 18 2 D 0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 300 150 139 93 7 36 3 11 0
Chemical engineering 403 207 176 D D 92 1 30 1
Civil engineering 308 145 117 57 11 44 5 D D
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,164 597 537 137 26 358 16 57 3
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 164 89 D D 18 34 3 D 1
Materials science engineering 496 235 204 107 9 85 3 27 4
Mechanical engineering 652 319 274 115 22 129 8 D D
Other engineering 1,242 641 522 152 55 301 14 D D
Education 563 262 136 30 75 8 23 126 0
Education administration 32 11 D 0 0 0 D D 0
Education research 280 132 72 D 37 D 12 60 0
Teacher education 13 D D 0 D 0 0 D 0
Teaching fields 181 88 42 9 27 D D 46 0
Other education 57 D 18 D D D 4 8 0
Humanities and arts 712 320 177 59 102 D D 143 0
Foreign languages and literature 164 70 52 5 45 0 2 18 0
History 142 67 33 21 9 0 3 34 0
Letters 126 57 24 D 20 0 D 33 0
Other humanities and arts 280 126 68 D 28 D 7 58 0
Otherd 890 519 356 28 279 D D 162 1
Business management and administration 553 363 251 8 205 27 11 111 1
Communication 160 80 56 8 44 D D 24 0
Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified 177 76 49 12 30 D D 27 0
Unknown field 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
S&E = science and engineering.
a Includes doctorate recipients who indicated self-employment.
b Includes doctorate recipients who indicated government, nonprofit, elementary or secondary school, or other employment and those with unknown employment.
c Includes respondents who did not report citizenship status.
d Non-science and engineering fields.
NOTES: See table A-6 in the technical notes for a listing of major fields and their constituent subfields. Definite postgraduate commitment includes doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation commitments for employment or postdoctoral study.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2016.