Field trends
Non-science and engineering
Within non-S&E fields, the number of doctorates awarded in education has declined over the past 2 decades, leading to a large, steady drop in the relative share of doctorates in that field from 16% in 1996 to 9% in 2016. Despite an increase in the number of humanities and arts doctorates, the relative share of doctorates awarded in this field fell 2 percentage points from 1996 to 2016. The share of doctorates in other non-S&E fields, such as business management, has remained fairly stable over the past 2 decades.
Doctorates awarded in non-science and engineering fields of study: 1996–2016
| Year | Education | Humanities and arts | Other non-S&E fields |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 16.0 | 11.7 | 5.3 |
| 1997 | 15.5 | 12.4 | 5.2 |
| 1998 | 15.4 | 12.6 | 5.0 |
| 1999 | 15.9 | 12.8 | 5.2 |
| 2000 | 15.6 | 13.2 | 5.0 |
| 2001 | 15.6 | 13.3 | 5.1 |
| 2002 | 16.3 | 13.2 | 5.3 |
| 2003 | 16.3 | 12.9 | 5.2 |
| 2004 | 15.8 | 12.5 | 5.8 |
| 2005 | 14.4 | 12.0 | 5.5 |
| 2006 | 13.4 | 11.7 | 5.7 |
| 2007 | 13.4 | 10.6 | 5.9 |
| 2008 | 13.5 | 9.7 | 5.7 |
| 2009 | 13.2 | 9.9 | 5.7 |
| 2010 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 9.5 | 10.7 | 5.5 |
| 2012 | 9.4 | 10.9 | 5.4 |
| 2013 | 9.4 | 10.8 | 5.7 |
| 2014 | 8.9 | 10.2 | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 9.3 | 10.2 | 5.5 |
| 2016 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 5.4 |
- S&E = science and engineering.
- SOURCE: Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities 2016. Related detailed data: tables 4, 8, 12, 13.
