Women
Growing subfields
The subfields of doctoral study showing the largest relative growth in numbers of female doctorate recipients over the past decade have been in bioengineering and biomedical engineering (125%) and in aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering (124%). Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences also saw strong growth in the number of female recipients, with an increase of 92% between 2006 and 2016, followed by teaching fields with an increase of 86%.
Fastest growing fields of study for female U.S. doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: 2006–16
| Field | Percent change 2006–16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Life sciences | ||
| Biological and biomedical sciences | 44.3 | |
| Agricultural sciences and natural resources | 39.3 | |
| Physical sciences and earth sciences | ||
| Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences | 91.7 | |
| Physics and astronomy | 62.7 | |
| Mathematics and computer sciences | ||
| Mathematics and statistics | 37.4 | |
| Computer and information sciences | 34.7 | |
| Psychology and social sciences | ||
| Other social sciences | 75.4 | |
| Economics | 34.8 | |
| Engineering | ||
| Bioengineering and biomedical engineering | 124.6 | |
| Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering | 124.0 | |
| Education | ||
| Teaching fields | 86.4 | |
| Other education | 71.3 | |
| Humanities and arts | ||
| History | 32.2 | |
| Letters | 11.2 | |
| Other non-S&E fields | ||
| Communication | 41.4 | |
| Business management and administration | 13.6 | |
- S&E = science and engineering.
- SOURCE: Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities 2016. Related detailed data: table 15.
