Highlights from the National Research Council's
Summary of the National Opinion Research Center's Doctorate Recipients from United
States Universities: Summary Report 1998
Compiled by Amy Castner
During 1998, 387 universities in the United States conferred a
total of 42,683 doctorates, slightly more (0.3 percent) than in 1997. The number of
doctorates earned has increased for 13 consecutive years. U.S. citizens earned 27,352 of
the 1998 research doctorates.
- The largest number of doctorates awarded was in the broad field of life sciences, in
which 8,540 Ph.D.s were earned. The number of degrees conferred in the other broad areas
were 7,075 in social sciences; 6,739 in the physical sciences; 6,559 in education; 5,919
in engineering; 5,499 in humanities; and 2,352 in business and other professional areas.
The number of doctorates granted in the fields of humanities and engineering has increased
the most over the past decade (55 percent and 41 percent).
- Women received 17,856 doctorates, or 41.8 percent of all doctorates granted in 1998, the
highest percentage ever for women. Over the past 40 years, the rate of growth for female
doctorates has averaged 7.5 percent per year, compared with just under 3 percent annually
for male doctorates. The number of men earning doctorates in 1998 declined for the second
straight year. Among U.S. citizens, 47.7 percent of doctorates were earned by women. By
broad field the percentages of research doctorates earned by women in 1998 were 62.8
percent in education, 54.2 in the social sciences, 48.6 in the humanities, 45.4 percent in
the life sciences, 41.6 percent in business/professional, 23.7 percent in the physical
sciences, and 13.0 in engineering.
- U.S.-citizen racial/ethnic minority groups earned 14.7 percent of the doctorates earned
by U.S. citizens in 1998?the largest percentage ever. Among the U.S. citizens who
identified their race/ethnicity (96.9 percent), blacks earned 1,467 doctorates; Hispanics,
1,190; Asians (including Pacific Islanders), 1,168; and American Indians (including
Alaskan Natives), 189. Blacks were the predominant minority group receiving doctorates in
education, and Asian Americans predominated in engineering.
- U.S. citizens received 71.3 percent of all doctorates earned in 1998 by individuals with
known citizenship status (92.7 percent of all recipients). China was the country of origin
for the largest number of non-U.S. doctorate recipients with 2,571, followed by India with
1,259, Taiwan with 1,110, Korea with 710, and Canada with 448. By broad field, the
percentage of doctorates earned by U.S. citizens ranged from 47.0 percent in engineering
and 58.5 percent in physical sciences, to 82.9 percent in humanities and 90.3 percent in
education.
- Median time to receiving the doctorate since earning the baccalaureate was 10.4 years in
1998. Median time to degree since first enrollment in any graduate program was 7.3 years.
The typical Ph.D. recipient was just under 34 years of age at the time the degree was
conferred.
- Three in five (60.6 percent) of all doctorate recipients in 1998 reported fellowships or
teaching/research assistantships from programs or institutions as their primary source of
financial support for graduate education. Only half (49.1 percent) of all doctorate
recipients reported educational indebtedness (loans) at the time of graduation.
- The percentage of Ph.D.s reporting definite postgraduation commitments for employment or
study was 69.6 percent in 1998?about 70 percent of them will work and 30 percent will
continue as postdoctorates. Among U.S. citizens and those holding permanent visas with
firm employment plans, 50 percent were entering academe as their planned work sector.
About one-fourth indicated industry or self-employment; 8.2 percent said some level of
government; while the remaining 17.4 percent indicated "other."
This page last September 2000