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Science and Engineering Doctorates

What are the postgraduation trends?

Job market

Non-science and engineering

The proportion of doctorate recipients with definite commitments for employment or postdoc study increased between 2014 and 2015 for doctorates in other non-S&E fields, but it changed little for doctorates in education and humanities and arts. The share of doctorate recipients with definite commitments remained at or near the 20-year low points in each of these three non-S&E fields (figure B).

Definite commitments at doctorate award of U.S. doctorate recipients, by non-science and engineering field of study: 1995–2015

Chart of Definite commitments at doctorate award of U.S. doctorate recipients, by non-science and engineering field of study: 1995–2015
(Percent)
Year All fields Education Humanities and arts Other non-S&E fields
1995 65.8 72.9 59.1 73.1
1996 67.5 74.1 59.2 73.1
1997 67.4 72.9 56.7 73.5
1998 69.7 73.7 58.6 77.1
1999 69.9 74.1 60.6 76.2
2000 71.2 75.2 61.7 78.1
2001 72.9 74.3 65.9 78.5
2002 72.5 75.1 64.9 78.3
2003 71.3 75.7 64.2 77.6
2004 70.0 74.6 63.6 76.6
2005 70.5 73.9 64.5 75.9
2006 71.6 74.9 66.7 77.8
2007 68.7 71.6 62.8 73.4
2008 69.2 73.7 64.6 77.1
2009 69.5 71.6 63.2 76.4
2010 68.1 70.7 60.1 73.8
2011 65.5 68.1 57.3 71.5
2012 65.9 69.3 58.5 73.7
2013 62.6 65.8 55.0 71.1
2014 61.4 64.5 54.6 68.9
2015 62.0 64.4 54.8 70.9
Table of Definite commitments at doctorate award of U.S. doctorate recipients, by non-science and engineering field of study: 1995–2015