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Table 40. Education-related debt of doctorate recipients, by sex, citizenship status, ethnicity, and race: 2016

Debt level Sex Citizenship status U.S. citizens and permanent residents
Male Female U.S. citizen or permanent resident Temporary visa holder Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity not reported
American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American White More than one race Other race or race not reported
Cumulative debt
Mean $20,611 $27,646 $30,803 $8,552 $39,381 $42,875 $14,600 $65,255 $28,664 $34,128 $27,411 $30,203
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 15,341 56.5 11,627 50.5 15,169 44.3 11,620 74.3 806 33.2 42 35.0 1,943 64.3 450 20.0 11,311 45.3 408 40.0 112 50.0 97 49.2
$10,000 or less 2,531 9.3 1,878 8.2 2,845 8.3 1,541 9.9 231 9.5 16 13.3 255 8.4 139 6.2 2,083 8.3 92 9.0 19 8.5 10 5.1
$10,001–$20,000 1,842 6.8 1,525 6.6 2,707 7.9 644 4.1 222 9.1 10 8.3 215 7.1 128 5.7 2,016 8.1 88 8.6 15 6.7 13 6.6
$20,001–$30,000 1,496 5.5 1,335 5.8 2,340 6.8 481 3.1 180 7.4 D D 141 4.7 131 5.8 1,794 7.2 64 6.3 D D 13 6.6
$30,001–$40,000 964 3.5 884 3.8 1,614 4.7 222 1.4 126 5.2 5 4.2 82 2.7 101 4.5 1,234 4.9 47 4.6 7 3.1 12 6.1
$40,001–$50,000 763 2.8 807 3.5 1,323 3.9 240 1.5 116 4.8 D D 81 2.7 98 4.3 976 3.9 40 3.9 D D 3 1.5
$50,001–$60,000 586 2.2 575 2.5 1,011 3.0 145 0.9 87 3.6 D D 47 1.6 95 4.2 723 2.9 40 3.9 D D 9 4.6
$60,001–$70,000 539 2.0 550 2.4 978 2.9 104 0.7 84 3.5 D D 52 1.7 82 3.6 722 2.9 27 2.6 D D 4 2.0
$70,001–$80,000 445 1.6 484 2.1 814 2.4 113 0.7 64 2.6 D D 30 1.0 95 4.2 585 2.3 26 2.5 D D 3 1.5
$80,001–$90,000 578 2.1 622 2.7 1,064 3.1 126 0.8 88 3.6 6 5.0 45 1.5 131 5.8 751 3.0 30 2.9 5 2.2 8 4.1
$90,001 or more 2,086 7.7 2,744 11.9 4,401 12.8 395 2.5 426 17.5 29 24.2 133 4.4 804 35.7 2,801 11.2 159 15.6 24 10.7 25 12.7
Total 27,171 100.0 23,031 100.0 34,266 100.0 15,631 100.0 2,430 100.0 120 100.0 3,024 100.0 2,254 100.0 24,996 100.0 1,021 100.0 224 100.0 197 100.0
Graduate debt
Mean $12,601 $18,103 19,339 $5,834 $24,486 $29,286 $8,995 $42,501 $17,869 $22,141 $17,545 $18,866
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 18,178 67.5 13,809 60.5 19,700 57.9 12,091 78.3 1,122 46.5 56 47.1 2,244 74.8 651 29.2 14,814 59.6 550 54.0 141 63.5 122 62.9
$10,000 or less 2,320 8.6 1,755 7.7 2,694 7.9 1,363 8.8 246 10.2 14 11.8 191 6.4 147 6.6 1,982 8.0 91 8.9 12 5.4 11 5.7
$10,001–$20,000 1,276 4.7 1,155 5.1 1,856 5.5 565 3.7 174 7.2 6 5.0 139 4.6 129 5.8 1,335 5.4 55 5.4 12 5.4 6 3.1
$20,001–$30,000 993 3.7 956 4.2 1,544 4.5 395 2.6 129 5.4 D D 93 3.1 127 5.7 1,134 4.6 D D 11 5.0 6 3.1
$30,001–$40,000 682 2.5 714 3.1 1,183 3.5 201 1.3 98 4.1 D D 64 2.1 102 4.6 864 3.5 D D 7 3.2 11 5.7
$40,001–$50,000 531 2.0 662 2.9 993 2.9 193 1.2 85 3.5 D D 49 1.6 117 5.3 705 2.8 D D 2 0.9 2 1.0
$50,001–$60,000 520 1.9 541 2.4 906 2.7 149 1.0 101 4.2 D D 38 1.3 100 4.5 623 2.5 D D 5 2.3 7 3.6
$60,001–$70,000 401 1.5 476 2.1 788 2.3 84 0.5 67 2.8 D D 36 1.2 100 4.5 551 2.2 D D 2 0.9 5 2.6
$70,001–$80,000 342 1.3 432 1.9 693 2.0 80 0.5 66 2.7 D D 26 0.9 92 4.1 471 1.9 D D 7 3.2 1 0.5
$80,001–$90,000 548 2.0 671 2.9 1,077 3.2 131 0.8 83 3.4 7 5.9 52 1.7 182 8.2 700 2.8 38 3.7 7 3.2 8 4.1
$90,001 or more 1,150 4.3 1,669 7.3 2,608 7.7 194 1.3 240 10.0 20 16.8 67 2.2 480 21.6 1,673 6.7 97 9.5 16 7.2 15 7.7
Total 26,941 100.0 22,840 100.0 34,042 100.0 15,446 100.0 2,411 100.0 119 100.0 2,999 100.0 2,227 100.0 24,852 100.0 1,018 100.0 222 100.0 194 100.0
Undergraduate debt
Mean $8,128 $9,709 $11,604 $2,793 $15,093 $13,833 $5,691 $23,325 $10,909 $12,052 $10,022 $11,624
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
No debt 19,381 71.4 15,615 67.9 21,174 61.9 13,607 87.2 1,285 52.9 68 56.7 2,315 76.7 949 42.2 15,679 62.8 590 57.8 153 68.3 135 68.5
$10,000 or less 1,869 6.9 1,660 7.2 2,719 7.9 794 5.1 246 10.1 10 8.3 195 6.5 201 8.9 1,938 7.8 104 10.2 18 8.0 7 3.6
$10,001–$20,000 1,778 6.6 1,674 7.3 3,026 8.8 412 2.6 235 9.7 11 9.2 195 6.5 191 8.5 2,261 9.1 103 10.1 17 7.6 13 6.6
$20,001–$30,000 1,440 5.3 1,328 5.8 2,444 7.1 309 2.0 217 8.9 11 9.2 123 4.1 209 9.3 1,787 7.2 78 7.6 9 4.0 10 5.1
$30,001–$40,000 843 3.1 777 3.4 1,462 4.3 148 0.9 116 4.8 5 4.2 58 1.9 159 7.1 1,069 4.3 40 3.9 5 2.2 10 5.1
$40,001–$50,000 528 1.9 545 2.4 945 2.8 122 0.8 87 3.6 D D 47 1.6 127 5.6 634 2.5 D D 6 2.7 7 3.6
$50,001–$60,000 384 1.4 343 1.5 644 1.9 78 0.5 51 2.1 D D 28 0.9 92 4.1 445 1.8 D D 2 0.9 4 2.0
$60,001–$70,000 232 0.9 271 1.2 473 1.4 27 0.2 51 2.1 D D 20 0.7 66 2.9 312 1.2 D D 3 1.3 2 1.0
$70,001–$80,000 167 0.6 172 0.7 312 0.9 24 0.2 36 1.5 D D 8 0.3 33 1.5 222 0.9 D D 5 2.2 2 1.0
$80,001–$90,000 218 0.8 222 1.0 393 1.1 42 0.3 29 1.2 D D 14 0.5 76 3.4 251 1.0 D D 2 0.9 2 1.0
$90,001 or more 295 1.1 386 1.7 636 1.9 38 0.2 76 3.1 D D 15 0.5 145 6.5 373 1.5 D D 4 1.8 5 2.5
Total 27,135 100.0 22,993 100.0 34,228 100.0 15,601 100.0 2,429 100.0 120 100.0 3,018 100.0 2,248 100.0 24,971 100.0 1,021 100.0 224 100.0 197 100.0
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
NOTES: Mean calculations are based on all valid responses to debt item. See technical notes for details on calculations of means.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2016.