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Table 42. Postgraduation commitment of doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: Selected years, 1996–2016

Commitment status All fields Life sciencesa Physical sciences and earth sciences Mathematics and computer sciences Psychology and social sciences Engineering Education Humanities and arts Otherb
All doctorate recipients (number)
1996 42,437 8,337 4,550 2,042 7,167 6,309 6,785 4,982 2,265
2001 40,744 8,369 4,024 1,840 7,151 5,512 6,356 5,430 2,062
2006 45,620 9,703 4,686 2,778 7,231 7,186 6,122 5,332 2,582
2011 48,911 11,535 5,271 3,273 8,221 8,032 4,670 5,226 2,683
2016 54,904 12,568 6,252 3,957 9,078 9,469 5,153 5,484 2,943
All responses to postgraduation commitment
1996 38,634 7,690 4,180 1,861 6,508 5,747 6,054 4,576 2,018
2001 37,127 7,719 3,727 1,673 6,487 5,026 5,670 4,982 1,843
2006 42,069 9,030 4,376 2,599 6,613 6,591 5,645 4,904 2,311
2011 44,704 10,674 4,898 3,000 7,353 7,322 4,246 4,806 2,405
2016 49,827 11,667 5,752 3,587 8,103 8,557 4,614 4,948 2,599
Definite commitment for employment or postdoctoral study (%)c
1996 67.5 70.7 68.0 66.6 65.1 63.6 74.1 59.2 73.1
2001 72.9 72.9 77.1 75.3 72.5 72.5 74.3 65.9 78.5
2006 71.6 71.7 72.0 74.2 74.1 66.0 74.9 66.7 77.8
2011 65.5 62.6 69.0 69.8 69.0 64.1 68.1 57.3 71.5
2016 61.8 59.5 62.0 67.4 67.4 58.6 64.8 52.1 69.0
No definite commitment for employment or postdoctoral study (%)c,d
1996 32.5 29.3 32.0 33.4 34.9 36.4 25.9 40.8 26.9
2001 27.1 27.1 22.9 24.7 27.5 27.5 25.7 34.1 21.5
2006 28.4 28.3 28.0 25.8 25.9 34.0 25.1 33.3 22.2
2011 34.5 37.4 31.0 30.2 31.0 35.9 31.9 42.7 28.5
2016 38.2 40.5 38.0 32.6 32.6 41.4 35.2 47.9 31.0
a Includes agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; and health sciences.
b Non-science and engineering fields not shown separately.
c Percentages based on number responding to the survey item on postgraduation commitment.
d Includes respondents who indicated "other" in all years, respondents who indicated "do not plan to work or study" in 2004 and later years, and respondents who indicated definite plans for "other full-time degree program" in 2007 and later years.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates.