Temporary visa holders
In every broad field of study, the share of doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders increased over the past 20 years. In 2016, temporary visa holders earned the majority of doctorates awarded in engineering and in mathematics and computer sciences.
Doctorates awarded, by citizenship and broad feld of study: 1996 and 2016
| Field and year | U.S. citizens and permanent residents | Temporary visa holders |
|---|---|---|
| All fields | ||
| 1996 | 76.4 | 23.6 |
| 2016 | 68.4 | 31.6 |
| Life sciences | ||
| 1996 | 74.4 | 25.6 |
| 2016 | 72.1 | 27.9 |
| Physical sciences and earth sciences | ||
| 1996 | 69.9 | 30.1 |
| 2016 | 61.3 | 38.7 |
| Mathematics and computer sciences | ||
| 1996 | 58.4 | 41.6 |
| 2016 | 45.7 | 54.3 |
| Psychology and social sciences | ||
| 1996 | 83.7 | 16.3 |
| 2016 | 79.5 | 20.5 |
| Engineering | ||
| 1996 | 55.1 | 44.9 |
| 2016 | 46.3 | 53.7 |
| Education | ||
| 1996 | 92.6 | 7.4 |
| 2016 | 88.4 | 11.6 |
| Humanities and arts | ||
| 1996 | 88.2 | 11.8 |
| 2016 | 86.2 | 13.8 |
| Other non-S&E fields | ||
| 1996 | 75.7 | 24.3 |
| 2016 | 67.7 | 32.3 |
- S&E = science and engineering.
- NOTE: Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients for whom citizenship was reported.
- SOURCE: Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities 2016. Related detailed data: table 17.
