Doctorates by Sex and Citizenship
Graph of the Week
This week’s graphs, courtesy of a report by the National Science Foundation, illustrate the number of doctorate degrees conferred in the United States by sex, citizenship status, and general area of study.
Doctorates awarded
The number of doctorate degrees awarded in the U.S. has steadily increased over time.
The increase in doctorate degrees awarded in the U.S. has been driven by the science and engineering fields.
Sex of doctorate degree earners
Since 2002, the number of both male and female doctorate degree earners has steadily increased.
Men have been a greater proportion of doctorate degree earners in science and engineering fields.
Women have been a greater proportion of doctorate degree earners in non-science and engineering fields.
Citizenship of doctorate degree earners
Female U.S. citizens and permanent residents earn more doctorate degrees than male U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Thus, the greater number of male than female doctorate degree earners in the U.S. (all fields and citizenship statuses combined) is due to the much larger number of male than female temporary visa holders, namely from China.
Source: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. 2023. Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2022. NSF 24-300. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation.
Bonus Commentary
An interesting aspect of these data is the large sex difference in doctorate degree earners in the U.S. who are international students. Significantly more male than female international students are earning doctorate degrees in the U.S. This sex difference then contributes to the large sex difference in observed in doctorate degree earners in science and engineering.
Related Content at The Nuzzo Letter
SUPPORT THE NUZZO LETTER
If you appreciated this content, please consider supporting The Nuzzo Letter with a one-time or recurring donation. Your support is greatly appreciated. It helps me to continue to work on independent research projects and fight for my evidence-based discourse. To donate, click the DonorBox logo. In two simple steps, you can donate using ApplePay, PayPal, or another service. Thank you!
