Doctorate Degrees Granted in U.S. Reach Record Levels

According to a recent article in the International Herald Tribune-the global edition of the New York Times, the number of doctorate degrees granted by American Universities has reached the highest level ever recorded: 49,562 students in the 2008-09 academic year; an increase of 1.6% over the 2007-08 year. The stats are provided by the National Science Foundation's Survey of Earned Doctorates. Some of the findings were as follows:

-In 2009, 67.5% (33,470) of doctorates went to students in science and engineering (S&E), 13,593 of whom were women- a 4.8% increase over 2008. The number of men earning these degrees declined slightly.

-The number of doctorates awarded in non-S&E fields increased from 2008-2009 for both men (1.2%) and women (0.8%).

-The number of doctorates earned by international students declined- by 3.3% in science and engineering; and 4.6% in other disciplines.

The full report can be found here.