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Table 3. Graduate students in engineering in all institutions, by engineering field: 1975–2016

Year Total Aerospace engineering Agricultural engineering Architecturea Biomedical engineering Chemical engineering Civil engineeringa Electrical engineering Engineering science, mechanics, and physics Industrial and manufacturing engineering Mechanical engineering Metallurgical and materials engineering Mining engineering Nuclear engineering Petroleum engineering Engineering nec
1975 68,332 1,670 631 na 883 5,095 12,560 16,320 1,746 11,663 8,601 2,376 412 1,636 302 4,437
1976 66,723 1,477 690 na 895 5,271 11,995 15,926 1,759 10,687 8,313 2,398 515 1,600 376 4,821
1977 68,757 1,518 754 na 855 5,273 12,335 17,406 1,737 10,438 8,722 2,585 452 1,491 379 4,812
1978b 67,787 1,463 788 na 920 5,431 12,358 17,127 1,844 9,494 8,638 2,592 416 1,404 428 4,884
1979 71,808 1,481 787 na 1,004 5,685 12,822 17,715 1,681 10,729 9,251 2,778 389 1,318 424 5,744
1980 74,335 1,737 789 na 964 6,038 13,097 19,132 1,796 9,698 9,888 2,934 413 1,241 503 6,105
1981 79,585 1,883 842 na 1,017 6,526 14,089 20,113 1,965 9,737 10,618 3,152 462 1,283 521 7,377
1982 83,720 1,941 911 na 1,085 7,222 14,122 21,927 2,130 9,577 11,467 3,154 449 1,301 586 7,848
1983 91,146 2,305 1,001 na 1,220 7,590 14,910 25,295 2,261 9,247 12,911 3,477 524 1,203 737 8,465
1984 92,739 2,340 989 na 1,315 7,400 15,192 26,388 2,153 9,282 13,855 3,673 502 1,234 744 7,672
1985 96,018 2,538 983 na 1,335 7,177 14,902 28,203 2,098 10,525 14,157 3,959 489 1,220 782 7,650
1986 101,905 2,804 1,118 na 1,487 7,043 14,976 29,969 2,362 11,569 15,713 4,236 512 1,265 747 8,104
1987 103,983 3,015 1,126 na 1,628 7,141 14,682 31,399 2,343 12,353 16,366 4,397 513 1,279 818 6,923
1988 102,854 3,223 1,096 na 1,708 6,643 14,811 32,035 2,386 11,575 16,151 4,381 489 1,303 742 6,311
1989 104,065 3,524 1,092 na 1,867 6,482 14,909 33,257 2,077 11,333 16,265 4,635 418 1,323 665 6,218
1990 107,658 3,934 985 na 2,097 6,768 15,542 33,722 2,020 11,555 16,879 4,983 437 1,278 670 6,788
1991 113,535 4,120 1,023 na 2,199 7,157 17,398 35,111 2,154 12,996 17,730 5,203 489 1,282 705 5,968
1992 118,039 4,036 1,053 na 2,492 7,433 19,572 36,428 2,218 13,826 18,637 5,550 437 1,286 737 4,334
1993 116,872 3,940 1,053 na 2,640 7,554 19,583 35,290 2,180 13,905 18,477 5,410 427 1,306 725 4,382
1994 113,024 3,715 1,095 na 2,716 7,639 19,925 33,067 2,089 13,992 17,761 5,228 424 1,246 624 3,503
1995 107,201 3,343 1,076 na 2,693 7,452 19,218 30,861 1,955 13,475 16,363 4,956 373 1,154 610 3,672
1996 103,224 3,208 1,055 na 2,689 7,408 18,528 29,941 1,751 12,675 15,509 4,747 371 980 562 3,800
1997 101,148 3,083 991 na 2,797 7,288 17,193 30,787 1,647 11,957 15,045 4,688 348 868 561 3,895
1998 100,038 3,137 975 na 2,855 7,093 16,517 31,384 1,701 11,221 14,696 4,680 304 821 571 4,083
1999 101,691 3,349 986 na 3,069 6,883 16,226 31,822 1,627 11,803 14,956 4,481 328 830 642 4,689
2000 104,112 3,407 943 na 3,197 7,056 16,451 33,611 1,632 12,119 15,235 4,377 287 792 627 4,378
2001 109,493 3,451 947 na 3,599 6,913 16,665 36,100 1,798 12,940 15,852 4,721 240 801 656 4,810
2002 119,668 3,685 952 na 4,338 7,414 17,713 39,948 2,121 14,033 17,139 4,992 267 795 766 5,505
2003 127,377 4,048 1,058 na 5,301 7,516 18,890 41,763 2,240 14,313 18,393 5,131 278 885 849 6,712
2004 123,566 4,089 1,041 na 5,807 7,452 18,561 38,995 2,198 13,852 17,852 5,059 308 971 845 6,536
2005 120,565 4,170 1,059 na 6,067 7,173 18,114 37,450 1,951 13,650 17,373 5,160 279 1,013 808 6,298
2006 123,041 4,482 1,073 na 6,482 7,261 17,802 38,265 2,046 13,829 17,919 5,268 244 1,099 813 6,458
2007olda 130,255 4,616 1,126 na 6,881 7,383 19,867 40,207 1,843 14,290 18,366 5,365 307 1,208 1,014 7,782
2007newa 131,676 4,616 1,126 4,601 6,904 7,584 16,071 40,588 1,806 14,474 18,347 5,314 222 1,180 1,014 7,829
2008 137,856 4,902 1,233 5,905 7,339 7,892 16,931 41,164 2,099 15,692 19,585 5,539 290 1,201 1,009 7,075
2009 144,677 5,266 1,303 6,804 7,904 8,188 18,638 41,218 2,168 15,825 21,243 5,863 312 1,243 1,190 7,512
2010 149,241 5,540 1,457 6,795 8,497 8,668 19,559 41,336 2,071 15,205 22,509 6,274 419 1,459 1,295 8,157
2011 146,501 5,691 1,656 3,111 9,175 8,828 19,596 41,580 2,101 14,494 21,883 6,649 500 1,499 1,301 8,437
2012 148,385 5,069 1,552 2,363 9,157 9,222 19,922 42,347 2,227 14,469 23,088 6,985 356 1,513 1,525 8,590
2013 153,049 5,181 1,642 2,176 9,198 9,698 20,110 45,562 2,142 14,363 24,087 7,144 357 1,459 1,609 8,321
2014oldc 162,013 5,116 1,717 1,812 9,510 9,853 20,660 50,051 2,151 14,659 25,508 7,473 396 1,467 2,056 9,584
2014newc 164,488 5,116 1,740 1,817 9,510 9,870 20,789 51,909 2,162 14,845 25,651 7,518 396 1,467 2,056 9,642
2015 169,354 5,345 1,630 1,565 9,761 10,008 20,978 52,940 1,708 16,284 27,314 7,741 407 1,449 2,021 10,203
2016 168,443 5,416 1,626 1,671 10,208 10,187 20,569 50,062 1,756 16,200 27,898 8,106 378 1,466 1,862 11,038
na = not applicable; data were not collected at this level of detail.
nec = not elsewhere classified.
a In 2007, eligible fields were reclassified, newly eligible fields were added, and the survey was redesigned to improve coverage and coding of eligible units. "2007new" presents data as collected in 2007; "2007old" shows data as they would have been collected in prior years. Architecture is reported as a separate field of engineering in 2007new; data were reported under Civil engineering in 2007old and previous years. See appendix A in https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10307/ for more detail.
b Master's-granting institutions were not surveyed in 1978; totals represent estimates based on 1977 and 1979 data.
c In 2014, the survey frame was updated following a comprehensive frame evaluation study. The study identified potentially eligible but not previously surveyed academic institutions in the United States with master's- or doctorate-granting programs in science, engineering, or health. A total of 151 newly eligible institutions were added, and two private for-profit institutions offering mostly practitioner-based graduate degrees were determined to be ineligible.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.