Back to Data Tables
Excel icon Download to excel

Table A-3. Surveyed institutions, schools, organizational units, and graduate enrollment, by type of institution: 1972–2016

Year Institutions Schoolsa Organizational units Graduate enrollment
Total Master's Doctorate Total Full time Part time
All institutions
1972b 252 321 4,568 764 3,804 207,859 159,392 48,467
1973b 255 333 6,523 851 5,672 214,348 161,525 52,823
1974b 276 367 7,468 1,387 6,081 259,968 190,562 69,406
1975 584 682 9,003 2,829 6,174 328,510 219,648 108,862
1976 594 693 9,110 2,895 6,215 333,716 223,412 110,304
1977 601 704 9,392 3,081 6,311 345,374 226,738 118,636
1978 599 708 9,509 3,126 6,383 339,912 223,030 116,882
1979 629 745 9,686 3,204 6,482 357,578 231,760 125,818
1980 626 742 9,798 3,258 6,540 367,078 238,416 128,662
1981 622 736 9,728 3,257 6,471 375,130 242,049 133,081
1982 609 724 9,584 3,242 6,342 382,291 244,757 137,534
1983 609 723 9,467 3,214 6,253 390,432 252,017 138,415
1984 412 530 8,791 2,504 6,287 394,670 253,922 140,748
1985 412 525 8,911 2,551 6,360 404,021 257,287 146,734
1986 412 527 8,985 2,559 6,426 415,520 266,168 149,352
1987 416 533 9,104 2,565 6,539 421,497 271,056 150,441
1988 606 723 10,015 3,316 6,699 424,523 275,127 149,396
1989 609 726 10,187 3,379 6,808 434,478 282,648 151,830
1990 610 727 10,358 3,456 6,902 452,113 292,782 159,331
1991 609 726 10,598 3,525 7,073 471,212 307,010 164,202
1992 608 725 10,872 3,611 7,261 493,522 322,555 170,967
1993 606 723 11,103 3,662 7,441 504,304 329,644 174,660
1994 605 722 11,365 3,771 7,594 504,399 332,088 172,311
1995 603 720 11,566 3,849 7,717 499,640 329,283 170,357
1996 603 720 11,579 3,898 7,681 494,079 328,536 165,543
1997 601 722 11,589 4,006 7,583 487,208 327,289 159,919
1998 601 721 11,685 4,032 7,653 485,627 327,389 158,238
1999 599 719 11,827 4,028 7,799 493,256 334,423 158,833
2000 596 716 11,894 4,094 7,800 493,311 341,283 152,028
2001 601 720 11,962 4,113 7,849 509,607 354,522 155,085
2002 596 715 12,126 4,178 7,948 540,404 378,991 161,413
2003 593 712 12,261 4,202 8,059 567,121 397,420 169,701
2004 591 710 12,268 4,191 8,077 574,463 402,573 171,890
2005 588 702 12,297 4,135 8,162 582,226 406,620 175,606
2006 588 707 12,320 4,119 8,201 597,643 419,015 178,628
2007oldc 582 700 12,325 4,179 8,146 607,823 430,860 176,963
2007newc 582 700 12,629 4,368 8,261 619,499 437,365 182,134
2008 579 708 13,166 4,435 8,731 631,489 449,613 181,876
2009 575 703 13,285 4,376 8,909 631,645 456,115 175,530
2010 574 692 13,711 4,458 9,253 632,652 461,185 171,467
2011 565 686 13,785 4,330 9,455 626,820 457,292 169,528
2012 565 684 13,952 4,362 9,590 627,243 459,498 167,745
2013 564 680 14,019 4,352 9,667 633,010 468,953 164,057
2014oldd 557 671 14,369 4,412 9,957 650,738 484,880 165,858
2014newd 706 821 14,845 4,820 10,025 666,586 492,170 174,416
2015 711 824 15,202 4,947 10,255 685,397 506,262 179,135
2016e 714 828 15,853 5,115 10,738 684,825 508,773 176,052
Doctorate institutions
1972 252 321 4,568 764 3,804 207,859 159,392 48,467
1973 255 333 6,523 851 5,672 214,348 161,525 52,823
1974 276 367 7,468 1,387 6,081 259,968 190,562 69,406
1975 345 443 8,031 1,857 6,174 301,902 209,328 92,574
1976 355 454 8,131 1,916 6,215 305,824 213,033 92,791
1977 357 460 8,361 2,050 6,311 313,938 215,377 98,561
1978 345 454 8,381 1,998 6,383 308,107 211,508 96,599
1979 371 487 8,612 2,130 6,482 323,677 219,634 104,043
1980 370 486 8,714 2,174 6,540 333,164 225,877 107,287
1981 370 484 8,645 2,174 6,471 339,946 229,708 110,238
1982 369 484 8,504 2,162 6,342 346,668 232,980 113,688
1983 371 485 8,386 2,133 6,253 354,060 239,220 114,840
1984 346 464 8,320 2,033 6,287 353,673 239,400 114,273
1985 346 459 8,434 2,074 6,360 362,581 242,748 119,833
1986 346 461 8,509 2,083 6,426 373,545 251,562 121,983
1987 350 467 8,626 2,087 6,539 378,785 255,936 122,849
1988 377 494 8,949 2,250 6,699 386,300 262,351 123,949
1989 380 497 9,084 2,276 6,808 394,510 269,679 124,831
1990 379 496 9,234 2,332 6,902 409,419 278,637 130,782
1991 379 496 9,435 2,362 7,073 425,914 291,508 134,406
1992 379 496 9,678 2,417 7,261 445,704 305,979 139,725
1993 379 496 9,875 2,434 7,441 454,745 312,519 142,226
1994 378 495 10,093 2,499 7,594 455,332 313,976 141,356
1995 377 494 10,269 2,552 7,717 449,555 310,538 139,017
1996 378 495 10,289 2,608 7,681 444,319 309,418 134,901
1997 377 498 10,271 2,688 7,583 438,135 307,697 130,438
1998 377 497 10,366 2,713 7,653 435,826 307,040 128,786
1999 378 498 10,482 2,683 7,799 443,104 313,866 129,238
2000 377 497 10,526 2,726 7,800 443,542 319,923 123,619
2001 381 500 10,577 2,728 7,849 459,438 332,732 126,706
2002 376 495 10,726 2,778 7,948 487,645 355,611 132,034
2003 376 495 10,849 2,790 8,059 510,335 372,366 137,969
2004 376 495 10,858 2,781 8,077 518,641 377,984 140,657
2005 375 489 10,907 2,745 8,162 527,048 381,198 145,850
2006 376 495 10,946 2,745 8,201 542,073 393,138 148,935
2007oldc 375 493 10,976 2,830 8,146 551,832 403,722 148,110
2007newc 375 493 11,210 2,949 8,261 561,352 409,421 151,931
2008 376 505 11,773 3,042 8,731 574,241 422,287 151,954
2009 366 493 11,865 2,956 8,909 573,883 428,856 145,027
2010 364 481 12,276 3,023 9,253 575,785 433,252 142,533
2011 368 488 12,419 2,964 9,455 570,534 430,623 139,911
2012 367 485 12,567 2,977 9,590 571,578 433,177 138,401
2013 364 480 12,607 2,940 9,667 574,004 439,950 134,054
2014oldd 366 480 12,985 3,028 9,957 588,600 451,884 136,716
2014newd 406 521 13,140 3,115 10,025 588,952 452,801 136,151
2015 412 525 13,506 3,251 10,255 604,944 464,695 140,249
2016e 415 529 14,188 3,450 10,738 609,420 468,678 140,742
Master's institutions
1975f 239 239 972 972 na 26,608 10,320 16,288
1976 239 239 979 979 na 27,892 10,379 17,513
1977 244 244 1,031 1,031 na 31,436 11,361 20,075
1978g 254 254 1,128 1,128 na 31,805 11,522 20,283
1979 258 258 1,074 1,074 na 33,901 12,126 21,775
1980 256 256 1,084 1,084 na 33,914 12,539 21,375
1981 252 252 1,083 1,083 na 35,184 12,341 22,843
1982 240 240 1,080 1,080 na 35,623 11,777 23,846
1983 238 238 1,081 1,081 na 36,372 12,797 23,575
1984 66 66 471 471 na 40,997 14,522 26,475
1985 66 66 477 477 na 41,440 14,539 26,901
1986 66 66 476 476 na 41,975 14,606 27,369
1987 66 66 478 478 na 42,712 15,120 27,592
1988 229 229 1,066 1,066 na 38,223 12,776 25,447
1989 229 229 1,103 1,103 na 39,968 12,969 26,999
1990 231 231 1,124 1,124 na 42,694 14,145 28,549
1991 230 230 1,163 1,163 na 45,298 15,502 29,796
1992 229 229 1,194 1,194 na 47,818 16,576 31,242
1993 227 227 1,228 1,228 na 49,559 17,125 32,434
1994 227 227 1,272 1,272 na 49,067 18,112 30,955
1995 226 226 1,297 1,297 na 50,085 18,745 31,340
1996 225 225 1,290 1,290 na 49,760 19,118 30,642
1997 224 224 1,318 1,318 na 49,073 19,592 29,481
1998 224 224 1,319 1,319 na 49,801 20,349 29,452
1999 221 221 1,345 1,345 na 50,152 20,557 29,595
2000 219 219 1,368 1,368 na 49,769 21,360 28,409
2001 220 220 1,385 1,385 na 50,169 21,790 28,379
2002 220 220 1,400 1,400 na 52,759 23,380 29,379
2003 217 217 1,412 1,412 na 56,786 25,054 31,732
2004 215 215 1,410 1,410 na 55,822 24,589 31,233
2005 213 213 1,390 1,390 na 55,178 25,422 29,756
2006 212 212 1,374 1,374 na 55,570 25,877 29,693
2007oldc 207 207 1,349 1,349 na 55,991 27,138 28,853
2007newc 207 207 1,419 1,419 na 58,147 27,944 30,203
2008 203 203 1,393 1,393 na 57,248 27,326 29,922
2009 209 210 1,420 1,420 na 57,762 27,259 30,503
2010 210 211 1,435 1,435 na 56,867 27,933 28,934
2011 197 198 1,366 1,366 na 56,286 26,669 29,617
2012 198 199 1,385 1,385 na 55,665 26,321 29,344
2013 200 200 1,412 1,412 na 59,006 29,003 30,003
2014oldd 191 191 1,384 1,384 na 62,138 32,996 29,142
2014newd 300 300 1,705 1,705 na 77,634 39,369 38,265
2015 299 299 1,696 1,696 na 80,453 41,567 38,886
2016e 299 299 1,665 1,665 na 75,405 40,095 35,310
na = not applicable.
a Schools are administrative and degree-granting entities within academic institutions. Schools surveyed may exceed institutions surveyed because schools at some institutions report information to the survey separately. Examples of schools eligible for the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) include graduate schools, schools of architecture, schools of medicine, schools of nursing, schools of pharmacology, schools of public health, and schools of veterinary medicine.
b Data collected only from the doctorate-granting institutions.
c In 2007, GSS-eligible fields were reclassified, newly eligible fields were added, and survey was redesigned to improve coverage and coding of GSS-eligible units. "2007new" presents data as collected in 2007; "2007old" reflects data as they would have been collected under 2006 methodology. See appendix A, "Technical Notes," in https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10307/ for more detail.
d 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.
e The 2016 survey included a pilot data collection to assess the feasibility of several data collection changes, including the use of Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes for reporting data and file uploads for transmitting data. The number of units added and deleted by coordinators responding to the pilot survey was much greater than is typical. These increases are largely due to how data are organized in institutional information systems and the increased granularity of CIP codes relative to GSS codes, rather than a reflection of increased organizational complexity.
f The 1976 survey also collected 1975 data from master's-granting institutions.
g Master's-granting institutions were not surveyed in 1978; totals represent estimates based on 1977 and 1979 data.
NOTES: Data from 1972 to 1974 are not directly comparable with data from 1975 forward due to changes both in science and engineering fields and in types of institutions covered in the survey. In 2007, newly eligible science fields were added.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.