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Table 1-5a. Enrollment intensity of graduate students in science, engineering and health, by degree program: 1975–2017

Year All science, engineering, and health graduate students All science graduate students All engineering graduate students All health graduate students
Total Full time Part time Total Full time Part time Total Full time Part time Total Full time Part time
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1975 328,510 219,648 66.9 108,862 33.1 234,649 164,437 70.1 70,212 29.9 68,332 37,823 55.4 30,509 44.6 25,529 17,388 68.1 8,141 31.9
1976 333,716 223,412 66.9 110,304 33.1 238,675 167,867 70.3 70,808 29.7 66,723 36,948 55.4 29,775 44.6 28,318 18,597 65.7 9,721 34.3
1977 345,374 226,738 65.6 118,636 34.4 242,932 169,184 69.6 73,748 30.4 68,757 37,227 54.1 31,530 45.9 33,685 20,327 60.3 13,358 39.7
1978a 339,912 223,030 65.6 116,882 34.4 236,465 164,151 69.4 72,314 30.6 67,787 37,586 55.4 30,201 44.6 35,660 21,293 59.7 14,367 40.3
1979 357,578 231,760 64.8 125,818 35.2 247,235 168,959 68.3 78,276 31.7 71,808 40,041 55.8 31,767 44.2 38,535 22,760 59.1 15,775 40.9
1980 367,078 238,416 64.9 128,662 35.1 251,265 171,767 68.4 79,498 31.6 74,335 42,650 57.4 31,685 42.6 41,478 23,999 57.9 17,479 42.1
1981 375,130 242,049 64.5 133,081 35.5 252,404 172,200 68.2 80,204 31.8 79,585 45,752 57.5 33,833 42.5 43,141 24,097 55.9 19,044 44.1
1982 382,291 244,757 64.0 137,534 36.0 255,146 172,090 67.4 83,056 32.6 83,720 49,784 59.5 33,936 40.5 43,425 22,883 52.7 20,542 47.3
1983 390,432 252,017 64.5 138,415 35.5 255,820 175,472 68.6 80,348 31.4 91,146 53,932 59.2 37,214 40.8 43,466 22,613 52.0 20,853 48.0
1984 394,670 253,922 64.3 140,748 35.7 256,903 175,766 68.4 81,137 31.6 92,739 55,191 59.5 37,548 40.5 45,028 22,965 51.0 22,063 49.0
1985 404,021 257,287 63.7 146,734 36.3 261,973 178,020 68.0 83,953 32.0 96,018 55,918 58.2 40,100 41.8 46,030 23,349 50.7 22,681 49.3
1986 415,520 266,168 64.1 149,352 35.9 266,077 182,532 68.6 83,545 31.4 101,905 60,197 59.1 41,708 40.9 47,538 23,439 49.3 24,099 50.7
1987 421,497 271,056 64.3 150,441 35.7 269,256 185,143 68.8 84,113 31.2 103,983 61,962 59.6 42,021 40.4 48,258 23,951 49.6 24,307 50.4
1988 424,523 275,127 64.8 149,396 35.2 272,309 187,525 68.9 84,784 31.1 102,854 63,032 61.3 39,822 38.7 49,360 24,570 49.8 24,790 50.2
1989 434,478 282,648 65.1 151,830 34.9 278,577 192,424 69.1 86,153 30.9 104,065 64,396 61.9 39,669 38.1 51,836 25,828 49.8 26,008 50.2
1990 452,113 292,782 64.8 159,331 35.2 289,383 199,313 68.9 90,070 31.1 107,658 66,010 61.3 41,648 38.7 55,072 27,459 49.9 27,613 50.1
1991 471,212 307,010 65.2 164,202 34.8 299,057 206,036 68.9 93,021 31.1 113,535 71,034 62.6 42,501 37.4 58,620 29,940 51.1 28,680 48.9
1992 493,522 322,555 65.4 170,967 34.6 312,478 215,965 69.1 96,513 30.9 118,039 74,443 63.1 43,596 36.9 63,005 32,147 51.0 30,858 49.0
1993 504,304 329,644 65.4 174,660 34.6 318,851 220,097 69.0 98,754 31.0 116,872 73,808 63.2 43,064 36.8 68,581 35,739 52.1 32,842 47.9
1994 504,399 332,088 65.8 172,311 34.2 318,118 221,409 69.6 96,709 30.4 113,024 71,570 63.3 41,454 36.7 73,257 39,109 53.4 34,148 46.6
1995 499,640 329,283 65.9 170,357 34.1 315,265 219,389 69.6 95,876 30.4 107,201 67,782 63.2 39,419 36.8 77,174 42,112 54.6 35,062 45.4
1996 494,079 328,536 66.5 165,543 33.5 311,957 218,180 69.9 93,777 30.1 103,224 65,859 63.8 37,365 36.2 78,898 44,497 56.4 34,401 43.6
1997 487,208 327,289 67.2 159,919 32.8 306,482 214,981 70.1 91,501 29.9 101,148 65,688 64.9 35,460 35.1 79,578 46,620 58.6 32,958 41.4
1998 485,627 327,389 67.4 158,238 32.6 304,818 213,508 70.0 91,310 30.0 100,038 65,435 65.4 34,603 34.6 80,771 48,446 60.0 32,325 40.0
1999 493,256 334,423 67.8 158,833 32.2 309,491 215,870 69.8 93,621 30.2 101,691 68,023 66.9 33,668 33.1 82,074 50,530 61.6 31,544 38.4
2000 493,311 341,283 69.2 152,028 30.8 309,424 219,079 70.8 90,345 29.2 104,112 72,276 69.4 31,836 30.6 79,775 49,928 62.6 29,847 37.4
2001 509,607 354,522 69.6 155,085 30.4 319,736 226,573 70.9 93,163 29.1 109,493 77,448 70.7 32,045 29.3 80,378 50,501 62.8 29,877 37.2
2002 540,404 378,991 70.1 161,413 29.9 335,166 240,020 71.6 95,146 28.4 119,668 85,452 71.4 34,216 28.6 85,570 53,519 62.5 32,051 37.5
2003 567,121 397,420 70.1 169,701 29.9 347,268 248,812 71.6 98,456 28.4 127,377 90,216 70.8 37,161 29.2 92,476 58,392 63.1 34,084 36.9
2004 574,463 402,573 70.1 171,890 29.9 352,307 253,574 72.0 98,733 28.0 123,566 86,955 70.4 36,611 29.6 98,590 62,044 62.9 36,546 37.1
2005 582,226 406,620 69.8 175,606 30.2 357,710 257,283 71.9 100,427 28.1 120,565 84,459 70.1 36,106 29.9 103,951 64,878 62.4 39,073 37.6
2006 597,643 419,015 70.1 178,628 29.9 363,246 261,984 72.1 101,262 27.9 123,041 87,818 71.4 35,223 28.6 111,356 69,213 62.2 42,143 37.8
2007oldb 607,823 430,860 70.9 176,963 29.1 372,120 269,821 72.5 102,299 27.5 130,255 93,155 71.5 37,100 28.5 105,448 67,884 64.4 37,564 35.6
2007newb 619,499 437,365 70.6 182,134 29.4 384,523 277,229 72.1 107,294 27.9 131,676 94,313 71.6 37,363 28.4 103,300 65,823 63.7 37,477 36.3
2008 631,489 449,613 71.2 181,876 28.8 391,419 285,305 72.9 106,114 27.1 137,856 98,255 71.3 39,601 28.7 102,214 66,053 64.6 36,161 35.4
2009 631,645 456,115 72.2 175,530 27.8 401,008 293,561 73.2 107,447 26.8 144,677 104,937 72.5 39,740 27.5 85,960 57,617 67.0 28,343 33.0
2010 632,652 461,185 72.9 171,467 27.1 407,291 299,315 73.5 107,976 26.5 149,241 109,792 73.6 39,449 26.4 76,120 52,078 68.4 24,042 31.6
2011 626,820 457,292 73.0 169,528 27.0 414,440 303,015 73.1 111,425 26.9 146,501 108,153 73.8 38,348 26.2 65,879 46,124 70.0 19,755 30.0
2012 627,243 459,498 73.3 167,745 26.7 413,033 304,795 73.8 108,238 26.2 148,385 109,589 73.9 38,796 26.1 65,825 45,114 68.5 20,711 31.5
2013 633,010 468,953 74.1 164,057 25.9 417,251 309,756 74.2 107,495 25.8 153,049 114,752 75.0 38,297 25.0 62,710 44,445 70.9 18,265 29.1
2014oldc 650,738 484,880 74.5 165,858 25.5 425,148 317,881 74.8 107,267 25.2 162,013 122,642 75.7 39,371 24.3 63,577 44,357 69.8 19,220 30.2
2014newc 666,586 492,170 73.8 174,416 26.2 437,395 322,714 73.8 114,681 26.2 164,488 124,382 75.6 40,106 24.4 64,703 45,074 69.7 19,629 30.3
2015 685,397 506,262 73.9 179,135 26.1 448,654 331,293 73.8 117,361 26.2 169,354 128,112 75.6 41,242 24.4 67,389 46,857 69.5 20,532 30.5
2016 684,825 508,773 74.3 176,052 25.7 452,046 334,770 74.1 117,276 25.9 168,443 128,203 76.1 40,240 23.9 64,336 45,800 71.2 18,536 28.8
2017oldd 684,096 498,619 72.9 185,477 27.1 450,343 327,596 72.7 122,747 27.3 166,819 124,363 74.5 42,456 25.5 66,934 46,660 69.7 20,274 30.3
2017newd 649,112 480,788 74.1 168,324 25.9 415,568 310,809 74.8 104,759 25.2 165,581 123,107 74.3 42,474 25.7 67,963 46,872 69.0 21,091 31.0
Master's students
2017newd 378,587 245,010 64.7 133,577 35.3 229,169 145,689 63.6 83,480 36.4 96,756 63,532 65.7 33,224 34.3 52,662 35,789 68.0 16,873 32.0
Doctoral students
2017newd 270,525 235,778 87.2 34,747 12.8 186,399 165,120 88.6 21,279 11.4 68,825 59,575 86.6 9,250 13.4 15,301 11,083 72.4 4,218 27.6
a Master's-granting institutions were not surveyed in 1978; totals represent estimates based on 1977 and 1979 data.
b 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. See appendix A in https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10307/ for more detail.
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. For more information, see https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsf16314.
d As part of 2017 GSS redesign, the GSS taxonomy was changed to align with the NCSES Taxonomy of Disciplines (TOD), thus increasing comparability with other NCSES surveys. As a result, some eligible fields were reclassified and a small number of fields became fully or partially ineligible. Comparisons to prior years should use the 2017old estimates and should be limited to broad areas of study—detailed field comparisons are not recommended.
NOTES: Percentages may not add to total because of rounding. Master's and doctoral students were not reported separately until 2017.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.