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Table 1-7. Detailed primary source of federal support for full-time graduate students in science, engineering, and health: 1975–2017

Year Total DOD DOE HHS: NIH HHS: Other HHS NASA NSF USDA Other
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1975 47,055 5,061 10.8 NA NA 12,141 25.8 7,836 16.7 NA NA 8,790 18.7 NA NA 13,227 28.1
1976 49,036 4,772 9.7 NA NA 11,307 23.1 8,341 17.0 NA NA 8,953 18.3 NA NA 15,663 31.9
1977 50,809 4,971 9.8 NA NA 10,861 21.4 9,397 18.5 NA NA 9,018 17.7 NA NA 16,562 32.6
1978a 51,984 NA NA NA NA 10,825 20.8 10,060 19.4 NA NA 9,007 17.3 NA NA 22,092 42.5
1979 52,682 4,990 9.5 NA NA 11,648 22.1 10,482 19.9 NA NA 9,366 17.8 NA NA 16,196 30.7
1980 52,959 5,251 9.9 NA NA 11,499 21.7 7,522 14.2 NA NA 9,348 17.7 NA NA 19,339 36.5
1981 50,896 5,664 11.1 NA NA 11,179 22.0 6,429 12.6 NA NA 9,143 18.0 NA NA 18,481 36.3
1982 47,403 5,941 12.5 NA NA 10,814 22.8 4,975 10.5 NA NA 9,257 19.5 NA NA 16,416 34.6
1983 47,752 6,969 14.6 NA NA 10,810 22.6 4,179 8.8 NA NA 9,524 19.9 NA NA 16,270 34.1
1984 47,784 7,125 14.9 NA NA 10,983 23.0 4,124 8.6 NA NA 9,848 20.6 NA NA 15,704 32.9
1985 49,051 7,326 14.9 NA NA 11,112 22.7 4,740 9.7 NA NA 10,180 20.8 2,171 4.4 13,522 27.6
1986 51,361 7,940 15.5 NA NA 11,877 23.1 4,500 8.8 NA NA 10,826 21.1 2,328 4.5 13,890 27.0
1987 53,538 8,795 16.4 NA NA 12,944 24.2 4,247 7.9 NA NA 11,247 21.0 2,684 5.0 13,621 25.4
1988 55,489 9,546 17.2 NA NA 13,715 24.7 4,186 7.5 NA NA 11,634 21.0 2,591 4.7 13,817 24.9
1989 57,433 9,140 15.9 NA NA 14,357 25.0 4,335 7.5 NA NA 11,900 20.7 2,728 4.7 14,973 26.1
1990 59,258 8,868 15.0 NA NA 14,996 25.3 4,512 7.6 NA NA 12,025 20.3 2,722 4.6 16,135 27.2
1991 63,000 9,128 14.5 NA NA 16,018 25.4 4,461 7.1 NA NA 12,666 20.1 3,075 4.9 17,652 28.0
1992 65,607 9,247 14.1 NA NA 17,091 26.1 4,321 6.6 NA NA 13,366 20.4 3,216 4.9 18,366 28.0
1993 67,673 9,750 14.4 NA NA 18,135 26.8 3,888 5.7 NA NA 13,530 20.0 3,324 4.9 19,046 28.1
1994 68,550 9,449 13.8 NA NA 18,292 26.7 4,374 6.4 NA NA 13,990 20.4 3,422 5.0 19,023 27.8
1995 67,294 9,339 13.9 NA NA 18,109 26.9 4,666 6.9 NA NA 13,661 20.3 3,254 4.8 18,265 27.1
1996 65,240 8,802 13.5 NA NA 17,929 27.5 4,432 6.8 2,309 3.5 13,412 20.6 3,004 4.6 15,352 23.5
1997 64,522 9,021 14.0 NA NA 18,087 28.0 4,443 6.9 2,586 4.0 13,362 20.7 2,646 4.1 14,377 22.3
1998 63,759 8,259 13.0 NA NA 18,215 28.6 4,489 7.0 2,646 4.2 13,459 21.1 2,485 3.9 14,206 22.3
1999 65,796 8,026 12.2 2,749 4.2 19,019 28.9 4,423 6.7 2,579 3.9 13,835 21.0 2,634 4.0 12,531 19.0
2000 67,588 8,141 12.0 2,995 4.4 19,472 28.8 4,018 5.9 2,780 4.1 14,599 21.6 2,630 3.9 12,953 19.2
2001 68,843 7,960 11.6 3,116 4.5 19,904 28.9 4,433 6.4 2,819 4.1 15,429 22.4 2,735 4.0 12,447 18.1
2002 75,538 7,977 10.6 3,548 4.7 22,129 29.3 4,830 6.4 3,082 4.1 17,135 22.7 3,100 4.1 13,737 18.2
2003 81,761 9,204 11.3 4,024 4.9 24,309 29.7 4,922 6.0 3,230 4.0 19,308 23.6 3,468 4.2 13,296 16.3
2004 83,816 9,007 10.7 4,135 4.9 26,689 31.8 4,211 5.0 2,916 3.5 19,975 23.8 3,563 4.3 13,320 15.9
2005 83,723 8,993 10.7 4,392 5.2 26,868 32.1 3,912 4.7 2,691 3.2 20,387 24.4 3,351 4.0 13,129 15.7
2006 83,962 8,867 10.6 4,480 5.3 27,587 32.9 3,662 4.4 2,364 2.8 20,339 24.2 3,000 3.6 13,663 16.3
2007oldb 81,542 8,874 10.9 4,281 5.3 26,982 33.1 3,067 3.8 2,314 2.8 19,747 24.2 2,796 3.4 13,481 16.5
2007newb 81,859 8,885 10.9 4,284 5.2 27,015 33.0 3,086 3.8 2,317 2.8 19,792 24.2 2,810 3.4 13,670 16.7
2008 78,464 8,219 10.5 4,341 5.5 26,003 33.1 2,496 3.2 2,344 3.0 19,882 25.3 2,770 3.5 12,409 15.8
2009 81,565 8,683 10.6 4,608 5.6 26,506 32.5 2,200 2.7 2,426 3.0 21,682 26.6 2,706 3.3 12,754 15.6
2010 86,310 9,233 10.7 5,512 6.4 27,615 32.0 2,255 2.6 2,472 2.9 23,226 26.9 3,061 3.5 12,936 15.0
2011 85,220 9,107 10.7 5,738 6.7 25,670 30.1 2,201 2.6 2,394 2.8 24,226 28.4 2,862 3.4 13,022 15.3
2012 80,962 8,748 10.8 5,343 6.6 24,256 30.0 1,921 2.4 2,173 2.7 24,243 29.9 2,664 3.3 11,614 14.3
2013 76,840 8,304 10.8 4,803 6.3 22,372 29.1 1,642 2.1 2,006 2.6 23,307 30.3 2,577 3.4 11,829 15.4
2014oldc 72,507 7,445 10.3 4,398 6.1 21,153 29.2 1,365 1.9 2,005 2.8 22,791 31.4 2,400 3.3 10,950 15.1
2014newc 72,756 7,454 10.2 4,401 6.0 21,191 29.1 1,382 1.9 2,013 2.8 22,899 31.5 2,420 3.3 10,996 15.1
2015 72,393 8,127 11.2 4,309 6.0 20,641 28.5 1,715 2.4 2,036 2.8 22,924 31.7 2,676 3.7 9,965 13.8
2016 71,955 8,291 11.5 4,482 6.2 20,381 28.3 1,635 2.3 2,025 2.8 22,677 31.5 2,535 3.5 9,929 13.8
2017oldd 69,899 8,365 12.0 4,480 6.4 19,687 28.2 1,727 2.5 1,821 2.6 21,010 30.1 2,444 3.5 10,365 14.8
2017newd 69,537 8,323 12.0 4,480 6.4 19,645 28.3 1,719 2.5 1,818 2.6 20,946 30.1 2,415 3.5 10,191 14.7
Master's students
2017newd 12,354 2,756 22.3 491 4.0 1,014 8.2 310 2.5 286 2.3 2,212 17.9 962 7.8 4,323 35.0
Doctoral students
2017newd 57,183 5,567 9.7 3,989 7.0 18,631 32.6 1,409 2.5 1,532 2.7 18,734 32.8 1,453 2.5 5,868 10.3
NA = not available; USDA was added in 1985, NASA was added in 1996, and DOE was added in 1999.
DOD = Department of Defense; DOE = Department of Energy; HHS = Department of Health and Human Services; NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration; NIH = National Institutes of Health; NSF = National Science Foundation; USDA = Department of Agriculture.
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.