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Table 1-8. Primary mechanism of support for full-time graduate students in science, engineering, and health: 1975–2017

Year Total Fellowships Research assistantships Teaching assistantships Traineeships Other types of support
Self-support Other
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1975 219,648 37,163 16.9 39,964 18.2 47,156 21.5 na na 79,860 36.4 15,505 7.1
1976 223,412 36,200 16.2 42,555 19.0 48,124 21.5 na na 74,428 33.3 22,105 9.9
1977 226,738 37,679 16.6 43,657 19.3 48,481 21.4 na na 74,173 32.7 22,748 10.0
1978a 223,030 na na na na na na na na 69,920 31.4 153,110 68.6
1979 231,760 20,214 8.7 48,976 21.1 51,779 22.3 17,965 7.8 73,849 31.9 18,977 8.2
1980 238,416 20,515 8.6 51,566 21.6 53,889 22.6 17,545 7.4 75,457 31.6 19,444 8.2
1981 242,049 20,095 8.3 52,711 21.8 55,745 23.0 16,771 6.9 76,522 31.6 20,205 8.3
1982 244,757 20,855 8.5 52,580 21.5 58,334 23.8 14,637 6.0 77,896 31.8 20,455 8.4
1983 252,017 21,342 8.5 54,904 21.8 60,071 23.8 13,512 5.4 81,233 32.2 20,955 8.3
1984 253,922 21,624 8.5 57,735 22.7 61,256 24.1 13,465 5.3 79,150 31.2 20,692 8.1
1985 257,287 22,540 8.8 60,995 23.7 61,822 24.0 13,665 5.3 77,630 30.2 20,635 8.0
1986 266,168 22,954 8.6 66,010 24.8 62,552 23.5 13,526 5.1 78,880 29.6 22,246 8.4
1987 271,056 21,953 8.1 70,214 25.9 62,847 23.2 14,096 5.2 79,780 29.4 22,166 8.2
1988 275,127 22,353 8.1 74,588 27.1 63,053 22.9 14,397 5.2 79,160 28.8 21,576 7.8
1989 282,648 23,450 8.3 79,045 28.0 64,296 22.7 14,524 5.1 80,251 28.4 21,082 7.5
1990 292,782 25,254 8.6 80,746 27.6 64,950 22.2 15,198 5.2 84,384 28.8 22,250 7.6
1991 307,010 26,695 8.7 85,175 27.7 65,214 21.2 15,403 5.0 91,583 29.8 22,940 7.5
1992 322,555 28,627 8.9 88,030 27.3 65,702 20.4 15,361 4.8 101,299 31.4 23,536 7.3
1993 329,644 29,132 8.8 90,154 27.3 67,290 20.4 15,445 4.7 106,276 32.2 21,347 6.5
1994 332,088 28,892 8.7 92,008 27.7 66,844 20.1 15,681 4.7 107,035 32.2 21,628 6.5
1995 329,283 28,887 8.8 89,946 27.3 65,976 20.0 15,943 4.8 106,687 32.4 21,844 6.6
1996 328,536 28,862 8.8 87,694 26.7 65,756 20.0 15,481 4.7 109,475 33.3 21,268 6.5
1997 327,289 28,956 8.8 88,001 26.9 65,425 20.0 14,488 4.4 108,741 33.2 21,678 6.6
1998 327,389 29,106 8.9 88,097 26.9 65,173 19.9 14,946 4.6 108,224 33.1 21,843 6.7
1999 334,423 30,112 9.0 91,279 27.3 66,294 19.8 14,707 4.4 109,416 32.7 22,615 6.8
2000 341,283 31,330 9.2 94,323 27.6 66,423 19.5 14,171 4.2 112,432 32.9 22,604 6.6
2001 354,522 32,270 9.1 99,923 28.2 68,267 19.3 14,154 4.0 116,636 32.9 23,272 6.6
2002 378,991 34,849 9.2 108,185 28.5 70,732 18.7 15,006 4.0 126,654 33.4 23,565 6.2
2003 397,420 34,460 8.7 114,256 28.7 73,105 18.4 15,126 3.8 134,730 33.9 25,743 6.5
2004 402,573 35,034 8.7 114,768 28.5 73,009 18.1 14,903 3.7 137,078 34.1 27,781 6.9
2005 406,620 36,414 9.0 114,304 28.1 74,238 18.3 14,570 3.6 139,403 34.3 27,691 6.8
2006 419,015 36,689 8.8 114,774 27.4 75,911 18.1 14,571 3.5 146,606 35.0 30,464 7.3
2007oldb 430,860 38,340 8.9 115,192 26.7 77,817 18.1 13,437 3.1 154,293 35.8 31,781 7.4
2007newb 437,365 38,631 8.8 116,043 26.5 79,948 18.3 13,497 3.1 157,029 35.9 32,217 7.4
2008 449,613 38,599 8.6 118,349 26.3 83,135 18.5 13,317 3.0 165,658 36.8 30,555 6.8
2009 456,115 38,931 8.5 121,443 26.6 81,828 17.9 12,830 2.8 169,956 37.3 31,127 6.8
2010 461,185 39,899 8.7 123,698 26.8 83,252 18.1 12,476 2.7 170,564 37.0 31,296 6.8
2011 457,292 41,297 9.0 122,480 26.8 84,173 18.4 12,629 2.8 165,807 36.3 30,906 6.8
2012 459,498 42,005 9.1 119,347 26.0 86,295 18.8 11,646 2.5 166,900 36.3 33,305 7.2
2013 468,953 43,432 9.3 116,377 24.8 88,689 18.9 10,514 2.2 176,788 37.7 33,153 7.1
2014oldc 484,880 42,804 8.8 115,274 23.8 90,564 18.7 11,207 2.3 191,148 39.4 33,883 7.0
2014newc 492,170 43,084 8.8 115,700 23.5 90,947 18.5 11,251 2.3 196,687 40.0 34,501 7.0
2015 506,262 43,460 8.6 116,425 23.0 92,513 18.3 11,175 2.2 205,678 40.6 37,011 7.3
2016 508,773 42,584 8.4 116,222 22.8 91,545 18.0 11,833 2.3 208,182 40.9 38,407 7.5
2017oldd 498,619 42,120 8.4 110,408 22.1 91,615 18.4 12,380 2.5 200,850 40.3 41,246 8.3
2017newd 480,788 41,408 8.6 108,633 22.6 88,323 18.4 12,249 2.5 190,693 39.7 39,482 8.2
Master's students
2017newd 245,010 6,535 2.7 21,681 8.8 24,193 9.9 1,992 0.8 165,485 67.5 25,124 10.3
Doctoral students
2017newd 235,778 34,873 14.8 86,952 36.9 64,130 27.2 10,257 4.4 25,208 10.7 14,358 6.1
na = not applicable.
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.