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Table 4-4c. Citizenship, ethnicity, and race of doctoral students, by detailed field: 2017

Detailed field Total Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino Unknown ethnicity and race Temporary visa holders
American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander White More than one race
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
All detailed fields 270,525 100.0 14,999 100.0 714 100.0 15,952 100.0 9,483 100.0 235 100.0 109,271 100.0 5,420 100.0 8,511 100.0 105,940 100.0
Science 186,399 68.9 11,655 77.7 570 79.8 10,944 68.6 6,918 73.0 182 77.4 83,290 76.2 4,232 78.1 6,435 75.6 62,173 58.7
Agricultural sciences 3,744 1.4 130 0.9 11 1.5 91 0.6 99 1.0 4 1.7 1,519 1.4 37 0.7 63 0.7 1,790 1.7
Biological and biomedical sciences 51,291 19.0 3,791 25.3 155 21.7 4,349 27.3 1,970 20.8 65 27.7 25,056 22.9 1,301 24.0 1,880 22.1 12,724 12.0
Biochemistry 4,550 1.7 335 2.2 5 0.7 364 2.3 138 1.5 10 4.3 2,141 2.0 98 1.8 126 1.5 1,333 1.3
Biology 7,020 2.6 471 3.1 17 2.4 413 2.6 252 2.7 3 1.3 3,505 3.2 163 3.0 251 2.9 1,945 1.8
Biomedical sciences 3,412 1.3 250 1.7 7 1.0 324 2.0 176 1.9 3 1.3 1,593 1.5 78 1.4 92 1.1 889 0.8
Biophysics 843 0.3 56 0.4 1 0.1 76 0.5 16 0.2 0 0.0 374 0.3 16 0.3 57 0.7 247 0.2
Biostatistics and bioinformatics 2,679 1.0 95 0.6 2 0.3 297 1.9 60 0.6 5 2.1 934 0.9 64 1.2 93 1.1 1,129 1.1
Biotechnology 91 * 2 * 0 0.0 11 0.1 4 * 0 0.0 51 * 1 * 1 * 21 *
Botany and plant biology 1,312 0.5 85 0.6 6 0.8 66 0.4 31 0.3 2 0.9 603 0.6 24 0.4 43 0.5 452 0.4
Cell, cellular biology, and anatomical sciences 4,786 1.8 424 2.8 15 2.1 485 3.0 154 1.6 5 2.1 2,252 2.1 121 2.2 193 2.3 1,137 1.1
Ecology and population biology 2,566 0.9 184 1.2 9 1.3 104 0.7 60 0.6 3 1.3 1,558 1.4 71 1.3 162 1.9 415 0.4
Epidemiology 1,640 0.6 98 0.7 9 1.3 192 1.2 102 1.1 1 0.4 734 0.7 47 0.9 61 0.7 396 0.4
Genetics 2,021 0.7 158 1.1 9 1.3 155 1.0 59 0.6 4 1.7 1,078 1.0 60 1.1 67 0.8 431 0.4
Microbiological sciences and immunology 3,974 1.5 343 2.3 13 1.8 340 2.1 187 2.0 8 3.4 2,099 1.9 131 2.4 153 1.8 700 0.7
Molecular biology 1,135 0.4 87 0.6 3 0.4 135 0.8 39 0.4 0 0.0 516 0.5 23 0.4 29 0.3 303 0.3
Neurobiology and neuroscience 4,871 1.8 461 3.1 19 2.7 492 3.1 151 1.6 4 1.7 2,605 2.4 146 2.7 190 2.2 803 0.8
Nutrition science 988 0.4 46 0.3 2 0.3 98 0.6 40 0.4 1 0.4 445 0.4 25 0.5 15 0.2 316 0.3
Pathology and experimental pathology 911 0.3 113 0.8 2 0.3 72 0.5 37 0.4 0 0.0 389 0.4 20 0.4 59 0.7 219 0.2
Pharmacology and toxicology 2,244 0.8 166 1.1 16 2.2 216 1.4 174 1.8 4 1.7 1,014 0.9 72 1.3 76 0.9 506 0.5
Physiology 2,627 1.0 184 1.2 10 1.4 223 1.4 113 1.2 4 1.7 1,304 1.2 50 0.9 83 1.0 656 0.6
Zoology and animal biology 1,195 0.4 53 0.4 1 0.1 42 0.3 35 0.4 2 0.9 713 0.7 34 0.6 45 0.5 270 0.3
Biological and biomedical sciences nec 2,426 0.9 180 1.2 9 1.3 244 1.5 142 1.5 6 2.6 1,148 1.1 57 1.1 84 1.0 556 0.5
Computer and information sciences 14,291 5.3 312 2.1 15 2.1 742 4.7 338 3.6 3 1.3 3,263 3.0 170 3.1 409 4.8 9,039 8.5
Computer science 7,465 2.8 134 0.9 5 0.7 407 2.6 93 1.0 2 0.9 1,606 1.5 81 1.5 248 2.9 4,889 4.6
Computer and information sciences, general 5,429 2.0 129 0.9 6 0.8 247 1.5 156 1.6 1 0.4 1,239 1.1 64 1.2 119 1.4 3,468 3.3
Computer and information sciences nec 1,397 0.5 49 0.3 4 0.6 88 0.6 89 0.9 0 0.0 418 0.4 25 0.5 42 0.5 682 0.6
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 6,539 2.4 333 2.2 23 3.2 204 1.3 91 1.0 7 3.0 3,376 3.1 149 2.7 249 2.9 2,107 2.0
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 884 0.3 39 0.3 2 0.3 25 0.2 11 0.1 0 0.0 443 0.4 12 0.2 27 0.3 325 0.3
Geological and earth sciences 4,148 1.5 206 1.4 18 2.5 112 0.7 54 0.6 6 2.6 2,094 1.9 92 1.7 161 1.9 1,405 1.3
Ocean and marine sciences 1,420 0.5 84 0.6 3 0.4 61 0.4 25 0.3 1 0.4 801 0.7 41 0.8 59 0.7 345 0.3
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 87 * 4 * 0 0.0 6 * 1 * 0 0.0 38 * 4 0.1 2 * 32 *
Mathematics and statistics 13,101 4.8 476 3.2 12 1.7 691 4.3 228 2.4 3 1.3 4,566 4.2 233 4.3 406 4.8 6,486 6.1
Mathematics and applied mathematics 10,124 3.7 419 2.8 11 1.5 524 3.3 173 1.8 2 0.9 3,914 3.6 197 3.6 334 3.9 4,550 4.3
Statistics 2,977 1.1 57 0.4 1 0.1 167 1.0 55 0.6 1 0.4 652 0.6 36 0.7 72 0.8 1,936 1.8
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 2,931 1.1 156 1.0 6 0.8 191 1.2 133 1.4 5 2.1 1,503 1.4 60 1.1 123 1.4 754 0.7
Natural resources and conservation 3,568 1.3 182 1.2 24 3.4 118 0.7 151 1.6 2 0.9 1,963 1.8 73 1.3 134 1.6 921 0.9
Environmental science and studies 1,621 0.6 83 0.6 7 1.0 71 0.4 97 1.0 2 0.9 863 0.8 29 0.5 70 0.8 399 0.4
Forestry, natural resources, and conservation 1,947 0.7 99 0.7 17 2.4 47 0.3 54 0.6 0 0.0 1,100 1.0 44 0.8 64 0.8 522 0.5
Physical sciences 35,461 13.1 1,702 11.3 61 8.5 1,825 11.4 640 6.7 17 7.2 15,095 13.8 675 12.5 966 11.4 14,480 13.7
Astronomy and astrophysics 1,236 0.5 73 0.5 2 0.3 79 0.5 22 0.2 0 0.0 677 0.6 33 0.6 36 0.4 314 0.3
Chemistry 19,367 7.2 1,017 6.8 34 4.8 1,078 6.8 427 4.5 13 5.5 8,358 7.6 390 7.2 515 6.1 7,535 7.1
Materials sciences 927 0.3 38 0.3 3 0.4 69 0.4 30 0.3 0 0.0 372 0.3 18 0.3 28 0.3 369 0.3
Physics 13,505 5.0 560 3.7 21 2.9 580 3.6 145 1.5 4 1.7 5,506 5.0 228 4.2 383 4.5 6,078 5.7
Physical sciences nec 426 0.2 14 0.1 1 0.1 19 0.1 16 0.2 0 0.0 182 0.2 6 0.1 4 * 184 0.2
Psychology 20,395 7.5 2,304 15.4 92 12.9 1,176 7.4 1,412 14.9 31 13.2 11,994 11.0 691 12.7 840 9.9 1,855 1.8
Clinical psychology 3,751 1.4 665 4.4 14 2.0 215 1.3 224 2.4 2 0.9 2,117 1.9 135 2.5 236 2.8 143 0.1
Counseling and applied psychology 6,825 2.5 760 5.1 45 6.3 344 2.2 705 7.4 16 6.8 3,889 3.6 231 4.3 242 2.8 593 0.6
Psychology, general 7,353 2.7 679 4.5 23 3.2 429 2.7 378 4.0 12 5.1 4,573 4.2 255 4.7 287 3.4 717 0.7
Research and experimental psychology 2,466 0.9 200 1.3 10 1.4 188 1.2 105 1.1 1 0.4 1,415 1.3 70 1.3 75 0.9 402 0.4
Social sciences 35,078 13.0 2,269 15.1 171 23.9 1,557 9.8 1,856 19.6 45 19.1 14,955 13.7 843 15.6 1,365 16.0 12,017 11.3
Agricultural economics 872 0.3 19 0.1 0 0.0 32 0.2 11 0.1 0 0.0 217 0.2 7 0.1 20 0.2 566 0.5
Anthropology 4,562 1.7 389 2.6 47 6.6 190 1.2 141 1.5 7 3.0 2,491 2.3 150 2.8 293 3.4 854 0.8
Criminal justice and safety studies 538 0.2 50 0.3 1 0.1 12 0.1 53 0.6 2 0.9 326 0.3 21 0.4 13 0.2 60 0.1
Economics (except agricultural) 7,831 2.9 178 1.2 5 0.7 310 1.9 110 1.2 1 0.4 1,863 1.7 79 1.5 183 2.2 5,102 4.8
Geography and cartography 1,856 0.7 85 0.6 8 1.1 57 0.4 57 0.6 0 0.0 904 0.8 41 0.8 79 0.9 625 0.6
History and philosophy of science 235 0.1 15 0.1 0 0.0 7 * 3 * 0 0.0 143 0.1 7 0.1 3 * 57 0.1
Human development 685 0.3 50 0.3 3 0.4 30 0.2 66 0.7 1 0.4 366 0.3 23 0.4 15 0.2 131 0.1
International relations and national security studies 398 0.1 31 0.2 0 0.0 20 0.1 17 0.2 0 0.0 196 0.2 5 0.1 7 0.1 122 0.1
Linguistics 1,646 0.6 64 0.4 14 2.0 78 0.5 24 0.3 1 0.4 686 0.6 47 0.9 63 0.7 669 0.6
Political science and government 5,609 2.1 319 2.1 12 1.7 233 1.5 236 2.5 12 5.1 2,838 2.6 123 2.3 285 3.3 1,551 1.5
Public policy analysis 2,234 0.8 145 1.0 9 1.3 153 1.0 212 2.2 3 1.3 958 0.9 49 0.9 63 0.7 642 0.6
Sociology 5,340 2.0 540 3.6 21 2.9 273 1.7 515 5.4 4 1.7 2,607 2.4 155 2.9 205 2.4 1,020 1.0
Social sciences nec 3,272 1.2 384 2.6 51 7.1 162 1.0 411 4.3 14 6.0 1,360 1.2 136 2.5 136 1.6 618 0.6
Engineering 68,825 25.4 2,407 16.0 74 10.4 4,067 25.5 1,337 14.1 30 12.8 18,356 16.8 843 15.6 1,576 18.5 40,135 37.9
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 2,386 0.9 94 0.6 4 0.6 123 0.8 31 0.3 0 0.0 944 0.9 39 0.7 67 0.8 1,084 1.0
Agricultural engineering 681 0.3 23 0.2 2 0.3 29 0.2 11 0.1 1 0.4 158 0.1 17 0.3 7 0.1 433 0.4
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 6,845 2.5 434 2.9 11 1.5 961 6.0 188 2.0 6 2.6 2,719 2.5 170 3.1 262 3.1 2,094 2.0
Biological and biosystems engineering 163 0.1 4 * 0 0.0 5 * 1 * 0 0.0 57 0.1 2 * 4 * 90 0.1
Chemical engineering 6,874 2.5 240 1.6 13 1.8 515 3.2 129 1.4 1 0.4 2,238 2.0 97 1.8 130 1.5 3,511 3.3
Civil engineering 7,626 2.8 248 1.7 6 0.8 252 1.6 129 1.4 4 1.7 1,696 1.6 76 1.4 155 1.8 5,060 4.8
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 17,936 6.6 391 2.6 4 0.6 928 5.8 289 3.0 2 0.9 3,066 2.8 122 2.3 353 4.1 12,781 12.1
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 1,457 0.5 43 0.3 1 0.1 95 0.6 18 0.2 1 0.4 412 0.4 21 0.4 41 0.5 825 0.8
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 3,633 1.3 77 0.5 5 0.7 144 0.9 131 1.4 2 0.9 753 0.7 26 0.5 93 1.1 2,402 2.3
Mechanical engineering 11,149 4.1 409 2.7 14 2.0 514 3.2 157 1.7 1 0.4 3,117 2.9 139 2.6 243 2.9 6,555 6.2
Metallurgical and materials engineering 4,426 1.6 211 1.4 4 0.6 282 1.8 80 0.8 10 4.3 1,414 1.3 61 1.1 64 0.8 2,300 2.2
Mining engineering 229 0.1 5 * 0 0.0 1 * 2 * 0 0.0 90 0.1 3 0.1 3 * 125 0.1
Nanotechnology 95 * 5 * 0 0.0 6 * 0 0.0 0 0.0 34 * 1 * 2 * 47 *
Nuclear engineering 998 0.4 62 0.4 2 0.3 29 0.2 16 0.2 0 0.0 507 0.5 13 0.2 36 0.4 333 0.3
Petroleum engineering 662 0.2 7 * 1 0.1 12 0.1 12 0.1 0 0.0 62 0.1 1 * 12 0.1 555 0.5
Engineering nec 3,665 1.4 154 1.0 7 1.0 171 1.1 143 1.5 2 0.9 1,089 1.0 55 1.0 104 1.2 1,940 1.8
Health 15,301 5.7 937 6.2 70 9.8 941 5.9 1,228 12.9 23 9.8 7,625 7.0 345 6.4 500 5.9 3,632 3.4
Clinical medicine 4,410 1.6 463 3.1 26 3.6 348 2.2 504 5.3 9 3.8 1,925 1.8 139 2.6 145 1.7 851 0.8
Public health 4,087 1.5 429 2.9 23 3.2 321 2.0 486 5.1 7 3.0 1,756 1.6 125 2.3 139 1.6 801 0.8
Clinical medicine nec 323 0.1 34 0.2 3 0.4 27 0.2 18 0.2 2 0.9 169 0.2 14 0.3 6 0.1 50 *
Other health 10,891 4.0 474 3.2 44 6.2 593 3.7 724 7.6 14 6.0 5,700 5.2 206 3.8 355 4.2 2,781 2.6
Communication disorders sciences 1,305 0.5 53 0.4 2 0.3 51 0.3 54 0.6 1 0.4 883 0.8 39 0.7 51 0.6 171 0.2
Dental sciences 248 0.1 5 * 0 0.0 24 0.2 6 0.1 0 0.0 54 * 2 * 6 0.1 151 0.1
Nursing science 3,598 1.3 186 1.2 29 4.1 173 1.1 396 4.2 8 3.4 2,242 2.1 57 1.1 127 1.5 380 0.4
Pharmaceutical sciences 2,566 0.9 87 0.6 3 0.4 185 1.2 109 1.1 1 0.4 734 0.7 38 0.7 48 0.6 1,361 1.3
Veterinary biomedical and clinical sciences 577 0.2 23 0.2 1 0.1 23 0.1 16 0.2 0 0.0 249 0.2 17 0.3 20 0.2 228 0.2
Other health nec 2,597 1.0 120 0.8 9 1.3 137 0.9 143 1.5 4 1.7 1,538 1.4 53 1.0 103 1.2 490 0.5
* = value < 0.05%.
nec = not elsewhere classified.
a Ethnicity and race data are available only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
NOTE: Percentages may not add to total because of rounding.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, 2017.