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Table A-4. Science, engineering, and health organizational units with graduate student enrollment, by detailed field: 2014–18

Field 2014new (all units)a 2015 (all units) 2016 (all units)b 2017c 2018
All units Master's units Doctoral units All units Master's units Doctoral units
All surveyed fieldsd 11,265 11,436 11,781 12,479 9,625 6,915 13,000 10,093 7,083
Science and engineering 10,124 10,274 10,557 11,142 8,614 6,309 11,584 9,000 6,451
Science 8,224 8,346 8,550 8,952 6,649 4,970 9,338 6,984 5,113
Agricultural sciences 448 467 477 267 247 176 290 267 183
Biological and biomedical sciencese 2,236 2,254 2,319 2,586 1,503 1,816 2,614 1,545 1,839
Anatomy 33 36 32 na na na na na na
Biochemistry 160 157 151 194 90 159 188 84 159
Biology 373 369 365 392 344 162 394 349 161
Biomedical sciences na na na 153 93 96 159 105 95
Biometry and epidemiology 179 186 206 na na na na na na
Biophysics 32 33 33 41 5 40 39 3 39
Biostatistics and bioinformatics na na na 162 121 104 176 126 118
Biotechnology na na na 64 59 6 67 61 8
Botany and plant biology 56 56 57 69 53 61 68 55 60
Cell and molecular biology 164 168 176 na na na na na na
Cell, cellular biology, and anatomical sciences na na na 176 74 144 190 74 161
Ecology 31 29 32 na na na na na na
Ecology and population biology na na na 100 60 75 109 71 79
Entomology and parasitology 36 36 35 na na na na na na
Epidemiology na na na 66 47 54 70 50 57
Genetics 81 81 83 101 47 78 102 51 77
Microbiological sciences and immunology 162 160 163 188 84 151 177 79 148
Molecular biology na na na 52 19 38 53 21 38
Neurobiology and neuroscience 147 156 154 168 39 154 169 35 156
Nutrition science 128 129 129 88 82 46 103 94 54
Pathology and experimental pathology 57 55 52 50 13 45 48 15 44
Pharmacology and toxicology 123 119 121 138 62 119 133 60 117
Physiology 134 139 154 188 98 138 176 90 131
Zoology and animal biology 22 22 23 82 65 69 77 63 66
Biological and biomedical sciences nec 318 323 353 114 48 77 116 59 71
Communication 265 270 291 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Computer and information sciences 565 569 597 777 719 229 858 785 267
Computer science na na na 243 226 102 261 243 112
Computer and information sciences, general na na na 303 274 91 331 292 110
Computer and information sciences nec na na na 231 219 36 266 250 45
Family and consumer sciences and human sciences 99 102 104 na na na na na na
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 389 391 389 392 333 257 401 344 265
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 41 43 44 53 42 42 53 43 43
Geological and earth sciences 218 224 223 251 216 159 271 233 170
Ocean and marine sciences 64 64 66 80 67 52 77 68 52
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 66 60 56 8 8 4 ne ne ne
Mathematics and statistics 528 533 547 607 526 309 641 554 323
Mathematics and applied mathematics 404 403 410 443 381 223 467 398 234
Statistics 124 130 137 164 145 86 174 156 89
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 238 254 269 276 206 111 299 233 112
Natural resources and conservation na na na 318 275 144 356 312 146
Environmental science and studies na na na 169 139 65 202 173 64
Forestry, natural resources, and conservation na na na 149 136 79 154 139 82
Physical sciences 659 663 667 758 558 535 782 560 549
Astronomy and astrophysics 43 42 47 55 15 49 60 15 54
Chemistry 331 332 329 355 289 230 360 290 231
Materials sciences na na na 44 30 37 47 30 38
Physics 267 271 272 278 206 206 287 205 213
Physical sciences nec 18 18 19 26 18 13 28 20 13
Psychology 851 867 884 986 694 459 1,022 716 466
Clinical psychology 167 166 161 125 64 73 129 68 71
Counseling and applied psychology na na na 470 363 197 482 375 192
Psychology, general 236 241 244 286 215 120 299 222 127
Psychology nec 448 460 479 na na na na na na
Research and experimental psychology na na na 105 52 69 112 51 76
Social sciences 1,946 1,976 2,006 1,985 1,588 934 2,075 1,668 963
Agricultural economics 45 45 47 46 41 29 50 42 28
Anthropology 175 175 175 176 129 106 175 132 105
Criminal justice and safety studies na na na 95 92 18 103 100 21
Economics (except agricultural) 239 238 243 251 197 135 263 202 149
Geography and cartography 136 137 138 159 148 70 166 159 68
History and philosophy of science 20 21 20 14 8 13 15 9 14
Human development na na na 58 50 24 65 55 27
International relations and national security studies na na na 88 84 15 97 91 17
Linguistics 89 93 94 104 75 63 102 78 56
Political science and government 560 575 595 221 170 128 221 168 128
Public policy analysis na na na 124 89 54 133 102 56
Sociology 227 225 224 235 169 127 234 165 129
Sociology and anthropology 8 8 7 na na na na na na
Social sciences nec 447 459 463 414 336 152 451 365 165
Engineering 1,900 1,928 2,007 2,190 1,965 1,339 2,246 2,016 1,338
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 56 58 60 62 60 48 63 62 48
Agricultural engineering 40 38 43 36 32 28 30 29 25
Architecture 48 47 47 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 145 152 161 180 157 129 192 166 138
Biological and biosystems engineering na na na 11 7 10 14 8 13
Chemical engineering 148 150 148 161 146 130 164 145 128
Civil engineering 271 267 281 315 288 187 326 302 187
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 330 335 354 415 391 233 417 392 221
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 50 47 47 59 45 42 59 44 42
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 168 169 176 210 189 105 213 194 101
Mechanical engineering 232 236 238 260 243 168 261 250 166
Metallurgical and materials engineering 132 136 138 112 91 89 120 99 90
Mining engineering 19 21 23 31 26 17 28 26 15
Nanotechnology na na na 8 5 3 6 4 2
Nuclear engineering 27 27 27 33 29 27 34 31 29
Petroleum engineering 21 21 22 23 21 15 25 23 15
Engineering nec 213 224 242 274 235 108 294 241 118
Health 1,141 1,162 1,224 1,337 1,011 606 1,416 1,093 632
Clinical medicinef 382 389 429 448 387 177 489 429 184
Anesthesiology 1 1 1 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Cardiology 2 3 4 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Endocrinology 2 2 4 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Gastroenterology 0 0 1 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Hematology 0 0 1 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Neurology 0 0 1 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Obstetrics and gynecology 2 2 2 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Oncology and cancer research 2 2 2 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Ophthalmology 1 0 0 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Otorhinolaryngology 0 0 0 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Pediatrics 0 0 1 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Psychiatry 0 0 2 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Public health 299 313 339 403 348 161 439 386 165
Pulmonary disease 0 0 1 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Radiological sciences 7 6 5 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Surgery 1 1 3 ne ne ne ne ne ne
Clinical medicine nec 65 59 62 45 39 16 50 43 19
Other health 759 773 795 889 624 429 927 664 448
Communication disorders sciences 208 218 216 234 206 74 237 215 73
Dental sciences 59 56 66 94 84 22 101 90 24
Nursing science 126 126 130 129 22 116 119 17 111
Pharmaceutical sciences 104 105 118 103 64 79 117 72 91
Veterinary biomedical and clinical sciences 46 47 47 37 30 22 36 28 23
Other health nec 216 221 218 292 218 116 317 242 126
na= not applicable, data collected under different GSS codes; ne = not eligible.
GSS = Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering; nec = not elsewhere classified.
a 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.
b 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 pilot coordinators 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.
c The number of units is not strictly comparable between 2017 and prior years as the change in data collection led to existing units to be split by CIP code. Additionally, many schools reorganized units voluntarily, leading to a large increase in overall units.
d Several field names changed in 2017; the field names listed in this table are the field names used in GSS collection and reporting for 2017. For a complete list of field names used prior to 2017, see https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/gradpostdoc/2016/html/GSS2016_TTA_17.html
e In 2017, the biological and biomedical sciences fields were reorganized. Part of nutritional sciences became ineligible in 2017; aside from this, all other deleted fields in the biological and biomedical sciences remained eligible under a different field name. For fields such as zoology and animal biology which existed in prior to 2017 and in 2017, the composition of subfields in this field changed.
f Clinical medicine includes graduate students in public health and clinical medicine not elsewhere classified.
SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.