Boston C.

Rankings

Data year Earned doctorates Full-time graduate students Total R&D expenditures
Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked
2023 134 71.2 459 239 60.8 602 189 79.6 914
2022 119 74.4 457 206 70.1 680 185 79.7 900
2021 130 71.4 447 176 74.9 691 251 57.5 583 185 79.9 908
2020 138 69.8 450 186 73.7 697 186 80 916
2019 126 72.2 447 155 78.1 696 253 57.6 589 188 79.7 914
2018 122 72 428 211 70.2 698 189 79.6 911
2017 130 69.9 425 182 73.8 684 299 48.6 575 186 79.6 898
2016 127 70.9 430 189 73.3 697 193 78.8 896
2015 122 71.8 426 184 73.8 693 290 49.7 570 195 78.6 898
2014 120 72 422 188 73 688 195 78.4 889
2013 185 67.1 555
NOTES:
  • 1. See TableBuilder for the prior year data.
  • 2. Blank white cells indicate data not available, not applicable, or institution not eligible for survey.
  • 3. Data from the Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities is collected every two years.

Data

Number of earned doctorates, by major field of study of recipients: 2023–14
Fields 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
All fields 124 142 117 116 133 137 120 130 139 135
  Science and engineering 73 79 65 63 84 59 62 66 71 58
    Science 73 79 65 63 84 59 62 65 71 58
      Life science 9 9 12 9 14 6 15 17 14 15
        Biological sciences 3 3 8 4 7 3 10 13 11 11
        Health sciences 6 6 4 5 7 3 5 4 3 4
      Physical sciences and earth sciences 16 27 26 24 24 22 12 16 19 16
        Chemistry 12 19 22 14 17 15 9 14 11 11
        Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences . . . 1 . . . . . .
        Physics and astronomy 4 8 4 9 7 7 3 2 8 5
      Mathematics and computer sciences 4 7 1 4 6 5 2 4 3 .
        Mathematics 4 7 1 4 6 5 2 4 3 .
      Psychology and social sciences 44 36 26 26 40 26 33 28 35 27
        Psychology 18 17 11 8 15 13 12 8 14 9
        Anthropology . . 1 . . . . . . .
        Economics 14 13 6 11 11 9 8 10 14 11
        Political science and government 6 2 5 1 4 . 9 4 2 2
        Sociology 4 3 . 4 8 4 2 6 5 5
        Other social sciences 2 1 3 2 2 . 2 . . .
    Engineering . . . . . . . 1 . .
      Other engineering . . . . . . . 1 . .
  Non-science and engineering 51 63 52 53 49 78 58 64 68 77
    Education 20 23 15 18 20 23 23 19 25 27
      Education administration 2 . . . . . 1 . 1 3
      Education research 16 20 14 14 12 20 17 16 21 20
      Teacher education . . . . 1 . 1 . 1 1
      Teaching fields 2 2 1 1 5 2 2 3 2 3
      Other education . 1 . 3 2 1 2 . . .
    Humanities 19 27 23 27 18 41 25 35 30 34
      Foreign languages & literature . . . . 3 2 1 3 2 .
      History 5 3 6 4 1 7 7 6 2 7
      Letters . 4 2 2 . 8 1 2 4 6
      Other humanities and arts 14 20 15 21 14 24 16 24 22 21
    Other 12 13 14 8 11 14 10 10 13 16
      Business management/administration 8 9 6 5 5 5 8 5 8 9
      Fields not elsewhere classified (nec) 4 4 8 3 6 9 2 5 5 7

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates

Full-time graduate students in science, engineering, and health, by selected characteristics: 2022–13

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Fields of study are grouped as they appear in survey data table (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvygradpostdoc/#tabs-2).

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

Part-time graduate students in science, engineering, and health, by selected characteristics: 2022–13

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Fields of study are grouped as they appear in survey data table (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvygradpostdoc/#tabs-2).

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

Full-time graduate students in science, engineering, and health receiving primary support from federal sources, by field: 2022–13

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Fields of study are grouped as they appear in survey data table (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvygradpostdoc/#tabs-2).

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

Full-time graduate students in science, engineering, and health, by type and primary source of support: 2022–13

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

Postdoctorates in science, engineering, and health, by selected characteristics: 2022–13

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Fields of study are grouped as they appear in survey data table (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvygradpostdoc/#tabs-2).

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

Federally supported science, engineering, and health postdoctorates, by field: 2022–13

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Fields of study are grouped as they appear in survey data table (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvygradpostdoc/#tabs-2).

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

Total R&D expenditures, by field: 2023–14
(Dollars in thousands)
Field 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
. 81,425 68,958 65,156 63,063 61,956 57,030 58,088 54,469 47,761 49,724
. 81 30 10 58 61 39 28 27 12 21
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 592 438 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 53,228 46,125 45,676 43,168 44,768 42,801 43,825 40,724 26,123 28,326
. 11,638 8,226 9,313 9,824 13,514 12,494 13,811 10,996 7,091 8,321
. 2,644 1,987 1,608 1,576 1,202 1,175 844 1,027 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 8,994 6,239 7,705 8,248 12,312 11,319 12,967 9,969 6,659 7,751
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 432 570
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 1,377 951 1,079 1,289 1,015 1,113 1,230 1,084 929 886
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 4,748 4,174 4,588 4,452 3,837 3,549 3,156 3,300 2,873 2,286
. 11,542 9,261 10,756 11,862 11,141 11,278 10,950 10,917 630 423
. 502 430 525 821 702 572 616 545 397 215
. 4,853 3,791 4,355 4,538 3,989 4,814 4,604 4,910 160 179
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 145 152 164 172 150 49 68 171 52 29
. 6,042 4,888 5,712 6,331 6,300 5,843 5,662 5,291 21 0
. 9,394 9,912 7,414 5,836 5,130 5,533 6,058 6,106 6,161 6,817
. 2,339 2,302 1,238 1,050 632 851 832 1,065 547 598
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 7,055 7,610 6,176 4,786 4,498 4,682 5,226 5,041 5,614 6,219
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 1,408 1,399 663 599 559 521 387 343 142 46
. 13,121 12,202 11,863 9,306 9,572 8,313 8,233 7,978 8,297 9,547
. 3,871 3,271 3,320 1,814 2,384 1,783 2,096 2,114 2,913 2,768
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 9,250 8,931 8,543 7,492 7,188 6,530 6,137 5,864 5,384 6,484
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 295
. 27,605 22,395 19,430 19,895 17,188 14,229 14,263 13,745 21,638 21,398
. 192 162 586 543 551 73 96 89 13 0
. 70 64 66 50 85 81 55 74 47 13
. 258 124 89 36 74 51 26 137 4,198 4,043
. 17,200 13,237 11,664 11,563 11,045 10,307 11,512 10,383 14,731 14,122
. 712 974 564 806 399 460 559 513 525 450
. 8,160 6,335 5,977 6,369 4,419 2,366 1,104 1,681 1,220 1,826
. 932 1,469 474 470 554 852 883 841 892 923
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Prior to FY 2016, expenditures for natural resources and conservation, materials science, anthropology, and industrial and manufacturing engineering were not collected separately. R&D expenditures in agricultural sciences decreased in FY 2016 because a number of disciplines previously reported in that field are now reported separately under natural resources and conservation.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

Total R&D expenditures, by source of funds and R&D field: 2023
(Dollars in thousands)
Field All R&D expenditures Federal government State and local government Institution funds Business Nonprofit organizations All other sources
  All R&D fields 81,425 39,356 2,517 18,254 974 19,273 1,051
    Science 53,228 32,329 2,282 11,671 894 5,099 953
      Computer and information sciences 1,408 669 0 719 20 0 0
      Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 9,394 7,462 0 1,932 0 0 0
        Atmospheric science and meteorology 7,055 5,601 0 1,454 0 0 0
        Geological and earth sciences 2,339 1,861 0 478 0 0 0
        Ocean sciences and marine sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Life sciences 11,638 7,509 219 2,118 328 1,426 38
        Agricultural sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Biological and biomedical sciences 8,994 6,161 0 1,534 328 933 38
        Health sciences 2,644 1,348 219 584 0 493 0
        Natural resources and conservation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Life sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Mathematics and statistics 1,377 1,121 0 60 0 196 0
      Physical sciences 13,121 9,802 0 2,327 233 759 0
        Astronomy and astrophysics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Chemistry 9,250 6,854 0 1,560 137 699 0
        Materials science 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Physics 3,871 2,948 0 767 96 60 0
        Physical sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Psychology 4,748 2,443 0 1,162 0 1,143 0
      Social sciences 11,542 3,323 2,063 3,353 313 1,575 915
        Anthropology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Economics 502 21 0 447 0 34 0
        Political science and government 145 78 0 67 0 0 0
        Sociology, demography, and population studies 4,853 3,020 0 1,116 203 512 2
        Social sciences nec 6,042 204 2,063 1,723 110 1,029 913
      Sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    Engineering 592 0 0 545 0 13 34
      Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Chemical engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Civil engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Electrical, electronic, and communications engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Industrial and manufacturing engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Mechanical engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Metallurgical and materials engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Engineering nec 592 0 0 545 0 13 34
    Non-S&E 27,605 7,027 235 6,038 80 14,161 64
      Business management and business administration 258 0 0 103 0 155 0
      Communication and communications technologies 81 0 0 45 0 0 36
      Education 17,200 3,491 216 2,854 0 10,611 28
      Humanities 712 0 0 336 38 338 0
      Law 192 0 0 121 0 71 0
      Social work 8,160 3,536 19 1,587 42 2,976 0
      Visual and performing arts 70 0 0 70 0 0 0
      Non-S&E nec 932 0 0 922 0 10 0

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Prior to FY 2016, expenditures for natural resources and conservation, materials science, anthropology, and industrial and manufacturing engineering were not collected separately. R&D expenditures in agricultural sciences decreased in FY 2016 because a number of disciplines previously reported in that field are now reported separately under natural resources and conservation.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

Federally funded R&D expenditures, by federal agency: 2023–14
(Dollars in thousands)
Source of funds 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Federal Agencies 39,356 36,560 34,257 31,038 32,475 30,541 30,448 27,033 23,352 25,115
  DOD 6,761 6,683 5,438 3,386 3,095 3,090 3,525 2,952 3,366 4,639
  DOE 952 940 929 620 704 604 542 778 1,000 1,086
  HHS 17,454 15,584 16,891 16,628 19,255 16,840 16,189 12,833 8,316 9,420
  NASA 332 734 160 285 285 285 267 220 386 360
  NSF 9,110 7,788 6,635 6,491 6,340 5,920 6,328 6,455 6,211 5,469
  USDA 52 40 0 0 31 95 79 86 0 0
  Other 4,695 4,791 4,204 3,628 2,765 3,707 3,518 3,709 4,073 4,141

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

Headcount of R&D personnel: 2023–17 [temporarily discontinued]
Year
2023 . . . .
2022 . . . .
2021 . . . .
2020 . . . .
2019 746 125 621 .
2018 732 127 605 .
2017 690 110 580 .

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

Science and engineering research space in academic institutions, by field: 2023–14
(Net assignable square feet in thousands)
Field, medical school space, and research animal space 2023 2021 2019 2017 2015
  All research space 190 164 167 115 116
    Agricultural sciences 0 0 0 0 0
    Biological and biomedical sciences 46 40 43 38 37
    Computer and information sciences 3 0 0 0 0
    Engineering 7 1 0 0 0
    Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 23 16 18 8 8
    Health sciences 4 4 3 1 1
    Mathematics and statistics 4 1 1 1 1
    Natural resources and conservation 0 0 0 0 0
    Physical sciences 58 57 56 49 49
    Psychology 17 17 19 8 7
    Social sciences 30 28 27 11 13
    Other 0 0 0 0 0

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Data from the Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities is collected every two years.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities

New construction of science and engineering research space, by field and time of construction: 2025–16
(Net assignable square feet in thousands)
Field, medical school space, and research animal space Planned to start in FY 2024 or FY 2025 Started in FY 2022 or FY 2023 Started in FY 2020 or FY 2021 Started in FY 2018 or FY 2019 Started in FY 2016 or FY 2017 Started in FY 2020 or FY 2021
  All research space . . 31,225 . . 0
    Biological and biomedical sciences . . 4,208 . . 0
    Computer and information sciences . . 4,208 . . 0
    Engineering . . 4,208 . . 0
    Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences . . 4,608 . . 0
    Health sciences . . 4,208 . . 0
    Physical sciences . . 9,785 . . 0

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Data from the Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities is collected every two years.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities

Costs for repair and renovation of science and engineering research space in academic institutions, by field and time of repair and renovation: 2025–16
(Dollars in thousands)
Field, medical school space, and research animal space Planned to start in FY 2024 or FY 2025 Started in FY 2022 or FY 2023 Started in FY 2020 or FY 2021 Started in FY 2018 or FY 2019 Started in FY 2016 or FY 2017
  All research space 4,271 4,158 2,687 1,837 7,786
    Agricultural sciences 0 0 0 0 0
    Biological and biomedical sciences 0 0 0 288 611
    Computer and information sciences 0 0 0 0 0
    Engineering 0 0 920 0 0
    Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 1,000 2,510 1,500 541 1,998
    Health sciences 0 0 0 0 0
    Mathematics and statistics 0 0 0 0 0
    Natural resources and conservation 0 0 0 0 0
    Physical sciences 2,070 1,649 267 1,007 5,177
    Psychology 1,201 0 0 0 0
    Social sciences 0 0 0 0 0
    Other 0 0 0 0 0

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Data from the Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities is collected every two years.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities