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Table 15. Doctoral degrees awarded to women, by field of degree and citizenship status of recipients: 2008–18

Field 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Female doctoral degree recipients, all fieldsa 22,494 23,187 22,488 22,700 23,526 24,365 24,815 25,347 25,215 25,452 25,368
Science and engineering 14,289 14,937 14,912 15,412 16,041 16,573 17,191 17,467 17,312 17,716 17,924
Science 12,596 13,306 13,166 13,630 14,154 14,521 15,007 15,170 15,123 15,287 15,471
Computer and information sciences 400 349 347 353 374 341 400 422 420 450 435
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 316 338 366 330 403 449 475 457 510 525 526
Atmospheric sciences 54 50 64 55 80 87 70 75 95 104 98
Earth sciences 165 189 193 164 196 211 250 237 248 245 249
Ocean sciences 97 99 109 111 127 151 155 145 167 176 179
Life sciences 5,859 6,210 6,213 6,289 6,614 6,712 6,930 6,928 6,907 6,937 7,114
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 498 559 490 554 554 622 646 688 622 736 696
Biological and biomedical sciences 3,934 4,185 4,219 4,272 4,422 4,410 4,747 4,681 4,707 4,508 4,709
Health sciences 1,427 1,466 1,504 1,463 1,638 1,680 1,537 1,559 1,578 1,693 1,709
Mathematics and Statistics 433 483 467 460 481 527 534 517 539 524 548
Physical sciences 1,124 1,280 1,249 1,310 1,327 1,415 1,449 1,530 1,453 1,489 1,592
Astronomy 62 84 88 84 85 97 79 76 97 110 106
Chemistry 767 895 864 922 894 985 1,021 1,074 991 1,032 1,067
Physics 295 301 297 304 348 333 349 380 365 347 419
Psychology and social sciences 4,464 4,646 4,524 4,888 4,955 5,077 5,219 5,316 5,294 5,362 5,256
Anthropology 294 308 306 330 360 362 328 307 289 291 298
Economics 374 382 369 387 402 416 404 434 416 425 397
Political science 261 272 294 296 303 333 342 332 283 294 304
Psychology 2,358 2,481 2,389 2,573 2,558 2,594 2,648 2,718 2,776 2,803 2,740
Sociology 366 399 389 403 402 377 432 458 356 419 419
Other social sciences 811 804 777 899 930 995 1,065 1,067 1,174 1,130 1,098
Engineering 1,693 1,631 1,746 1,782 1,887 2,052 2,184 2,297 2,189 2,429 2,453
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 28 41 37 34 39 55 55 53 56 43 46
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 285 308 315 335 335 355 384 427 403 427 445
Chemical engineering 232 216 248 256 256 258 290 317 296 271 293
Civil engineering 145 148 169 147 106 125 147 175 127 203 170
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 319 260 315 301 336 279 325 293 293 355 345
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 79 65 55 78 62 65 89 89 71 80 68
Materials science engineering 154 159 175 166 184 217 211 223 262 249 275
Mechanical engineering 152 152 125 150 177 196 197 201 201 239 216
Other engineering 299 282 307 315 392 502 486 519 480 562 595
Non-science and engineering 8,205 8,250 7,576 7,288 7,485 7,792 7,624 7,880 7,903 7,736 7,444
Education 4,402 4,366 3,624 3,234 3,298 3,364 3,311 3,492 3,598 3,305 3,337
Humanities and arts 2,428 2,499 2,552 2,654 2,818 2,885 2,760 2,830 2,840 2,705 2,575
Other non-science and engineering 1,375 1,385 1,400 1,400 1,369 1,543 1,553 1,558 1,465 1,726 1,532
U.S. citizens and permanent residents, all fieldsb 16,069 16,818 16,327 16,329 16,909 17,414 17,344 17,852 18,142 18,183 18,068
Science and engineering 9,494 10,177 10,264 10,558 10,948 11,287 11,433 11,646 11,813 12,062 12,253
Science 8,740 9,359 9,399 9,743 10,020 10,342 10,418 10,556 10,790 10,976 11,124
Computer and information sciences 176 154 176 175 154 148 183 148 165 204 184
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 217 229 249 228 278 316 351 316 362 368 377
Atmospheric sciences 29 24 32 28 41 53 44 47 62 71 57
Earth sciences 114 128 133 117 139 156 186 169 169 159 185
Ocean sciences 74 77 84 83 98 107 121 100 131 138 135
Life sciences 4,009 4,450 4,511 4,488 4,719 4,779 4,829 4,876 4,975 5,018 5,204
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 272 332 304 340 307 346 382 387 357 423 400
Biological and biomedical sciences 2,627 2,957 3,009 3,023 3,161 3,112 3,267 3,264 3,360 3,265 3,475
Health sciences 1,110 1,161 1,198 1,125 1,251 1,321 1,180 1,225 1,258 1,330 1,329
Mathematics and Statistics 220 231 250 219 230 241 259 245 252 249 238
Physical sciences 619 751 726 795 750 833 779 875 858 910 968
Astronomy 48 58 63 62 56 72 56 56 81 76 80
Chemistry 438 543 512 574 527 594 564 631 595 665 662
Physics 133 150 151 159 167 167 159 188 182 169 226
Psychology and social sciences 3,499 3,544 3,487 3,838 3,889 4,025 4,017 4,096 4,178 4,227 4,153
Anthropology 247 250 240 275 304 307 266 255 233 232 242
Economics 144 137 159 138 172 164 146 186 160 175 139
Political science 195 194 207 226 224 257 257 245 227 218 231
Psychology 2,061 2,091 2,003 2,221 2,177 2,233 2,183 2,231 2,376 2,410 2,370
Sociology 295 307 322 327 326 305 356 380 307 347 345
Other social sciences 557 565 556 651 686 759 809 799 875 845 826
Engineering 754 818 865 815 928 945 1,015 1,090 1,023 1,086 1,129
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 13 22 22 17 28 32 38 33 35 25 28
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 186 211 212 224 229 233 272 285 279 286 308
Chemical engineering 124 116 138 128 120 115 119 148 137 118 130
Civil engineering 58 69 78 62 47 52 73 69 61 73 57
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 93 95 107 89 119 89 91 99 81 97 98
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 35 26 23 33 29 25 31 27 21 30 20
Materials science engineering 68 84 91 70 95 95 89 97 117 119 126
Mechanical engineering 67 74 62 69 84 97 85 108 99 89 98
Other engineering 110 121 132 123 177 207 217 224 193 249 264
Non-science and engineering 6,575 6,641 6,063 5,771 5,961 6,127 5,911 6,206 6,329 6,121 5,815
Education 3,784 3,739 3,086 2,715 2,800 2,824 2,742 2,894 3,030 2,810 2,811
Humanities and arts 1,895 1,977 2,049 2,137 2,270 2,293 2,197 2,281 2,307 2,196 2,066
Other non-science and engineering 896 925 928 919 891 1,010 972 1,031 992 1,115 938
Temporary visa holders, all fields 5,277 5,167 4,868 5,056 5,224 5,571 5,633 5,734 5,803 5,687 6,282
Science and engineering 4,118 4,045 3,858 3,967 4,182 4,407 4,537 4,606 4,693 4,604 5,016
Science 3,268 3,287 3,046 3,129 3,335 3,399 3,483 3,539 3,634 3,505 3,782
Computer and information sciences 204 173 154 157 191 170 192 232 232 200 229
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 85 101 103 88 108 115 114 121 137 128 137
Atmospheric sciences 24 26 30 26 36 33 26 25 31 31 37
Earth sciences 41 55 50 38 47 46 58 55 71 64 57
Ocean sciences 20 20 23 24 25 36 30 41 35 33 43
Life sciences 1,606 1,507 1,417 1,481 1,583 1,565 1,632 1,641 1,651 1,666 1,718
Agricultural sciences and natural resources 199 203 158 198 228 243 233 247 247 270 269
Biological and biomedical sciences 1,167 1,083 1,034 1,043 1,075 1,073 1,164 1,165 1,163 1,105 1,133
Health sciences 240 221 225 240 280 249 235 229 241 291 316
Mathematics and Statistics 192 232 198 209 219 261 252 239 263 233 290
Physical sciences 446 478 447 462 487 508 560 573 530 506 574
Astronomy 14 23 23 20 23 23 21 17 16 32 25
Chemistry 283 319 290 313 310 339 376 385 355 327 369
Physics 149 136 134 129 154 146 163 171 159 147 180
Psychology and social sciences 735 796 727 732 747 780 733 733 821 772 834
Anthropology 33 46 48 41 38 47 40 35 38 37 41
Economics 214 234 184 222 218 234 230 217 237 218 240
Political science 60 67 67 56 61 56 66 65 39 55 59
Psychology 162 173 194 163 184 193 166 173 211 193 201
Sociology 61 83 53 56 57 58 53 50 42 52 58
Other social sciences 205 193 181 194 189 192 178 193 254 217 235
Engineering 850 758 812 838 847 1,008 1,054 1,067 1,059 1,099 1,234
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 11 16 14 14 10 19 13 19 20 11 15
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 89 81 98 92 86 109 96 117 110 116 130
Chemical engineering 99 98 103 110 124 124 160 149 142 137 150
Civil engineering 85 75 82 73 51 70 63 90 55 99 104
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 202 152 188 176 193 174 210 173 190 206 231
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 39 37 31 44 30 39 52 53 48 44 44
Materials science engineering 80 71 77 89 75 113 111 117 135 108 139
Mechanical engineering 76 75 58 68 79 88 100 84 88 113 108
Other engineering 169 153 161 172 199 272 249 265 271 265 313
Non-science and engineering 1,159 1,122 1,010 1,089 1,042 1,164 1,096 1,128 1,110 1,083 1,266
Education 363 374 303 324 306 347 319 365 356 320 401
Humanities and arts 394 384 342 393 371 399 363 362 373 330 383
Other non-science and engineering 402 364 365 372 365 418 414 401 381 433 482
a Total includes female doctorate recipients who did not report citizenship, not shown separately.
b These categories include U.S. citizens and foreign citizens on permanent visas (i.e., resident aliens who have been admitted for permanent residency).
NOTE: See technical table A-1 for specific fields included in each category.
SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates.