[IP] Graduate Student Trends
Begin forwarded message:
From: fyi@xxxxxxx
Date: August 18, 2004 2:07:23 PM EDT
To: farber@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: FYI #112: Graduate Student Trends
Reply-To: fyi@xxxxxxx
FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 112: August 18, 2004
Graduate, Post-Graduate Trends in U.S. and Non-U.S. S&E Students
Graduate enrollments in science and engineering (S&E) fields reached
a record high in the fall of 2002, according to data collected by
NSF through 2002. After a downward trend beginning in 1994 and
reaching a low of 404,856 in 1998, graduate S&E enrollments began
rising again. They reached a peak of 455,355 in 2002, an increase
of 6 percent over previous-year enrollments.
According to an NSF InfoBrief, "Graduate enrollment in 2002 grew in
all major S&E fields and in nearly all subfields." Enrollment in
engineering and mathematical sciences grew the fastest, with gains
of more than 9 percent over 2001. Computer sciences and biological
sciences experienced 6 percent gains in enrollments between 2001 and
2002, while graduate enrollment in physics increased by 4 percent
over the same period.
The number of women among S&E graduate students increased more than
6 percent between 2001 and 2002, and as a fraction of S&E graduate
students, women increased from 35 percent in 1992 to over 41 percent
by 2001 and 2002. "The number of female students has increased
every year for the last 20 years," the InfoBrief states, while the
"enrollment of men declined every year from 1993 to 1998" before
beginning to increase again. Underrepresented minority graduate
student enrollment in these fields has increased every year in the
past decade, while white, non-Hispanic student enrollment declined
from 1994 to 2000.
The InfoBrief also looked at first-time S&E graduate enrollment
among foreign-born, temporary visa holders, and found that between
2001 and 2002, "full-time, first-time enrollment of temporary visa
holders was down about 8 percent for men and 1 percent for women.
In contrast, full-time, first-time enrollment increased by almost 14
percent for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, with increases of
15 percent for men and more than 12 percent for women." The data
seem to support indications that policies implemented after the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may have "adversely affected"
first-time enrollments for certain foreign-born students. The
InfoBrief found that, in 2002, "first-time graduate enrollment of
students with temporary visas declined in all S&E major fields
except biological and social sciences.... The greatest loss was in
computer sciences."
This NSF InfoBrief (NSF 04-326, June 2004), entitled "Graduate
Enrollment in Science and Engineering Fields Reaches a New Peak;
First-Time Enrollment of Foreign Students Declines," can be found at
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/infbrief/ib.htm.
Another NSF InfoBrief, on the movement overseas of U.S.-born S&E
doctorate recipients, finds that "relatively few U.S.-born S&E
doctorate recipients from U.S. universities plan to work or study
abroad at the time of receiving their doctorates." The number
planning to study or work outside of the U.S. in 2002 was 289, or 3
percent of U.S. native-born S&E PhDs, and the InfoBrief reports that
except for two brief upturns, this number has remained around
300-400 for "each year since the mid-1960's."
In 2002, of all students with PhDs from U.S. institutions, "more
non-U.S. citizens than U.S.-born citizens plan to go abroad after
graduation." Among non-citizens who had future plans when they were
surveyed, "5 percent of S&E doctorate recipients with permanent
residency visas and 25 percent of S&E doctorate recipients on
temporary visas had definite plans for work or study abroad."
For U.S.-born S&E PhDs, the top destinations for postdoctoral study
or employment since 1982 have remained Canada, the United Kingdom,
Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, and Australia. "The majority
(71 percent) of U.S.-born S&E doctorates in 2002 who had definite
plans for work or study abroad were planning postdoctoral
fellowships, research associateships, traineeships, or other study,"
the InfoBrief states. "Another 26 percent had definite plans for
employment abroad.... The remaining 3 percent had definite plans
for military service or other plans."
This InfoBrief (NSF04-327, June 2004), entitled "Emigration of
U.S.-Born S&E Doctorate Recipients," can also be found at
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/infbrief/ib.htm.
###############
Audrey T. Leath
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi@xxxxxxx www.aip.org/gov
(301) 209-3094
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