Physics and Astronomy Senior Report: Class of 2003

Highlights

Almost three-fourths of the physics seniors indicated that they had participated in some type of undergraduate research project (Table 1).
Over a third of the physics seniors and almost half of the astronomy seniors indicated they would graduate with a double major. This compares to only 5% for all bachelor’s degree recipients (Table 4).
Sixty-three percent of graduating physics seniors received their bachelor’s degrees four years after graduating from high school. This compares to a third of all bachelor's (Page 4).
The primary reasons students gave for choosing their undergraduate institution were reputation and location (Figure 3).
Physics seniors who had participated in an undergraduate research project were 3 times more likely to plan to immediately continue with physics or astronomy graduate study than students who had not (Table 6).
The plans of physics seniors have shifted in recent years, with a larger percentage choosing to pursue graduate studies in physics or astronomy immediately after receiving their degree (Figure 5).
Forty-one percent of physics seniors have a long-term goal of securing an academic position at a college or university. A similar proportion of astronomy seniors had the same aspirations (Table 7 and Table 8).
When asked if they would major in physics again if given the opportunity, 72% answered with a definite yes and an additional 21% were unsure (Figure 8).