Enrollments and Degrees Report, 2005
by Patrick J. Mulvey and Starr Nicholson
Highlights
- There were 1,244 physics PhD’s conferred in the class of 2005, a 14% increase from the
previous year. The proportion of foreign citizens among new physics PhD’s is at an all-time
high with 60% of the class of 2005 being non-US citizens
(Figure 2).
- The number of enrolled junior and senior physics majors has been steadily rising and is now
at levels that exceeds the recent highs of the early 1990’s
(Figure 5).
- The 5,113 physics bachelor’s in the class of 2005 represents the sixth consecutive
year of increase, resulting in an overall gain of 40% from a recent low in 1999
(Figure 6).
- The 343 astronomy bachelor’s produced in the class of 2005 establishes a new all-time high.
Astronomy bachelor’s experienced an unprecedented two-year increase (61%) from 2000 to 2002
(Figure 7).
- First-year student enrollments at master’s granting departments continue to rise, up
61% from six years earlier (Figure 10).
- After seven years of increasing enrollments, first-year graduate student enrollments at
PhD-granting departments have dropped for the second consecutive year
(Figure 11).
- Based on recent trends in first-year student enrollments at doctoral-granting departments,
PhD production will continue to increase for at least the next few years and it is expected
that US citizens will return to being in the majority of new PhD's by 2008 or 2009.
- Fifteen out of the 185 doctoral-granting departments were responsible for producing about
30% of all the PhD's conferred during the last three years
(Table 12).
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