Of those Ph.D.s in 1993 who reported definite postgraduation commitments, 71 percent planned to be employed while 29 percent planned postdoctoral study. (Note: Postdoctoral appointments are considered to be postdoctoral study rather than employment in this report.) The proportion of new Ph.D.s with employment plans was significantly lower than 20 years ago, when 84 percent intended to work after graduation and only 16 percent planned further study.

• Doctorate recipients in education and professional/other fields were the most likely to have work plans (97 percent), followed closely by Ph.D.s in the humanities (93 percent). Study plans were by far most common in the life sciences (64 percent).

• The majority of Ph.D.s in every demographic group planned to work rather than pursue further study after graduation. However, women were more inclined towards employment than were men, and U.S. citizens were more apt to work than were foreign citizens. A significant proportion of temporary residents (39 percent) planned to continue their education. Among the aggregate of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, Native Americans and blacks had the largest proportions with work plans (about 85 percent each), and Asians had the largest proportion with study plans (39 percent). (See Table 15.)

FIGURE 12 Postgraduation commitments of doctorate recipients for selected years, 1973–1993.

NOTE: Only Ph.D.s with definite commitments are included Percentages are based on the number of Ph.D.s whose specific plans are known.

See Tables 14 and 15.

See technical notes in Appendix C for rates of nonresponse to the applicable questions and for further explanation of postgraduation plans.

SOURCE: National Research Council, Survey of Earned Doctorates.