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Next > The Dumbing Down of America The 2002 Survey of Earned
Doctorates (NSF) reports that the number of doctorates awarded by American
universities (39,955) continues to drop from the 1998 high. Most of the decline
occurred in science & engineering (S&E). Research doctorates are conferred
by 413 universities in the U.S. and PR. In 1998, 27,283 doctorates were awarded
in S&E, then down to 24,558 by 2002. The percentage of Ph.D.s going to American
citizens was 81% for the humanities, 55% for the physical sciences, and a mere 39%
in engineering. This means that about half of the doctorates are awarded to foreign
students. Women represented 45% of all doctorates awarded - the first time women
earned the majority of research Ph.D.s amongst U.S. citizens. The top five countries
whose students earned Ph.D.s in S&E in 2002 out of the 15,479 total (just 506
in EE) were China with 2,395, South Korea a distant second at 854, then India with
678, Taiwan with 469 and Canada at 312. |
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