Where does he come from? Where does he go?

MAR 01, 1969

Statistics show the typical graduate student is male and 25 and has a bachelor’s degree from a large PhD‐granting institution. The draft and cuts in support are changing his luck.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3035461

Susanne D. Ellis

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS of US graduate physics education in the last five years reveals fairly stable patterns of where the students come from and where they go. Now, however, changes in these patterns are widely expected because of the drafting of graduate students and shrinking federal support.

This article is only available in PDF format

Related content

Features

Article

Superconducting quantum circuits: At the heart of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics

Although motivated by the fundamental exploration of the weirdness of the quantum world, the prizewinning experiments have led to a promising branch of quantum computing technology.

November 25, 2025 03:04 PM

Features

Article

Solid-state batteries: Hype, hopes, and hurdles

As conventional lithium-ion battery technology approaches its theoretical limits, researchers are studying alternative architectures with solid electrolytes.

November 10, 2025 10:22 AM

Features

Article

Teaching nanostructures to build themselves

Bottom-up self-assembly is a powerful approach to engineering at small scales. Special strategies are needed to formulate components that assemble into predetermined shapes with precise sizes.

November 05, 2025 11:29 AM

Features

Article

Remembering Richard Garwin, physicist and science adviser

The polymath scientist leaves behind a monumental legacy in both the scientific and political realms.

November 04, 2025 09:53 AM

This Content Appeared In

Volume 22, Number 3

Get PT in your inbox

Physics Today - The Week in Physics

The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.

Physics Today - Table of Contents

Physics Today - Whitepapers & Webinars