Enrollments and degrees

Physics and astronomy degree production in the US is growing, according to a new report by the American Institute of Physics.

The number of bachelor’s degrees in physics granted in 2003 was 4553, up 25% from the recent low in 1999. In astronomy, the increase was even sharper, with the 325 degrees awarded representing a 61% jump in three years. That increase was due largely to more women earning astronomy bachelor’s degrees. Physics bachelor’s degrees accounted for less than 0.4% of the 1.3 million bachelor’s degrees awarded in the US in 2003.

At the PhD level, 1106 physics degrees were conferred in 2003, a 1% increase over 2002. This slight increase followed eight years of steady decline. Based on first-year graduate enrollments, steady growth in PhD production is expected in the coming years. In recent years, the proportion of new physics PhDs accepting postdocs has grown, from 45% in the late 1990s to 68% in 2003.

These and other data are presented in the Enrollment and Degrees Report, 2003. The report may be downloaded free of charge from the Web at http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/ed.pdf , or obtained from AIP, Statistical Research Center, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740; e-mail stats@aip.org .