Doctorates Stats

US universities awarded 48,000 doctorates last year of which nearly 70 per cent of awards were in science and engineering. This Demonstrates American strength in hard sciences.
Computer and biological science are the boom disciplines of the decade with aerospace and manufacturing taking big hits, down 15 per cent from last year.
Interest in neuroscience has grown dramatically, with the number of doctorates nearly doubling in the decade, to 953 last year. Earth, atmospheric and ocean science also increased, from 665 in 2000 to 864 awards last year.
There was a big bang in interest in physics and astronomy. Despite suggestions students see them as too demanding, awards were up by 500 on the 2000 figure, to nearly 1900 last year.
Outside the sciences business was down from its 2007 high, but still 300 up last year on the 1000 doctorates awarded in 2000.
The pattern of awards also demonstrates shifts in research fashion and some surprising stayers.
The figures come from a recent report issued by the National Centre for Science and Engineering Statistics.