Editorial
The Changing Landscape of Academic Careers for American PhD Holders
Formerly Plentiful Careers Are In Decline
The 20th century was a remarkable era in the history of the United States, as the nation grew from an emerging power in 1900 to the world’s leading superpower by the century’s end.
One of the many factors contributing to America’s rise was the dramatic growth of doctoral education.
According to a synthesis of data collected directly from doctoral graduates and institutions over the 20th century by the National Science Foundation, in 1900, approximately 250 research doctorates were awarded by a dozen or so universities, concentrated mainly in the Northeast and Midwest.
Over the next hundred years, doctoral education expanded in scale, scope, and geographic reach, becoming an integral part of the nation’s social and economic fabric.
By 1999, over 41,000 research doctorates were awarded annually by nearly 400 institutions spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. More than 1.36 million doctorates were awarded between 1900 and 1999, with the majority conferred in the last three decades of the century.
