NSF 26-308 Postdoctoral Appointments Rise While Graduate Enrollment Slows

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National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics

InfoBrief

Postdoctoral Appointments Rise While Graduate
Enrollment Slows
NSF 26-308 | February 18, 2026

Between 2023 and 2024, the number of postdoctoral appointees (postdocs) rose by 6.1%, from 65,850 to
69,877—the highest number ever reported to the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in
Science and Engineering (GSS) (figure 1). Before 2024, the 66,247 postdocs reported in 2019 was the
highest number of postdocs at GSS institutions. The number of postdocs declined from 2020 to 2022
before increasing for each of the last two survey cycles. Graduate student counts were more complex, with
generally stable enrollment in the master’s science, engineering, and health (SEH) program between 2023
and 2024 and a slight increase in enrollment in doctoral SEH programs during that period (table 1).

Figure 1. Postdoc employment: 2017–24

8

6

4

2

0

0

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308
Note(s):
For more information on the mapping of fields and codes in the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), see table A-6
at https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/graduate-students-postdoctorates-s-e/2024#methodology.
Source(s):
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

2

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

3

Table 1. Enrollment of master’s students and doctoral students in science, engineering, and health, by field: 2020–24
(Number and percent change)

Master's students

Doctoral students
Percent change

Characteristic

2020

2021

2022

2023

All graduate students
Science and engineering
Science
Agricultural and veterinary sciences
Biological and biomedical sciences
Computer and information sciences
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences
Mathematics and statistics
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences
Natural resources and conservation
Physical sciences
Psychology
Social sciences
Engineering
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering
Biological, biomedical, and biosystems engineering
Chemical, petroleum, and chemical-related engineering
Civil, environmental, transportation, and related engineering fields
Electrical, electronics, communications, and computer engineering
Industrial, manufacturing, systems engineering, and operations research
Mechanical engineering
Metallurgical, mining, materials, and related engineering fields
Other engineering
Health
Clinical medicine
Other health

414,478
354,354
267,904
6,487
39,920
80,690
5,277
18,284
10,980
8,793
6,275
47,279
43,919
86,450
4,326
4,536
2,942
10,819
25,312
11,030
14,305
2,299
10,881
60,124
29,748
30,376

466,613
400,922
305,796
6,801
42,728
102,199
5,520
20,639
11,994
10,012
6,409
51,878
47,616
95,126
5,065
5,192
2,983
11,730
27,695
11,949
15,718
2,518
12,276
65,691
34,021
31,670

501,311
435,003
331,983
6,949
43,062
129,972
5,186
20,798
16,931
9,807
6,256
48,321
44,701
103,020
5,263
5,177
3,011
12,621
32,316
12,579
16,029
2,545
13,479
66,308
33,251
33,057

510,866
449,087
348,520
6,901
44,703
143,530
4,793
20,105
21,928
9,486
6,000
49,474
41,600
100,567
5,380
5,204
2,658
12,082
31,093
11,873
15,335
2,462
14,480
61,779
28,484
33,295

2023adjusted
504,279
443,876
343,450
6,873
44,414
141,116
4,793
20,101
21,709
9,352
5,987
47,812
41,293
100,426
5,380
5,204
2,658
12,064
31,086
11,852
15,335
2,462
14,385
60,403
28,239
32,164

2024
505,930
447,040
347,469
6,973
46,661
137,358
4,909
19,948
26,426
9,150
6,008
49,516
40,520
99,571
5,563
5,475
2,664
11,360
30,841
11,704
15,136
2,503
14,325
58,890
26,645
32,245

Percent change

2020–24 2023adjusted–24
22.1
26.2
29.7
7.5
16.9
70.2
-7.0
9.1
140.7
4.1
-4.3
4.7
-7.7
15.2
28.6
20.7
-9.4
5.0
21.8
6.1
5.8
8.9
31.7
-2.1
-10.4
6.2

2020

2021

2022

2023

0.3 283,335 293,543 297,223 307,229
0.7 268,021 276,912 279,163 287,961
1.2 196,742 203,988 206,183 212,969
1.5
4,313
4,443
4,647
4,854
5.1
54,905
58,155
59,638
60,863
-2.7
18,174
19,531
20,583
22,484
2.4
6,515
6,770
6,784
6,801
-0.8
13,687
13,619
13,589
13,788
21.7
3,553
3,774
4,014
4,501
-2.2
3,705
3,910
3,955
4,004
0.4
36,341
37,732
37,836
38,329
3.6
21,115
21,447
21,121
24,354
-1.9
34,434
34,607
34,016
32,991
-0.9
71,279
72,924
72,980
74,992
3.4
2,645
2,773
2,832
2,884
5.2
8,239
8,867
9,265
9,999
0.2
7,612
7,713
7,590
7,888
-5.8
7,485
7,878
7,754
7,852
-0.8
17,720
17,570
17,585
17,706
-1.2
3,839
3,921
3,856
3,889
-1.3
11,477
11,540
11,523
11,679
1.7
4,882
4,904
4,573
4,782
-0.4
7,380
7,758
8,002
8,313
-2.5
15,314
16,631
18,060
19,268
-5.6
4,796
5,612
5,966
6,174
0.3
10,518
11,019
12,094
13,094

2023adjusted

2024

306,907 312,148
287,899 293,339
212,907 216,898
4,854
5,044
60,839
62,357
22,484
24,010
6,801
6,857
13,788
14,031
4,501
5,215
4,004
4,182
38,329
39,329
24,354
23,408
32,953
32,465
74,992
76,441
2,884
3,032
9,999
10,330
7,888
7,935
7,852
7,899
17,706
17,774
3,889
4,046
11,679
11,858
4,782
4,858
8,313
8,709
19,008
18,809
6,006
6,399
13,002
12,410

2020–24 2023adjusted–24
10.2
9.4
10.2
16.9
13.6
32.1
5.2
2.5
46.8
12.9
8.2
10.9
-5.7
7.2
14.6
25.4
4.2
5.5
0.3
5.4
3.3
-0.5
18.0
22.8
33.4
18.0

Note(s):
The 2023adjusted column removes the data from the institutions determined to be no longer eligible for the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) during the 2024 frame review. For more information, see the InfoBrief Impact of the 2024 GSS Institutional
Eligibility Review on Counts of GSS Master’s Students at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf25346. For more information on the mapping of fields and codes in the GSS, see table A-6 at https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/graduate-students-postdoctorates-s-e/2024#methodology.
Source(s):
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

1.7
1.9
1.9
3.9
2.5
6.8
0.8
1.8
15.9
4.4
2.6
-3.9
-1.5
2.0
5.1
3.3
0.6
0.6
0.4
4.0
1.5
1.6
4.8
-1.0
6.5
-4.6

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

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These and other findings in this InfoBrief are from the 2024 GSS. Data from the GSS provide insight into the composition of
the current and future science and engineering (S&E) workforce by collecting data on graduate students, postdocs, and
doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers (NFRs) in SEH fields. This survey is funded by the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In
this InfoBrief, single-year changes in graduate enrollment have been adjusted to take the frame changes from the 2024
eligibility review into account. For more information on the eligibility review, see the section “Data Sources and Limitations”
below.

Field of Study Trends for Master’s and Doctoral Students
Between 2023 and 2024, enrollment of master’s students remained stable overall, but it grew 1.2% in science, remained
stable in engineering (-0.9%), and decreased 2.5% in health (table 1). Doctoral enrollment increased slightly during this period,
based on increases in science (1.9%) and engineering (2.0%), which offset a small decline in health programs (1.0%).

Master’s Enrollment Trends, by Field
Master’s enrollment in SEH fields increased 22.1% between 2020 and 2024, with enrollment in biological and biomedical
sciences and in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences increasing in each year. From 2020 to 2024, these two fields
saw increases of 16.9% (from 39,920 to 46,661) and 140.7% (from 10,980 to 26,426), respectively (table 1). From 2023 to
2024, the largest numeric and percentage increase was in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences enrollment, with a
21.7% increase (from 21,709 to 26,426). Within multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences, data science and analytics
drove this growth (table 1 and data tables: table 1-2).
As in previous years, computer and information sciences was the largest broad field in the GSS, enrolling over a quarter
(27.1%) of master’s students in 2024 (table 1 and data tables: table 2-7). From 2021 to 2023, computer and information
sciences was consistently the fastest growing field for master’s students. In 2024, enrollment of master’s students in this
field declined for the first time since 2020, from 141,116 in 2023 to 137,358 in 2024 (2.7%). Even with this 1-year decline, the
overall enrollment of master’s students in computer and information sciences in 2024 was 70.2% higher than it was in 2020
(table 1).
Among engineering broad fields, only three fields increased enrollment between 2023 and 2024: biological, biomedical, and
biosystems engineering (5.2%); aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering (3.4%); and metallurgical, mining,
materials, and related engineering (1.7%). All the remaining engineering subfields either remained stable or declined, with the
largest decline in civil, environmental, transportation, and related fields (5.8%). Enrollment in the health field continued to
decline, with a 2.5% decline from 2023 to 2024, mostly due to declining enrollment in public health (see data tables: table
1-2).

Doctoral Enrollment Trends, by Field
In 2024, doctoral enrollment rose to a record high of 312,148 (table 1). From 2023 to 2024, both science and engineering
grew (1.9% and 2.0%, respectively), whereas health declined slightly (1.0%). Over the past 5 years, however, health fields had
the largest growth (22.8%), followed by science (10.2%) and engineering (7.2%).

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

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Within the sciences, doctoral enrollment in 7 of the 10 broad fields grew every year between 2020 and 2024. Of the remaining
3 science fields, mathematics and statistics enrollment grew from 2022 to 2024, psychology enrollment grew unevenly from
2020 to 2024, and social sciences enrollment declined most of the years from 2020 to 2024, with a 5.7% decline in
enrollment over that period, including a 1.5% decline between 2023 and 2024. Offsetting the decline in the social sciences
enrollment, enrollment in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences increased by 15.9% from 2023 to 2024 and
enrollment in computer and information sciences and in biological and biomedical sciences grew by 6.8% and 2.5%,
respectively, during that period (table 1).

Trends in Enrollment, by Citizenship Status
In 2024, 322,037 students were enrolled full time in master’s programs, down slightly (1.0%) from the 2023 count of 325,267.
Looking over the past 5 years, full-time enrollment in master’s programs was lower in 2020 than in 2019 due to the COVID-19
pandemic (data tables: table 1-9 and NSF 22-3131). From 2020 to 2024, full-time enrollment in master’s programs increased
32.1%, but such enrollment decreased slightly (1.0%) between 2023 and 2024 (table 2). Full-time enrollment in doctoral
programs rose by 2.3% from 2023 to 2024 (from 268,495 to 274,601), with an overall 10.9% increase from 2020 to 2024.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

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Table 2. Enrollment of master’s students and doctoral students in science, engineering, and health, by enrollment intensity, sex, citizenship status, race, and ethnicity: 2020–24
(Number and percent change)

Master's students

Doctoral students
Percent change

Characteristic

2020

2021

2022

2023

2023adjusted

All graduate students
Part-time students

414,478
170,619

466,613
179,659

501,311
181,693

510,866
180,895

504,279
179,012

U.S. citizens and permanent residentsa
Male
Female
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
More than one race
Unknown race and ethnicity
Temporary visa holders
Male
Female
Full-time students

146,539
75,037
71,502
19,314

158,843
78,723
80,120
21,809

153,345
76,439
76,906
22,200

149,590
74,444
75,146
22,074

562
16,531
14,853
284
81,476
4,692
8,827
24,080
14,819
9,261
243,859

612
18,932
16,213
280
86,873
5,316
8,808
20,816
12,508
8,308
286,954

537
19,522
15,518
269
81,680
5,079
8,540
28,348
17,573
10,775
319,618

U.S. citizens and permanent residentsa
Male
Female
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
More than one race
Unknown race and ethnicity
Temporary visa holders
Male
Female
First-time, full-time students

167,766
66,803
100,963
24,436

178,812
69,780
109,032
26,872

722
18,544
15,989
294
93,614
6,377
7,790
76,093
45,489
30,604
102,096

U.S. citizens and permanent residentsa
Male

79,715
32,396

2024

Percent change

2020–24

2023adjusted–24

2020

2021

2022

2023

505,930
183,893

22.1
7.8

147,963
73,873
74,090
21,946

151,033
77,412
73,621
22,960

517
19,350
15,939
296
77,898
5,212
8,304
31,305
19,254
12,051
329,971

512
19,254
15,694
292
76,909
5,178
8,178
31,049
19,089
11,960
325,267

168,660
64,543
104,117
26,103

164,019
63,296
100,723
26,025

744
21,675
16,916
317
97,735
6,985
7,568
108,142
65,845
42,297
147,266

794
21,351
15,880
272
90,532
6,923
6,805
150,958
92,976
57,982
147,317

82,441
32,799

72,404
28,218

2023adjusted

0.3
2.7

283,335
35,679

293,543
36,674

297,223
37,540

307,229
38,612

306,907
38,412

3.1
3.2
3.0
18.9

2.1
4.8
-0.6
4.6

25,818
12,934
12,884
2,550

27,403
13,447
13,956
2,666

28,145
13,515
14,630
2,978

29,589
13,572
16,017
3,064

541
21,440
16,049
284
75,188
5,419
9,152
32,860
20,053
12,807
322,037

-3.7
29.7
8.1
0.0
-7.7
15.5
3.7
36.5
35.3
38.3
32.1

5.7
11.4
2.3
-2.7
-2.2
4.7
11.9
5.8
5.1
7.1
-1.0

158
2,061
2,503
40
16,204
784
1,518
9,861
6,374
3,487
247,656

175
2,218
2,858
42
17,071
913
1,460
9,271
5,885
3,386
256,869

174
2,359
2,977
38
17,081
874
1,664
9,395
5,943
3,452
259,683

161,226
62,580
98,646
25,770

171,182
67,944
103,238
28,882

2.0
1.7
2.3
18.2

6.2
8.6
4.7
12.1

146,928
74,278
72,650
16,379

150,539
74,407
76,132
17,827

694
21,580
15,825
248
85,349
6,908
7,390
165,952
101,681
64,271
153,545

678
21,351
15,430
245
83,773
6,835
7,144
164,041
100,246
63,795
151,712

662
23,883
17,189
235
84,954
7,369
8,008
150,855
91,258
59,597
142,279

-8.3
28.8
7.5
-20.1
-9.3
15.6
2.8
98.3
100.6
94.7
39.4

-2.4
11.9
11.4
-4.1
1.4
7.8
12.1
-8.0
-9.0
-6.6
-6.2

600
15,958
8,571
160
92,761
5,726
6,773
100,728
64,179
36,549
41,173

75,236
30,058

74,010
29,742

81,016
33,136

1.6
2.3

9.5
11.4

27,744
13,419

2024

2020–24

2023adjusted–24

312,148
37,547

10.2
5.2

1.7
-2.3

29,395
13,520
15,875
3,057

28,872
13,370
15,502
3,153

11.8
3.4
20.3
23.6

-1.8
-1.1
-2.3
3.1

181
2,487
3,757
53
17,301
937
1,809
9,023
5,614
3,409
268,617

181
2,479
3,731
53
17,163
928
1,803
9,017
5,611
3,406
268,495

186
2,570
3,743
45
16,367
961
1,847
8,675
5,419
3,256
274,601

17.7
24.7
49.5
12.5
1.0
22.6
21.7
-12.0
-15.0
-6.6
10.9

2.8
3.7
0.3
-15.1
-4.6
3.6
2.4
-3.8
-3.4
-4.4
2.3

150,149
73,050
77,099
18,340

152,610
72,972
79,638
19,265

152,510
72,952
79,558
19,259

152,422
72,167
80,255
19,911

3.7
-2.8
10.5
21.6

-0.1
-1.1
0.9
3.4

574
17,378
9,315
153
92,519
6,257
6,516
106,330
66,682
39,648
46,670

577
18,194
9,641
159
90,364
6,455
6,419
109,534
68,070
41,464
47,416

592
19,132
10,755
157
88,929
6,947
6,833
116,007
71,488
44,519
50,253

592
19,121
10,741
157
88,868
6,945
6,827
115,985
71,480
44,505
50,217

554
19,938
10,708
160
86,814
7,154
7,183
122,179
74,744
47,435
51,321

-7.7
24.9
24.9
0.0
-6.4
24.9
6.1
21.3
16.5
29.8
24.6

-6.4
4.3
-0.3
1.9
-2.3
3.0
5.2
5.3
4.6
6.6
2.2

27,515
12,694

26,758
12,294

27,049
12,456

27,018
12,452

27,565
12,608

-0.6
-6.0

2.0
1.3

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

7

Table 2. Enrollment of master’s students and doctoral students in science, engineering, and health, by enrollment intensity, sex, citizenship status, race, and ethnicity: 2020–24
(Number and percent change)

Master's students

Doctoral students
Percent change

Characteristic
Female
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
More than one race
Unknown race and ethnicity
Temporary visa holders
Male
Female

2020

2021

2022

2023

2023adjusted

47,319
11,483

49,642
12,193

44,186
10,881

45,178
11,666

44,268
11,529

306
9,685
7,664
135
44,007
3,063
3,372
22,381
12,678
9,703

337
11,187
7,606
150
44,446
3,293
3,229
64,825
40,068
24,757

353
10,072
6,717
113
38,316
3,141
2,811
74,913
45,912
29,001

307
10,810
7,360
100
38,430
3,207
3,356
78,309
48,178
30,131

301
10,654
7,173
100
37,840
3,163
3,250
77,702
47,727
29,975

2024

Percent change

2020–24

2023adjusted–24

2020

2021

2022

2023

47,880
13,114

1.2
14.2

272
12,331
8,160
92
39,634
3,558
3,855
61,263
36,580
24,683

-11.1
27.3
6.5
-31.9
-9.9
16.2
14.3
173.7
188.5
154.4

2023adjusted

8.2
13.7

14,325
3,383

14,821
3,669

14,464
3,579

14,593
3,677

14,566
3,674

-9.6
15.7
13.8
-8.0
4.7
12.5
18.6
-21.2
-23.4
-17.7

96
3,153
1,726
27
16,886
1,160
1,313
13,429
8,193
5,236

85
3,329
2,038
33
16,060
1,195
1,106
19,155
11,704
7,451

108
3,384
1,850
26
15,407
1,276
1,128
20,658
12,405
8,253

86
3,532
2,053
24
15,137
1,392
1,148
23,204
13,908
9,296

86
3,529
2,047
24
15,119
1,392
1,147
23,199
13,905
9,294

2024

2020–24

2023adjusted–24

14,957
3,677

4.4
8.7

2.7
0.1

98
3,759
2,012
21
15,126
1,381
1,491
23,756
14,306
9,450

2.1
19.2
16.6
-22.2
-10.4
19.1
13.6
76.9
74.6
80.5

14.0
6.5
-1.7
-12.5
*
-0.8
30.0
2.4
2.9
1.7

* = value < 0.05%.
a Race and ethnicity data are available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

Note(s):
The 2023adjusted column removes the data from the institutions determined to be no longer eligible for the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) during the 2024 frame review. For more information, see the InfoBrief Impact of the 2024 GSS Institutional
Eligibility Review on Counts of GSS Master’s Students at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf25346.
Source(s):
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

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From 2023 to 2024, part-time enrollment in master’s programs increased by 2.7% (4,881), and part-time enrollment in
doctoral programs declined by 2.3% (865). Over the previous 5 years, from 2020 to 2024, part-time master’s enrollment
increased by 7.8%, whereas part-time doctoral enrollment increased 5.2%.

Temporary Visa Holders
From 2021 to 2023, enrollment of temporary visa holders consistently increased in SEH master’s degree and full-time
doctoral degree programs, yet between 2023 and 2024, enrollment for these groups slowed or declined, with differences
across enrollment intensity and degree type (figure 2 and table 2). Among temporary visa holders enrolled in master’s degree
programs, the number of part-time students increased 5.8% (from 31,049 in 2023 to 32,860 in 2024), the number of full-time
students decreased by 8.0% (from 164,041 to 150,855), and the number of first-time, full-time students fell by 21.2% (from
77,702 to 61,263).

Figure 2. Enrollment of master's and doctoral students in science, engineering, and health fields, by citizenship status and enrollment
type: 2020–24

0

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

9

0

Note(s):
The 2023adjusted column removes the data from the institutions determined to be no longer eligible for the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in
Science and Engineering (GSS) during the 2024 frame review. For more information, see the InfoBrief Impact of the 2024 GSS Institutional Eligibility Review on
Counts of GSS Master’s Students at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf25346. Graduate student data in this table include master's students in health sciences. For
more information on the survey fields and comparability of these counts to other data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, see the
survey's Technical Notes and table A-6 at https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/graduate-students-postdoctorates-s-e/2024#methodology.
Source(s):
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

Among temporary visa holders in doctoral degree programs, the number of part-time students declined by 3.8% (from 9,017
in 2023 to 8,675 in 2024), whereas the number full-time students increased by 5.3% (from 115,985 to 122,179). First-time, fulltime enrollment of temporary visa–holding doctoral students increased 2.4% (from 23,199 in 2023 to 23,756 in 2024) (data
tables: table 1-7).
Among temporary visa holders in SEH, graduate enrollment for men and women from 2023 to 2024 followed the overall
trends described above, increasing for part-time master’s students and for full-time doctoral students and decreasing for fulltime master’s students and part-time doctoral students. Among full-time master’s students who were temporary visa holders,
the percentage decline of female student counts was smaller than that for male students. Conversely, the percentage
increase in the number of female students was slightly larger than the increase for male students. Specifically, part-time
master’s enrollment for temporary visa holders from 2023 to 2024 increased by 7.1% for women and 5.1%, for men (table 2).
However, full-time master’s enrollment for temporary visa holders from 2023 to 2024 decreased by 6.6% for women and 9.0%
for men. Between 2023 and 2024, part-time doctoral enrollment for temporary visa holders decreased by 4.4% for women
and 3.4% for men; however, full-time doctoral enrollment for temporary visa holders increased by 6.6% for women and 4.6%
for men.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

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U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
For the first time since 2021, the enrollment of U.S. citizens and permanent residents in SEH master’s programs in 2024
increased over the past year. Specifically, part-time enrollment increased by 2.1% from 2023 to 2024 (from 147,693 to
151,033), and full-time enrollment for this group increased by 6.2% (from 161,226 to 171,182) (table 2). Since 2020, part-time
and full-time enrollment in master’s programs rose by 3.1% and 2.0%, respectively. Additionally, first-time, full-time master’s
enrollment increased by 9.5% (from 74,010 to 81,016) from 2023 to 2024.
The trends among doctoral students differed. Among U.S. citizens or permanent residents in doctoral programs, part-time
enrollment decreased by 1.8% (from 29,395 in 2023 to 28,872 in 2024), and full-time enrollment remained relatively stable
with a modest decrease of 88 students. Yet, first-time, full-time enrollment in doctoral programs for U.S. citizens or
permanent residents grew 2.0% (from 27,018 to 27,565) from 2023 to 2024.

Demographic Trends in Enrollment
With regards to the race and ethnicity of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the number of master’s students reported as
unknown race and ethnicity increased by 12.0% (from 15,322 in 2023 to 17,160 in 2024) (table 2). This change reflects an
increase of 18.6% in first-time, full-time master’s students reported as unknown race and ethnicity (from 3,250 in 2023 to
3,855 in 2024). For first-time, full-time doctoral students, the 1-year change in the percentage of unknown race and ethnicity
was 30.0% (from 1,147 in 2023 to 1,491 in 2024). Because doctoral programs take longer to complete than master’s
programs, the impact of this upsurge of persons with unknown race and ethnicity attending first time, full time had a greater
impact on the percentage increase of full-time doctoral students than on that of full-time master’s students (12.1% vs. 5.2%
increase from 2023 to 2024). However, data users should note that counts by group may not be comparable year to year
because the reporting of unknown race and ethnicity may not be random across racial and ethnic groups.
Among full-time master’s students who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents, enrollment increased by 4.7% for women
(from 98,646 in 2023 to 103,238 in 2024) and by 8.6% for men (from 62,580 to 67,944) (table 2). For U.S. citizens or
permanent residents enrolled first time, full time in master’s programs, the number of men increased by 11.4% (from 29,742
to 33,136) and the number of women increased by 8.2% (from 44,268 to 47,880) during the same period.
Overall, U.S. citizen and permanent resident enrollment in full-time doctoral programs remained stable, with a minor shift
between the enrollment in the number of men (decreased by 1.1%, from 72,952 to 72,167) and women (increased by 0.9%,
from 79,558 to 80,255). First-time, full-time enrollment for doctoral programs increased for men by 1.3% (from 12,452 to
12,608), whereas the count for women increased by 2.7% (from 14,566 to 14,957).

Trends in Postdoc and Nonfaculty Researcher
Employment
Overall, postdoc employment increased to a record high of 69,877 in 2024 (a 6.1% increase from 2023) (figure 1, table 3, and
data tables: table 1-15). The number of NFRs reported to the GSS also rose between 2023 and 2024 (table 3). NFR
employment counts have increased by 18.5% since 2020 and by 2.3% over the most recent year, from 34,342 in 2023 to
35,142 in 2024.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

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Table 3. Postdoc and nonfaculty researcher employment, by field: 2020–24
(Number and percent change)

Postdoctoral appointees

Nonfaculty researchers
Percent change

Characteristic

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

All surveyed fields
Science and engineering
Science
Agricultural and veterinary sciences
Biological and biomedical sciences
Computer and information sciences
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences
Mathematics and statistics
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences
Natural resources and conservation
Physical sciences
Psychology
Social sciences
Engineering
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering
Biological, biomedical, and biosystems engineering
Chemical, petroleum, and chemical-related engineering
Civil, environmental, transportation, and related engineering fields
Electrical, electronics, communications, and computer engineering
Industrial, manufacturing, systems engineering, and operations research
Mechanical engineering
Metallurgical, mining, materials, and related engineering fields
Other engineering
Health
Clinical medicine
Other health

65,681
47,203
38,741
1,678
21,902
823
1,790
1,076
832
845
6,937
1,312
1,546
8,462
233
1,696
1,157
1,006
1,302
194
1,149
630
1,095
18,478
16,287
2,191

63,328
45,529
37,189
1,595
20,245
880
1,797
1,112
878
889
6,823
1,325
1,645
8,340
277
1,616
1,167
968
1,275
127
1,200
562
1,148
17,799
15,561
2,238

62,750
45,008
36,673
1,705
19,585
859
1,787
1,110
840
936
6,877
1,308
1,666
8,335
244
1,540
1,239
1,018
1,217
143
1,189
542
1,203
17,742
15,630
2,112

65,850
47,033
37,982
1,993
19,520
987
1,919
1,220
988
937
7,220
1,344
1,854
9,051
254
1,594
1,501
1,070
1,339
170
1,317
557
1,249
18,817
16,393
2,424

69,877
49,247
39,702
2,177
20,234
1,042
2,043
1,238
1,061
969
7,570
1,392
1,976
9,545
246
1,685
1,552
1,166
1,381
162
1,459
588
1,306
20,630
17,919
2,711

2020–24

2023–24

6.4
4.3
2.5
29.7
-7.6
26.6
14.1
15.1
27.5
14.7
9.1
6.1
27.8
12.8
5.6
-0.6
34.1
15.9
6.1
-16.5
27.0
-6.7
19.3
11.6
10.0
23.7

6.1
4.7
4.6
9.2
3.7
5.6
6.5
1.5
7.4
3.4
4.8
3.6
6.6
5.5
-3.1
5.7
3.4
9.0
3.1
-4.7
10.8
5.6
4.6
9.6
9.3
11.8

Percent change
2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

29,661
22,133
18,212
964
8,112
458
2,150
201
679
573
2,890
749
1,436
3,921
149
525
330
488
706
155
469
299
800
7,528
6,500
1,028

30,548
22,720
18,728
902
8,187
457
2,308
235
816
620
2,895
803
1,505
3,992
144
589
307
479
755
107
529
259
823
7,828
6,751
1,077

32,279
23,778
19,423
1,068
8,207
507
2,448
251
931
605
2,894
786
1,726
4,355
153
685
313
569
734
197
527
280
897
8,501
7,351
1,150

34,342
25,175
20,600
1,238
8,589
631
2,455
307
818
663
3,095
950
1,854
4,575
166
674
349
654
799
221
560
249
903
9,167
7,798
1,369

35,142
25,002
20,566
1,234
8,795
653
2,253
199
890
649
3,093
892
1,908
4,436
167
680
363
583
698
164
566
260
955
10,140
8,618
1,522

Note(s):
For more information on the mapping of fields and codes in the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, see table A-6 at https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/graduate-students-postdoctorates-s-e/2024#methodology.
Source(s):
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

2020–24

2023–24

18.5
13.0
12.9
28.0
8.4
42.6
4.8
-1.0
31.1
13.3
7.0
19.1
32.9
13.1
12.1
29.5
10.0
19.5
-1.1
5.8
20.7
-13.0
19.4
34.7
32.6
48.1

2.3
-0.7
-0.2
-0.3
2.4
3.5
-8.2
-35.2
8.8
-2.1
-0.1
-6.1
2.9
-3.0
0.6
0.9
4.0
-10.9
-12.6
-25.8
1.1
4.4
5.8
10.6
10.5
11.2

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

12

Field of Research
From 2023 to 2024, postdoctoral appointments increased by 4.6% in science, 5.5% in engineering, and 9.6% in health (table
3). In 2024, the two fields with the most postdocs were biological and biomedical sciences (20,234) and clinical medicine
(17,919). These are the only two fields employing more than 10,000 postdocs; together, they accounted for 54.6% of all
postdoctoral employment.
Several broad fields had notable 1-year changes in the number of postdocs from 2023 to 2024. In the science fields,
agricultural and veterinary sciences increased by 9.2%, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences increased by 7.4%,
social sciences increased by 6.6%, and geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences increased by 6.5%. In engineering
fields, mechanical engineering increased by 10.8% and civil, environmental, transportation, and related engineering fields
increased by 9.0%. In the health fields, both clinical medicine (9.3%) and other health (11.8%) increased. All other subfields
rose as well, with the exception of aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering (-3.1%) and industrial,
manufacturing, systems engineering, and operations research (-4.7%).
From 2020 to 2024, NFR employment increased by 18.5%, and between 2023 and 2024, it rose by 2.3% (from 34,342 to
35,142), which is the most NFRs ever reported to the GSS (table 3 and data tables: table 1-1). The overall growth in NFRs was
due to a 10.6% increase in the health fields. Specifically, clinical medicine grew by 820 NFRs. Similar to postdoc
appointments, biological and biomedical sciences and clinical medicine were the two largest fields, employing about half
(49.6%) of NFRs reported in the GSS (data tables: data table 2-1). The number of postdocs and NFRs in the social sciences
increased in every year from 2020 to 2024, even as doctoral enrollment declined (table 2 and table 3).

Demographics of Postdocs
Between 2023 and 2024, the number of postdocs increased or remained stable in all racial and ethnic subgroups except for
Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders (table 4). In 2024, 58.3% of postdocs were temporary visa holders, similar to the
57.9% in 2023 (data tables: table 1-7). Temporary visa–holding postdocs increased 6.8% (from 38,149 to 40,746) from 2023
to 2024, with similar count increases for both male and female postdocs (1,303 and 1,294, respectively). Female postdocs
who held temporary visas increased by 8.6% from 2023 to 2024 and 24.2% from 2020 to 2024, with male postdocs on
temporary visas experiencing smaller percentage growth in these two periods (5.7% and 7.9%, respectively).

Table 4. Postdoc employment, by sex, citizenship status, race, and ethnicity: 2020–24
(Number and percent change)

Percent change
Characteristic

2020

All surveyed fields

65,681 63,328 62,750 65,850 69,877

6.4

6.1

29,890 29,755 27,289 27,701 29,131
15,579 15,480 14,247 14,321 14,790
14,311 14,275 13,042 13,380 14,341
2,027 2,142 2,192 2,352 2,599

-2.5
-5.1
0.2
28.2

5.2
3.3
7.2
10.5

72
5,696
1,081
52
17,123
555
3,284
35,791
22,660
13,131

70.8
1.7
28.5
-26.9
-14.4
52.6
12.1
13.8
7.9
24.2

10.8
2.9
12.9
-33.3
0.5
22.0
21.0
6.8
5.7
8.6

U.S. citizens and permanent residentsa
Male
Female
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
More than one race
Unknown race and ethnicity
Temporary visa holders
Male
Female

2021

80
6,014
1,138
40
16,369
687
3,285
33,573
21,040
12,533

2022

92
5,286
1,141
34
15,221
638
2,685
35,461
21,791
13,670

2023

111
5,631
1,230
57
14,585
694
3,041
38,149
23,137
15,012

2024

123
5,793
1,389
38
14,662
847
3,680
40,746
24,440
16,306

2020–24 2023–24

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

13

a Race and ethnicity data are available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

Source(s):
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

The number of U.S. citizen and permanent resident postdocs increased by 5.2% (from 27,701 to 29,131) between 2023 to
2024, although overall counts declined by 2.5% since 2020 (table 4). Among U.S. citizen and permanent resident postdocs,
the number of women grew by 7.2% and the number of men increased by 3.3%. Among U.S. citizens and permanent
residents, the number of female postdocs was similar in 2024 and 2020, whereas the number of male postdocs declined by
5.1% to 14,790 during this period.

Data Sources and Limitations
Conducted since 1966, the GSS is an annual survey of all academic institutions in the United States that grant research-based
master’s or doctoral degrees in SEH fields. The 2024 GSS collected data from 23,121 organizational units (departments,
programs, affiliated research centers, and health care facilities) at 635 eligible institutions and their affiliates in the United
States, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The unit response rate was 97.8%, and the 2024 GSS institutional response rate was 93.7%;
an overview of the survey is available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/graduate-students-postdoctorates-s-e.
In summer 2024, the GSS conducted a comprehensive eligibility review of institutions with six or fewer organizational units in
the 2023 GSS. As a result of the eligibility review, 53 institutions were identified as no longer offering research-based
master’s or doctoral programs in GSS fields and thus no longer GSS eligible. In 2023, these institutions reported 0.8% of
graduate students, including 1.3% of master’s students, under 0.1% of doctoral students, postdoctoral appointees, and
doctorate-holding NFRs. Thus, the tables in this InfoBrief show both the published (2023) and adjusted (2023adjusted) GSS
counts, whereas the discussion focuses on the 2023 adjusted values only. This adjustment allows for more accurate
comparisons between 2023 and 2024 data and prevents attributing changes in trends due to the eligibility review to 2024.
For more information on the eligibility review and the impact on the GSS, see the 2024 survey’s Technical Notes and the
publication Impact of the 2024 GSS Institutional Eligibility Review on Counts of GSS Master’s Students.2
In 2020, the GSS amended its taxonomy to align with a revised NCSES Taxonomy of Disciplines (TOD) and 2020 National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). As such, these changes did not lead to
a large shift in overall reported GSS counts, and data remain comparable to data from 2017 to 2019. New CIP codes, such as
data science and medical clinical sciences were added, along with other CIP codes in the GSS-eligible series; although these
CIP codes are newly eligible, a review of unit names from prior years indicates that many of them were being reported prior to
2020. Some additional adjustments in the GSS reporting taxonomy allow for additional detail in some fields based on the
2020 CIP codes reported to GSS. Finally, similar to the structure for science and health in the GSS taxonomy, engineering was
reorganized to report broad fields. For more information about the 2020 GSS taxonomy change, see the 2020 data tables:
table A-17, table A-18a, and table A-18b.3
GSS health fields are collected under the advisement of NIH. These GSS fields are about a third of all health fields in the
Department of Education’s CIP taxonomy. NIH information on trends seen within these selected health fields can be found at
https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/.
The full set of data tables from the 2024 survey is available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/graduate-studentspostdoctorates-s-e. Data are also available in NCSES’s interactive data tool (https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/builder/gss). For
more information about the survey, contact NCSES.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-308

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Notes
1 National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2021. Universities Report Growth in U.S. Citizen and
Permanent Resident Enrollment Along with Declines in Enrollment of Temporary Visa Holders at Master’s and Doctoral Levels
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. NSF 22-313. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at https://
ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf22313.
2 National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2025. Impact of the 2024 GSS Institutional Eligibility
Review on Counts of GSS Master’s Students. NSF 25-346. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at
https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf25346.
3 National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2022. Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in
Science and Engineering. NSF 22-319. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/
pubs/nsf22319.

Suggested Citation
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2026. Postdoctoral Appointments Rise While Graduate
Enrollment Slows. NSF 26-308. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/
nsf26308.

Contact Us
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
U.S. National Science Foundation
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: (703) 292-8780
FIRS: (800) 877-8339
TDD: (800) 281-8749
E-mail: [email protected]