Interest in astronomy degrees in the U.S. remains strong, with astronomy enrollments at or near all-time highs for the 2012-13 academic year. The total number of students taking an introductory astronomy course at a degree-granting physics or astronomy department is approaching 200,000. Enrollments in introductory astronomy courses have been…

The U.S. has experienced a sharp increase in the number of bachelor astronomy degrees awarded in recent years with about twice as many degrees now being awarded than a decade ago. There were 385 astronomy bachelor's degrees awarded in the 2011-12 academic year. The number of astronomy PhDs awarded in recent years is up about 50% from a decade…

This "Focus On" first considers the role two-year colleges (TYCs) play in post-secondary physics education. In their 2007 Survey of Undergraduate Seniors in degree-granting physics departments, the authors asked students if they had begun their post-secondary education at a TYC. Nine percent of the physics undergraduate seniors in 2007…

Physics majors pursue a wide variety of career paths, many of which are not what you might expect. Some pursue advanced training by applying to graduate schools, medical schools, or law schools. The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) data in this report show that the physics majors who applied to either…

The number of physics degrees earned in the U.S. continues to rise, with bachelor's and PhDs yet again reaching all-time highs. The 6,776 physics bachelor's degrees awarded in the 2011-2012 academic year represent an 8% increase over the previous year and an 86% increase from a recent low in 1999. Similarly, the number of PhDs (1,762) in…

This report presents the characteristics and initial outcomes of exiting master's degree recipients in physics and astronomy. The report covers the degree classes of 2006, 2007 and 2008. The status of exiting physics master's varied greatly by the citizenship of the degree recipient. The majority of US citizens entered or remained in the workforce…

The bachelor's data in this focus on were all compiled from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is the core postsecondary education data system for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. The PhD data in this focus on were all compiled from WebCASPAR, the integrated…

The bachelor's data in this Focus On were all compiled from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is the core postsecondary education data system for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. The PhD data in this focus on were all compiled from WebCASPAR, the integrated…

Physics and geoscience consistently rank near the bottom among all disciplines in their ability to attract and retain African American students. Before delving into these trends, it is important to establish a context for discussing the data and their implications. African Americans comprise 12.4% of the U.S. population, but their representation…

This paper presents data covering the representation of African Americans among physics and geoscience degree recipients at each stage of the educational system. The data were collected by several statistical agencies and are here provided in far more detail than has ever been available before. By placing all the data in one place, this paper…

This report looks at the characteristics, educational experiences and the short- and long-term goals of senior-level physics and astronomy majors at a point just before their graduation. It examines the factors that influenced them to study physics or astronomy as well as what they considered important when choosing which institution to attend.…

On the weekend of February 3-6, the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois hosted the 2005 National Conference of Black Physics Students, marking the 19th consecutive year that the Conference has provided African American physics students with the unique opportunity to meet and network with counterparts from all across…

About one-third of the physics majors in the class of 2001 took more than 4 years to complete their undergraduate studies. The most common reasons were receiving a double major and changing majors. There are 761 departments in the US that confer at least a bachelor's degree in physics. These programs produced 4091 bachelor's degrees in the class…

The eighteenth annual National Conference of Black Physics Students (NCBPS) was held February 5-8, 2004 at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Conference brought together Black students interested in physics to meet and network with Black working physicists, corporate as well as graduate school recruiters, faculty members, administrators,…