March/April 2018

PE Report
US Engineering Graduate Enrollment Drops

Enrollment in US engineering graduate programs has declined for the first time since 2011, according to a National Science Foundation report. In 2016, there were 168,443 engineering graduate students, which is a 0.5% drop from 2015 enrollment numbers.

The decline is attributed to enrollment slides in two traditionally popular engineering disciplines. Electrical engineering experienced a 5.4% decrease in enrollment to 50,062 students, and civil engineering experienced about a 2% decrease to 20,569 students. Industrial and manufacturing engineering also declined by 0.5% to a total enrollment of 16,200.

Architectural engineering experienced a nearly 7% enrollment increase in 2016 to reach an enrollment of 1,671. This discipline was followed by metallurgical/materials engineering with a 4.7% increase (8,106) and biomedical engineering with a 4.6% increase (10,208).

Overall, there were 620,489 students enrolled in US science and engineering graduate programs in 2016, and 75% were full-time students. Full-time enrollment increased by 0.8%. This uptick can be attributed to a 2% increase (to 210,260) in full-time enrollment of foreign students with temporary visas. These students represent 45% of all full-time students. The full-time graduate enrollment of US citizens and permanent residents decreased by 0.8% from 2015 to 2016, which is the fifth consecutive year of enrollment decline.

Female enrollment in science and engineering programs also grew to 261,575, with 32% being temporary visa holders. Male students made up 58% of graduate program enrollment, and 61% were US citizens or permanent residents. The upward enrollment trends for Hispanic or Latino graduate students continued with a 4.7% increase for students who are US citizens and permanent residents.

Access the 2016 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.