Philosophy as a Profession

Data on the Profession
Degrees Awarded in Philosophy by U.S. Universities
1949 - 1994

Period	Bachelor's degrees			M. A.	Doctoral degrees
Period	Total	Men	Women	M. A.	Total	Men	Women
1949-50	2831	2445	386	277	83	69	14
1951-52	2421	2124	297	287	102	92	10
1953-54	1843	1580	263	251	103	95	8
1955-56	2662	2340	322	267	82	77	5
1957-58	2979	2636	343	312	102	97	5
1959-60	3460	3049	411	383	137	112	25
1961-62	3716	3248	468	431	123	110	13
1963-64	4797	4173	624	513	137	128	9
1965-66	5022	4295	727	611	203	181	22
1967-68	5751	4716	1035	654	278	251	27
1969-70	5698	4614	1084	725	359	315	44
1971-72	5939	4640	1299	615	364	320	44
1972-73	5918	4569	1349	629	409	344	65
1973-74	5791	4383	1408	663	413	346	67
1974-75	5330	3990	1340	698	375	318	57
1975-76	4757	3505	1252	689	382	319	63
1976-77	4441	3316	1125	669	330	264	66
1977-78	4015	2941	1074	564	283	235	48
1978-79	3776	2747	1029	517	258	204	54
1979-80	3695	2647	1048	509	246	187	59
1980-81	3643	2580	1063	469	280	224	56
1981-82	3391	2408	983	445	247	190	57
1982-83	3322	2315	995	467	232	170	62
1983-84	3300	2305	995	477	219	170	49
1984-85	3354	2269	1085	431	234	191	43
1985-86	3265	2193	1072	437	242	187	55
1987-88	3523	2415	1148	464	222	172	50
1988-89	3871	2648	1223	525	256	192	64
1989-90	4261	2898	1363	567	245	191	54
1990-91	4588	3074	1514	539	281	212	69
1991-92	4846	3293	1553	555	282	218	64
1992-93	4842	3310	1532	707	266	199	67
1993-94	4691	3218	1473	727	301	217	84

Data prior to 1972 are for alternate years. All data are drawn from Digest of Education Statistics, 1985-86, 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996 editions, prepared by the National Center for Education Statistics of the US Department of Education. (Note that the data concerning Ph.D.’s reported here differs slightly from that reflected in the Summary Reports on Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities for various years. The Summary Reports are prepared by the National Research Council.)

This chart updates the chart that initially appeared in David Hoekema, "Philosophers in the United States: Who Are We and What Are We Doing?" in Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association, Vol. 65, No. 7, pp. 49-50 (June 1992).

Philosophy as a Profession

Data on the Profession Degrees Awarded in Philosophy by U.S. Universities 1949 - 1994

Data on the Profession
Degrees Awarded in Philosophy by U.S. Universities
1949 - 1994