Figure 5-19 



Bachelor's degrees in science and engineering, 1960-72 



Number 



(Thousands) 

 280 



240 



200 



160 



120 



80 



40 



All sciences and engineering , 



Social sciences 



Life sciences 



Engineering 



Physical sciences Mathematical sciences 

 i 1 I I I I I I I I \— 



As a percent of all bachelor's 

 and first-professional degrees 



(Percent) 

 35 



25 



All sciences and engineering 



Social sciences 



> ^^ Engineering 



Life sciences 



I I I 



Mathematical sciences 



^^ 



Physical sciences 



I I I \ I 



^^ 



1960 '62 '64 '66 '68 '70 '72 I960 '62 



SOURCE: National Center for Educational Statistics and National Science Foundation. 



'64 



'70 



'72 



engineering. As a result, enrollment for ad- 

 vanced degrees in science and engineering fields 

 as a proportion of all advanced degree enroll- 

 ment declined from 38 percent in 1960 to 28 

 percent in 1972 (figure 5-20). Engineering and 

 the physical sciences accounted for most of this 

 decline. 



Related data, though not strictly comparable 

 to those of the National Center for Educational 



Statistics, illustrate the direction of more recent 

 trends in graduate enrollment. Data collected by 

 NSF from institutions granting science and 

 engine ering doctorates indicate that the number 

 of full-time graduate students in these fields 

 decreased steadily from 1969 to 1974. Data from 

 this fall 1974 survey indicate that full-time 

 graduate science enrollment increased about 5 

 percent over fall 1973, the first increase since 



134 



