and engineering all had exceeded their previous 

 historical highs (Figure 7). Over the decade, the 

 RIUs' share of Ph.D.s in the sciences and en- 

 gineering declined from 94 to 88 percent, but for 

 the smaller set of NS&E fields it increased 95 to 

 96 percent of the total. 



Women have increasingly participated in 

 science and engineering fields. In the RIUs, as in 

 academia generally, they have earned a growing 

 share of all types of degrees (Figure 8). Between 

 1975 and 1990, their share of doctorates in 

 science and engineering rose from 34 to 42 per- 

 cent, with increases in the natural sciences and 

 engineering from 18 to 28 percent. Over the 

 same period, women also roughly doubled their 

 share of science and engineering Ph.D.s. Of doc- 

 torates awarded to citizens and resident visa 

 holders, women represented 35 percent in 1991, 

 and 25 percent in the natural sciences and en- 

 gineering. 



35 

 ■M 

 25 

 dU 

 15 



Figure 7: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by 

 Research -Intensive Univeisilies 

 Thousands of PliDs 



Tolat Sciences and Engineering 



Natural Sciences* and Engineering 



ia75 19V8 1981 



1984 1987 



* S&t less medical and social sciences and psj'chology 



bouice National bicience Foundation, special tabulation (see reference 7) 



1990 



35 

 30 

 25 

 2U 

 15 

 lU 

 5 



Minority students have more than doubled their shares of both science and engineering and natural sciences and 

 engineering baccalaureate degrees since 1977, when such data first became available (Figure 9). They accounted for 

 17 to 18 percent of these degrees in 1990. But their share of Ph.D. degrees awarded to citizens and residents in these 

 fields has increased more slowly, reaching roughly 14 percent in 1991, compared with 8 to 9 percent in 1975. 



Figure fi: Fraction of S&E or NS&E Degrees Awarded lo \1oinen 

 by Research-Intensive Universities, by Degree Level 



50% 



40" 



20^ 



10% - 



0% 



1975 



197R 



1981 



1984 



I9R7 



1990 



' NS&E SIfE less medical and social sciences and p9>ctiolo(jr. 

 baclielui s degiee Jala not available fur all yeals 



50'^ 



40% 



20% 



10% 



0% 



Sourca: National Science Foundation, special tabulation from NSF and Department of 

 Education data, baaed on dafreaa to cititena and rcaldenu only <sa« refaraucc 0) 



Figure 9: Fraction of S&E or NS&E Degrees Awarded to 

 Minoi ities by Research-Intensive Universities by Degree Level 



20% 



1975 



15% 



S^i 



0% 



1978 



198 1 



1984 



1987 



1990 



' NS&E S&E 1^99 medtcal and social sciences and psycholofy; 

 bachelors de|iee data not «vailal>le (ur all ycai s 



Sourca; National Science Foundation, special tabulation front NSF and Department of 



Education dkla, baaed on degrees lo clUxens and perniaDeal rcaldcntd only (see reference ( 



18 



