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Age distribution of doctorate recipients U.S. 2021

Distribution of doctorate recipients in the united states in 2021, by age group.

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October 2022

United States

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• Basic Statistic Doctorate recipient numbers in the U.S. 2021, by ethnicity
• Premium Statistic Share of doctorate recipients U.S. 2021, by parent's education level
• Premium Statistic Primary sources of financial support for U.S. doctorate recipients 2021
• Premium Statistic Median years to complete a doctorate U.S. 1995-2021
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• Premium Statistic Doctorate recipient numbers U.S. 2021, by gender and field of study
• Premium Statistic Doctorate recipient numbers U.S. 2021, by field of study
• Basic Statistic Share of college students 2009, by degree attainment and degree completion status
• Basic Statistic Breakdown of educational attainment in the U.S. by Latino origin group 2013
• Basic Statistic Bachelor's degrees earned in the United States by ethnic group 2020/21

About the region

• Basic Statistic International students in the U.S. 2004-2023, by academic level
• Basic Statistic Temporary visa holders completing U.S. doctorates 2021, by country of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of engineering and science doctorate recipients U.S. 1957-2021
• Basic Statistic Doctoral degrees earned in the United States 2020/21, by ethnicity
• Basic Statistic Bachelor's degrees earned in the United States 2020/21, by field of research
• Basic Statistic Master's degrees earned in the United States 2020/21, by field of research
• Basic Statistic Doctoral degrees earned in the United States 2020/21, by field of research
• Basic Statistic Master's degrees earned in the United States 2020/21, by ethnicity
• Basic Statistic Percentage of U.S. students with student loans 2020/21, by institution type
• Basic Statistic Share of students receiving student aid in the U.S. 2020-2021, by type of aid

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• Basic Statistic How university students paid for their degree in the United States 2012
• Basic Statistic Contribution of college education to graduates' skill development in the U.S. 2012
• Premium Statistic Employer recruitment strategies for business school graduates in 2012
• Premium Statistic Recruitment process: availablity of graduates in the U.S. 2012, by job category
• Premium Statistic HR managers on why graduates have an advantage in the U.S. job market in 2012
• Premium Statistic HR managers on why graduates are disadvantaged in the U.S. job market in 2012
• Premium Statistic Hiring rate of graduates and postgraduates in the U.S. from 2010-2012
• Basic Statistic Work/study situation of recent graduates in the U.S. 2012
• Basic Statistic U.S. university graduates median starting salaries 2012, various categories

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• Premium Statistic Number of postgraduate qualifications obtained UK 2000-2022
• Basic Statistic Tuition fee for international undergraduate students in Canada 2023, by study field
• Basic Statistic Undergrad degree holders in Andhra Pradesh India 2020, by gender
• Premium Statistic Number of college and university graduates in China 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of doctorate degrees in Norway 2022, by field of study
• Premium Statistic Colombia: number of university graduates 2010-2013, by study area
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• Basic Statistic Tuition cost and student loan amounts U.S. 2021/22, by institution type
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• Premium Statistic Tuition costs and student loans at U.S. 2-year institutions by institution type 2022
• Basic Statistic Undergraduate enrollment in 2-year colleges U.S. 2021, by ethnicity
• Premium Statistic Enrollment/projections in U.S. 2-year postsecondary institutions 1970-2031, by gender
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Average age of a phd student: when is it too late, published by steve tippins on june 16, 2022 june 16, 2022.

Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 02:36 am

In 2020, the average age of a graduate from a PhD program in the United States was 33. However, 6% of the graduates were over 45. 

When people ask what the average age of a PhD student is, many times they’re really asking, “Am I too old to get a PhD?” The answer is almost always no. Let’s explore some different scenarios. 

When Is It Too Late to Get a PhD?

As an academic career coach, I’ve been asked by more than a few people if it’s too late for them to get a PhD. Some of these people were even in their twenties, worried that working for two years after their undergraduate degree had inexorably barred them from the halls of academia. 

Others were past middle age, looking for a career change. In either case, the answer is ultimately no, it’s not too late to get a PhD . However, there are some important things to keep in mind if this is something you’re considering.

Getting a PhD for Your Career

Let’s say you want to get a PhD to pursue a career in academia or elsewhere. You enter a PhD program at 25 or even 30, the average PhD duration takes six to eight years. That means you will finish when you are around 30 to 37. The normal retirement age to get Social Security in the United States is 67, so that’s at least 30 years ahead of you – lots of time for your career. If you look around academia, there’s a lot of people older than 67.

You have a chance for a very long career, even if you’re 42 and finish your PhD at 50. That’s still over 15 years before retirement age. These days, very few people stay at a job for 15 years. Rest assured that you have ample opportunity to have a meaningful career.

Over 50% of doctoral candidates don’t finish their dissertations.

Student Loan Debt Considerations

If you’re 61 and taking loans out, it will be a while before you pay those off. Debt is something to think about before getting a PhD. If you can get into a PhD program that pays your tuition or even provides you a stipend, you may be able to graduate with a much smaller student loan debt. That assistance could allow you to consider a PhD later in life. 

What Is the Minimum Age for Getting a PhD?

To get a PhD, you have to have graduated from undergraduate school. From there, some people can go right into a PhD program. If you graduate at the traditional age of 22, you’d be getting your PhD somewhere around age 25 at a minimum.

There are stories about people who graduate from high school at 12 and college at 16. They could theoretically get their PhD at 19 or 20. However, people like this are quite rare.

Can You Get a PhD by Age 25?

It is possible to get a PhD by age 25, particularly if you graduate from college at 21 or 22. If it takes three or four years to get a PhD, you could graduate by 25.

What Is The Best Age to Get a PhD?

The best age to get a PhD is three years ago. The second best time is now. In reality, the best age to get a PhD is whenever you are able to complete it. The earlier you finish your PhD, the more of a life and career you’ll have with it , but there is no optimal age.

Does Having a Master’s Shorten the Time it Takes to Get a PhD?

Having a Master’s can shorten the time it takes to get a PhD , depending on your discipline. If PhD programs in your discipline are structured such that they assume you have a Master’s before you enter, then yes, you’re going to finish a PhD faster. 

If you enter without a Master’s, you may have to get the Master’s first to be allowed in the PhD program. Otherwise, you may have to take some remedial coursework. If your discipline is not set up in that manner, having a Master’s may not allow you to move faster.

Final Thoughts

As society ages and with employers having problems finding eligible workers, the problem of ageism will become less severe. Getting a PhD at any age is going to be a viable option. If you are interested in a PhD and it’s something you have a burning desire to do, don’t let age stop you. 

Are you considering getting your PhD? We’re here to help. Check out our Dissertation Coaching and Academic Career Coaching services.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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Taking On the Ph.D. Later in Life

By Mark Miller

• April 15, 2016

ROBERT HEVEY was fascinated by gardening as a child, but then he grew up and took a 30-year career detour. Mr. Hevey earned a master’s in business and became a certified public accountant, working for accounting firms and businesses ranging from manufacturing to enterprise software and corporate restructuring.

“I went to college and made the mistake of getting an M.B.A. and a C.P.A.,” he recalled with a laugh.

Now 61, Mr. Hevey is making up for lost time. He’s a second-year Ph.D. student in a plant biology and conservation program offered jointly by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Mr. Hevey, whose work focuses on invasive species, started on his master’s at age 53, and he expects to finish his doctorate around five years from now, when he will be 66.

“When I walk into a classroom of 20-year-olds, I do raise the average age a bit,” he says.

While the overall age of Ph.D. candidates has dropped in the last decade, about 14 percent of all doctoral recipients are over age 40, according to the National Science Foundation. Relatively few students work on Ph.D.s at Mr. Hevey’s age, but educators are seeing increasing enrollment in doctoral programs by students in their 40s and 50s. Many candidates hope doctorates will help them advance careers in business, government and nonprofit organizations; some, like Mr. Hevey, are headed for academic research or teaching positions.

At Cornell University, the trend is driven by women. The number of new female doctoral students age 36 or older was 44 percent higher last year than in 2009, according to Barbara Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the graduate school.

“One of the shifts nationally is more emphasis on career paths that call for a Ph.D.,” Dr. Knuth said. “Part of it is that we have much more fluidity in career paths. It’s unusual for people to hold the same job for many years.”

“The people we see coming back have a variety of reasons,” she added. “It could be a personal interest or for career advancement. But they are very pragmatic and resilient: strong thinkers, willing to ask questions and take a risk in their lives.”

Many older doctoral candidates are motivated by a search for meaning, said Katrina Rogers, president of Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif., which offers programs exclusively for adult learners in psychology, human and organizational development and education.

“Students are asking what they can do with the rest of their lives, and how they can have an impact,” she said. “They are approaching graduate school as a learning process for challenging themselves intellectually, but also along cognitive and emotional lines.”

Making a home for older students also makes business sense for universities and colleges, said Barbara Vacarr, director of the higher education initiative at Encore.org, a nonprofit organization focused on midlife career change. “The convergence of an aging population and an undersupply of qualified traditional college students are both a call to action and an opportunity for higher education.”

Some schools are serving older students in midcareer with pragmatic doctoral programs that can be completed more quickly than the seven or eight years traditionally required to earn a Ph.D. Moreover, many of those do not require candidates to spend much time on campus or even leave their full-time jobs.

That flexibility can help with the cost of obtaining a doctorate. In traditional programs, costs can range from $20,000 a year to $50,000 or more — although for some, tuition expenses are offset by fellowships. The shorter programs are less costly. The total cost at Fielding, for example, is $60,000.

Susan Noyes, an occupational therapist in Portland, Me., with 20 years’ experience under her belt, returned to school at age 40 for a master’s degree in adult education at the University of Southern Maine, then pursued her Ph.D. at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. During that time, she continued to work full time and raise three children. She finished the master’s at 44 — a confidence-builder that persuaded her to work toward a Ph.D. in adult learning, which she earned at age 49.

Dr. Noyes, 53, made two visits annually to Lesley’s campus during her doctoral studies, usually for a week to 10 days. She now works as an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Southern Maine.

At the outset of her graduate education, Dr. Noyes wasn’t looking for a career change. Instead, she wanted to update her skills and knowledge in the occupational therapy field. But she soon found herself excited by the chance to broaden her intellectual horizons. “I’ve often said I accidentally got my Ph.D.,” she said.

Lisa Goff took the traditional Ph.D. path, spending eight years getting her doctorate in history. An accomplished business journalist, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in history at the University of Virginia in 2001 while working on a book project. Later, she decided to keep going for her doctorate, which she earned in 2010, the year she turned 50. Her research is focused on cultural history, with a special interest in landscapes.

Dr. Goff had planned to use the degree to land a job in a museum, but at the time, museum budgets were being cut in the struggling economy. Instead, a university mentor persuaded her to give teaching a try. She started as an adjunct professor in the American studies department at the University of Virginia, which quickly led to a full-time nontenure-track position. This year, her fourth full year teaching, her position was converted to a tenure-track job.

“I thought an academic job would be grueling — not what I wanted at all,” she recalls. “But I love being in the classroom, finding ways to get students to contribute and build rapport with them.”

As a graduate student, she never found the age gap to be a challenge. “Professors never treated me as anything but another student, and the other students were great to me,” Dr. Goff said. The toughest part of the transition, she says, was the intellectual shock of returning to a rigorous academic environment. “I was surprised to see just how creaky my classroom muscles were,” she recalled. “I really struggled in that first class just to keep up.”

Mr. Hevey agrees, saying he has experienced more stress in his academic life than in the business world. “I’m using my brain in such a different way now. I’m learning something new every day.”

His advice to anyone considering a similar move? “Really ask yourself if this is something you want to do. If you think it would just be nice to be a student again, that’s wrong. It’s not a life of ease: You’ll be working all the time, perhaps for seven or eight years.”

Mr. Hevey does not expect to teach, but he does hope to work in a laboratory or do research. “I’m certainly not going to start a new career at 66 or 67,” he said. “But I’m not going to go home and sit on the couch, either.”

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Are you ever too old to get a PhD?

We’ve often seen discussions on social media about whether or not you’re ever too old to get a PhD. This question, which we explore in this post, is more complicated than it immediately appears.

The median age of doctoral recipients in the US is 31.5 years.

According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics’ 2020 Survey of Earned Doctorates , the median age of doctoral recipients in the US across all fields (including humanities and education) is 31.5 years. Education graduates tend to be the oldest at approximately 39, while PhDs in the physical sciences tend to be around 29.

While these trends reflect the experience of the majority of PhD graduates, several recent reports by major news outlets like The New York Times, the CBC, and NPR have highlighted the stories of PhDs who received their degrees in their 60s—and even as old as 89, in the case of Manfred Steiner .

Doctoral dreams

Manfred Steiner’s circumstances, in particular, highlight the problems with assuming that it’s never too late to receive a PhD. As NPR’s article points out, Steiner had a decades-long career as a successful doctor and professor of hematology at Brown University before starting his PhD in physics.

After he retired from medicine in 2000, he began taking physics courses at MIT. Years later, he completed his physics PhD at Brown. That is, he pursued a PhD after a successful—and likely lucrative—career as a distinguished doctor at the Ivy League institution from which he retired. These facts make his advice to readers (”follow your dream”) seem rather shallow.

Late-stage PhD success stories are prime examples of the elitism of doctoral education.

Likewise, a 2016 New York Times article , chronicling Robert Hevey’s pursuit of a plant biology PhD in his 60s, notes that Hevey fulfilled his doctoral dreams after a 30-year career as a certified public accountant for “accounting firms and businesses ranging from manufacturing to enterprise software and corporate restructuring.”

In both of these instances, the recipients were already successful, high-level professionals who clearly had the time, leisure, and money to pursue a PhD in their later years. The point is that these exemplars of late-stage PhD success are prime examples of the elitism that plagues doctoral education.

Who actually gets a PhD?

Tracy Evans, who wrote about her experience obtaining a PhD at 66 in Science , confessed that she pursued a doctorate because she “needed a change.” Yet, like both Steiner and Hevey, Evans already possessed advanced degrees in other fields.

That is, all three of the highlighted individuals who pursued a PhD at a later age already demonstrated that they could succeed in a graduate program, in spite of the fact that nearly 50% of PhD students in North America drop out of their programs before completing their degrees.

Why do so many PhD students drop out? Is it because of the grueling and competitive nature of the degree? Is it the case that some simply can’t keep up?

Nearly 50% of PhD students in North America drop out of their programs.

While the rigor and intensity of doctoral programs are typically cited as reasons for the high non-completion rates of admitted students, the reality behind the statistic is more complex—a reality that the above examples of late-stage PhD recipients make excessively clear.

According to a 2022 study of the socioeconomic roots of academic faculty , “family socioeconomic status (SES) […] influences graduate school applications and admissions, as well as students’ experience once accepted” (1). The study surveyed 46,692 tenure-track faculty from over 1300 institutions across most major fields. Over 7,000 faculty members provided information about their parents’ level of education.

The authors explain that “individuals with parents who have a doctorate or professional degree are increasingly overrepresented among doctorate and professional degree holders” (2). In fact, “research on social mobility suggests that the association between parents’ SES and their children’s status is larger among post-graduate than bachelor’s degree recipients” (2).

PhD students whose parents have advanced degrees are more likely to become academic faculty.

The results of the study indicate that “across all disciplines, over half (51.8%) of faculty have at least one parent with a master’s degree or PhD” (4). Importantly, there is a strong correlation between parental education and academic support. Ultimately, this means that PhD students whose parents have advanced degrees are more likely to complete their degrees and go on to become academic faculty.

Is a PhD right at any age?

We need to get past the debilitating, unethical narrative that says PhD programs must be utterly grueling.

In the end, one’s success in a PhD program actually has almost nothing to do with age. You are never too old to get a PhD if your family’s (or your own) income or educational background position you to succeed.

The questions we should be asking are: how can we restructure PhD programs so that they provide the maximum academic, financial, and emotional support for all promising students, regardless of family SES or educational background? How can we rethink the PhD pipeline?

And, finally, how can we get past the debilitating, and frankly unethical, narrative that says that PhD programs must be utterly grueling, emotionally draining, and downright nasty at times?

Chappell, B. (2021, November 7). He always wanted a Ph.D. in physics. He finally earned it at 89.  NPR . https://www.npr.org/2021/11/07/1052005447/brown-university-89-phd-physics-dream

Employment Opportunities. (2019, November 15).  Data snapshot: Graduate students, social class, and academia’s promise . AAUP. https://www.aaup.org/article/data-snapshot-graduate-students-social-class-and-academia%E2%80%99s-promise

Evans, T. (2018, July 12). It’s never too late to stretch your wings: Why I got a Ph.D. at age 66.  Science.org . https://www.science.org/content/article/its-never-too-late-stretch-your-wings-why-i-got-phd-age-66

Kang, K. (2021).  Survey of Earned Doctorates . https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf22300/data-tables

Litalien, D. (2015, May 12).  Improving PhD completion rates: where should we start?  Wiley.com. https://www.wiley.com/network/researchers/writing-and-conducting-research/improving-phd-completion-rates-where-should-we-start

Miller, M. (2016, April 15). Taking on the ph.D. later in life.  The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/16/your-money/taking-on-the-phd-later-in-life.html

Morgan, A., LaBerge, N., Larremore, D., Galesic, M., Brand, J. E., & Clauset, A. (2021). Socioeconomic roots of academic faculty. In  SocArXiv . https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/6wjxc

Oh, B., & Kim, C. (2020). Broken promise of college? New educational sorting mechanisms for intergenerational association in the 21st century.  Social Science Research ,  86 (102375), 102375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2019.102375

Ziaee, D. (Last Updated: July 22 2019). Aren’t you too old for that? The late life plunge into a PhD.  CBC News . https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-edition-october-14-2018-1.4858401/aren-t-you-too-old-for-that-the-late-life-plunge-into-a-phd-1.4858402

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Postgraduation trends

A graduate’s first position after earning the doctoral degree may reflect broad economic conditions and can shape later career opportunities, earnings, and choices. Over the longer term, the early career patterns of doctorate recipients may influence the decisions of future students considering careers as scientists, engineers, scholars, and researchers.

At any given time, the job market for new doctorate recipients will be better in some fields of study than in others. Though all fields tend to follow patterns that generally reflect overall trends in economic conditions, definite commitments at graduation are likely to be influenced by many factors.

In life sciences, physical sciences and earth sciences, and engineering, the proportions of doctorate recipients reporting definite commitments, including postdoctoral positions (postdocs), have declined since 2000. These fields hit low points from about 2014 to 2016, depending on the field, but have since rebounded. In 2020, the proportion of doctorate recipients in mathematics and computer sciences and in psychology and social sciences who had definite commitments reached their highest points in the past 20 years (76% in each field) ( figure 20 ). Non-science and engineering (non-S&E) fields similarly have recovered from lows in 2014–16 ( figure 21 ).

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Definite commitments among doctorate recipients, by S&E broad field of study: 2000–20

S&E = science and engineering.

Shaded areas in the graphic reflect recessions that occurred between March 2001 and November 2001 and between December 2007 and June 2009 ( http://www.nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html ). Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoctoral study, in the coming year. Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients who responded to the postgraduation status item.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2020. Related detailed table 42 and table 43 .

Definite commitments among doctorate recipients, by non-S&E broad field of study: 2000–20

First postgraduate position, academic employment.

In 2020, 40% of all doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments (excluding postdoc positions) in the United States reported that their principal job would be in academe, down from 49% in 2000.

The highest rates of academic employment commitments were reported by doctorate recipients in humanities and arts and in other non-S&E fields (70% and 72%, respectively); the lowest rates were in engineering (10%) and in physical sciences and earth sciences (16%). In the past 20 years, the rate of academic employment commitments declined in all fields except for education, where it increased ( figure 22 ).

Definite employment commitments in academe in the United States, by broad field of study: 2000 and 2020

Definite employment commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment other than a postdoctoral position in the coming year. Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients who reported definite commitments (including those missing employer type) and plans to stay in the United States.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2020. Related detailed table 44 , table 51 , and table 52 .

Postdoc positions

Historically, postdoc study positions have been a customary part of the early career paths of doctorate recipients in life sciences and in physical sciences and earth sciences, making up over half of definite commitments. Since 2000, postdocs also have become more prevalent in mathematics and computer sciences, psychology and social sciences, engineering, and non-S&E fields, though their rates in these fields are not as high.

After a decade of growth between 2000 and 2010, the overall proportion of S&E doctorate recipients taking postdoc positions in the United States immediately after graduation declined from 55% to 46%. The proportions of doctorate recipients taking postdoc positions in life sciences, physical sciences and earth sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, and engineering declined during this period, but the proportions in psychology and social sciences and in non-S&E fields increased ( figure 23 ).

U.S. postdoctorate rate for doctorate recipients, by broad field of study: Selected years, 2000–20

Percentages are based on the number of doctorate recipients who reported definite commitments in the coming year, who reported whether their commitment was for postdoctoral study or other employment, and who plan to live in the United States.

Median salaries

In 2020, doctorate recipients who had definite commitments for a postdoc or other employed position in the United States in the coming year reported basic annual salaries that varied by their field of study and the type of position to which they committed.

In every field, median expected salaries for doctorate recipients committing to jobs in industry or business ​ Industry or business includes all nonacademic sectors, including self-employment, private for-profit and private nonprofit, and government. were higher than those in postdocs and academe ( figure 24 ). The median salaries for postdocs in almost all broad fields were relatively similar, ranging from $50,000 to $55,000. Postdocs in mathematics and computer sciences were the exception, with a median salary of $61,000. Doctorate recipients in engineering and those in other non-S&E fields, such as industry or business, reported the highest median academic salaries ($85,000 and $90,000, respectively). Those in mathematics and computer sciences reported the highest median salaries in industry or business positions ($144,000).

Median expected basic annual salary of doctorate recipients with definite commitments in the United States, by position type and broad field of study: 2020

Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoctoral study, in the coming year and plans to stay in the United States. Industry or business includes all nonacademic sectors, including self-employment, private for-profit and private nonprofit, and government.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2020. Related detailed table 48 and table 49 .

Typical Graduate Student Age [Data for Average Age]

Graduate students can come straight from undergraduate study or they can be a little bit older after spending some time in industry. No matter what the subject you’ll find a wide variety of graduate student demographics and ages.

According to the OECD, the average age of master’s students is 24 and the average age of PhD entry is 27. In the US the average age of students studying for a graduate degree is 33 years old with a 22% of the graduates being over 40 years old.

In my experience, there has often been a wide variety of ages in grad school. In both my masters and my PhD years I was working alongside some mature age students. No matter the age, I enjoyed working alongside all students who were able to support each other during their studies.

If you are worried that you are too old to enter grad school and return to school, fear not.

As long as you enter your course with an apprentice mindset, do not look down on those who are younger than you, and work collaboratively you will likely have a fantastic time.

If you’d like to watch my YouTube video about this subject you can check it out in the link below.

In this article, we will look at the average age of graduate students and the data presented for master’s and PhD students by universities.

Grad Student Ages – Average ages?

According to some online sources, the average graduate student today is 33 years old, although students in doctoral programs are a bit older on average.

However, the average graduate student in the United States is typically between 22 and 28 years old. There are often 30’s and 40’s around, as well as super-brilliant under-21’s.

Some people decide to go back to university after some time in their careers because through their work or life experience they realise that they need or want an advanced degree to further their careers.

According to the data provided by Louisiana State University, the average age at which a student achieves a masters degree is of over 430 international student advising centres in more than 80 countries, the average age of a US graduate student is 31 years.

Here are some more graphs that will show you the median age of different students in a variety of institutions.

South-eastern University

Here is the distribution of students from south-eastern University in 2021 .

You’ll notice that there is a bimodal distribution. That is, a number of graduate students are between the ages of 22 and 24 but there is also a peak between 40 and 49.

This is likely due to the fact that the second peak is due to those who have entered a professional career and want a career change or to up-skill in their current role.

The University of British Columbia

The University of British Colombia in Vancouver also presented their 2022 cohort demographic statistics for Masters and PhD students between the ages of 20 and 60.

You can see the results of this in the graph below.

Age at completion of doctoral degree

Lastly, in the table below we have the median age at doctorate for a number of fields and demographic characteristics in the United States of America.

You can see that the average PhD age for completion is 31.5 in the United States. The US has a much older cohort upon completion because their degrees typically take 5 to 7 years because there is a large coursework component at the beginning of their PhD.

I graduated from my PhD when I was 25. I did my undergraduate which included a Masters year. That means my undergraduate was done in four years. Then, I moved to Australia to do a PhD as an international student which meant I needed to be finished in three years.

Therefore I did my undergraduate, masters, PhD in seven years total. That is pretty much as fast as anyone can do it.

However, it is not a race and some people benefit greatly from taking their time, doing part or all of their education part-time, or waiting until they are financially stable before returning to their studies.

Why People Wait to Get Graduate Degrees

There are a number of reasons why people wait to get graduate degrees.

For many, it’s a matter of finishing up their undergraduate degree and taking some time to transition into the workforce before then re-enrolling in a graduate program to improve skills that they can then use to access higher pay scales in their current role.

For others, it’s a question of work experience – they want to be sure they’re making the most of their time and earning potential before going back to school.

And for the majority of students, it’s simply a question of finances. College is expensive, and many students graduate with a lot of debt. Going back to school for a graduate degree can add even more debt to that total.

But there are also plenty of people who go back to school for their graduate degree right after finishing their undergraduate degree. For some, it’s a matter of getting into the program they really want or earning a higher salary. For others, it’s simply a passion for learning. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of people who choose to go back to school immediately after finishing their undergraduate degree.

Will graduate schools care how old you are?

Graduate schools may care about your age if you’re an undergrad student applying to a graduate program. Sometimes a graduate program requires some professional experience so that you can get the most out of your program.

If you have work experience, your age may not be as important to admission committees. However, if you’re exploring a new field or degree, your advisor or the admissions committee may feel that your age puts you at a disadvantage.

In science programs, for example, research experience is often a requirement for admission, and mature students may have an easier time completing this requirement. Some programs also prefer or require that their students be of a certain age range. Your advisor can tell you more about the requirements of specific programs.

Are you too old for a graduate degree?

The answer is no, you are never too old to get a graduate degree. In fact, according to National Center for Education Statistics, the average age of graduate students is 33 years old.

This means that 1 in 5 students is over the age of 40!

So don’t worry, there are plenty of people in your situation.

Just remember that grad school is not for everyone, so make sure you really think about what you want to get out of it before making a decision.

You can be any age and still get a graduate degree. There are many benefits to getting a graduate degree, such as improved job prospects and increased earnings potential. If you are thinking about going back to school, then you should definitely consider getting a graduate degree.

Wrapping up

This article has been through everything you need to know about a typical graduate student age and has presented some data for various institution’s graduate students.

Ultimately, as long as graduate school is something that you see value in and you are willing to spend the time, money, and effort in getting your next qualification it could be a valuable addition to your CV.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

• All previous cycle years

The SED is an annual census of research doctorate recipients from U.S. academic institutions that collects information on educational history, demographic characteristics, graduate funding source and educational debts, and postgraduation plans.

Survey Info

• tag for use when URL is provided --> Methodology
• tag for use when URL is provided --> Data
• tag for use when URL is provided --> Analysis

The Survey of Earned Doctorates is an annual census conducted since 1957 of all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year. The SED is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and by three other federal agencies: the National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, and National Endowment for the Humanities. The SED collects information on the doctoral recipient’s educational history, demographic characteristics, and postgraduation plans. Results are used to assess characteristics of the doctoral population and trends in doctoral education and degrees.

Areas of Interest

• STEM Education
• Science and Engineering Workforce

Survey Administration

The 2022 survey was conducted by RTI International under contract to NCSES.

Survey Details

Featured survey analysis.

Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2022

SED Overview

Data highlights, the number of research doctorates conferred by u.s. institutions, which began a sharp 15-month decline in spring 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, rebounded in 2022 with the highest number of research doctorates awarded in any academic year to date.

Over the past 20 years, most of the growth in the number of doctorates earned by both men and women has been in science and engineering (S&E) fields 

Methodology

Survey description, technical notes, technical tables, questionnaires, view archived questionnaires, featured analysis.

Research Doctorate Conferrals Rebound, Leading to Record Number of U.S. Doctorate Recipients in 2022

Related content, related collections, survey contact.

For additional information about this survey or the methodology, contact

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Demographics

Doctoral Student demographics and statistics in the US

Doctoral student demographics research summary. Zippia estimates doctoral student demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our doctoral student estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about doctoral students after extensive research and analysis:

• There are over 29,753 doctoral students currently employed in the United States.
• 47.1% of all doctoral students are women, while 52.9% are men .
• The average doctoral student age is 44 years old.
• The most common ethnicity of doctoral students is White (53.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.6%), Asian (11.8%) and Black or African American (11.0%).
• In 2022, women earned 92% of what men earned.
• 6% of all doctoral students are LGBT .
• Doctoral students are 86% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.

Doctoral Student gender statistics

• Male , 52.9%
• Female , 47.1%

Doctoral Student gender ratio

Doctoral student gender pay gap.

Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men

Doctoral Student gender ratio over time

Doctoral student gender ratio by year, doctoral student related jobs gender ratio.

We compared doctoral students with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, hvac/r instructor and assistant professor of air conditioning and refrigeration have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Doctoral Student demographics by race

• White , 53.9%
• Hispanic or Latino , 17.6%
• Asian , 11.8%
• Black or African American , 11.0%
• Unknown , 4.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native , 1.2%

Doctoral Student Race

Doctoral student race and ethnicity over time.

See how doctoral student racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

• Hispanic or Latino
• Black or African American

Doctoral Student race and ethnicity by year

Doctoral student wage gap by race, average doctoral student age, doctoral student age by race and gender, doctoral student age breakdown.

30-40 years

20-30 years

Doctoral Student educational attainment

• Bachelor's , 53%
• Master's , 30%
• Doctorate , 14%
• Associate , 1%
• Other Degrees , 2%

Doctoral Students by degree level

Doctoral student jobs you might like, doctoral student wage gap by degree level, doctoral student employment statistics, company size where doctoral students work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Doctoral Student jobs by employer size

Doctoral student jobs by company type, doctoral student jobs by sector, doctoral student jobs by industry.

The most common industries for doctoral students are education, health care and manufacturing.

Health Care

Manufacturing

Professional

Non Profits

Doctoral Student industry statistics

Doctoral student turnover and employment statistics, doctoral student unemployment rate over time.

• Unemployment rate

Doctoral Student unemployment rate by year

Average doctoral student tenure.

Less than one year

Doctoral Student tenure statistics

Doctoral student lgbt ratio compared to similar jobs, similar doctoral student jobs lgbt demographics, foreign languages spoken by doctoral students.

• Spanish , 23.9%
• French , 17.4%
• Chinese , 12.0%
• German , 8.5%
• Mandarin , 7.7%
• Other , 30.5%

Doctoral Student languages spoken

Doctoral student jobs, doctoral student location demographics.

Which city has the most Doctoral Students?

Doctoral Student jobs by state

Doctoral student demographics faqs, how many doctoral student are there in the us, what percentage of doctoral students are black, what race are most doctoral students, are doctoral student jobs male - dominated, how old is the average doctoral student, search for doctoral student jobs, related jobs demographics.

• Doctoral Fellow Demographics
• Graduate Assistant Demographics
• Graduate Internship Demographics
• Graduate Research Assistant Demographics
• Graduate Research Student Demographics
• Graduate Researcher Demographics
• Graduate Student Assistant Demographics
• Graduate Student Internship Demographics
• Graduate Teaching Assistant Demographics
• Laboratory Teaching Assistant Demographics
• PHD Researcher Demographics
• Postdoctoral Associate Demographics
• Postdoctoral Research Associate Demographics
• Postdoctoral Scholar Demographics
• Research Fellow Demographics

Doctoral Student Related Hirings

• How To Hire A Doctoral Fellow
• How To Hire A Graduate Assistant
• How To Hire A Graduate Internship
• How To Hire A Graduate Research Assistant
• How To Hire A Graduate Research Student
• How To Hire A Graduate Researcher
• How To Hire A Graduate Student Internship
• How To Hire An PHD Researcher
• How To Hire A Postdoctoral Associate
• How To Hire A Postdoctoral Research Associate
• How To Hire A Postdoctoral Scholar
• How To Hire A Research Fellow
• How To Hire A Researcher
• How To Hire A Senior Research Fellow
• How To Hire A Student Instructor

Doctoral Student Related Jobs

• Doctoral Fellow Jobs Near Me
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• Postdoctoral Associate Jobs Near Me
• Postdoctoral Research Associate Jobs Near Me
• Postdoctoral Scholar Jobs Near Me
• Research Fellow Jobs Near Me

What Similar Roles Do

• What a Doctoral Fellow Does
• What a Graduate Assistant Does
• What a Graduate Internship Does
• What a Graduate Research Assistant Does
• What a Graduate Research Student Does
• What a Graduate Student Assistant Does
• What a Graduate Teaching Assistant Does
• What an PHD Researcher Does
• What a Postdoctoral Associate Does
• What a Postdoctoral Research Associate Does
• What a Postdoctoral Scholar Does
• What a Research Fellow Does
• What a Researcher Does
• What a Senior Research Fellow Does
• What a Student Instructor Does
• Zippia Careers
• Education, Training, and Library Industry
• Doctoral Student
• Doctoral Student Demographics

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• The Age of New Humanities Ph.D.'s
• K - 12 Education
• Higher Education
• Funding and Research
• Public Life
• Associate’s Degrees in the Liberal Arts and Humanities
• Demographics of Associate’s Degree Recipients in the Humanities
• Bachelor’s Degrees in the Humanities
• Humanities Bachelor’s Degrees as a Second Major
• Disciplinary Distribution of Bachelor’s Degrees in the Humanities
• Institutional Distribution of Bachelor's Degrees in the Humanities
• Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Bachelor's Degrees in the Humanities
• Gender Distribution of Bachelor’s Degrees in the Humanities
• Most Frequently Taken College Courses
• Postsecondary Course-Taking in Languages Other than English
• Advanced Degrees in the Humanities
• Humanities’ Share of All Advanced Degrees Conferred
• Disciplinary Distribution of Advanced Degrees in the Humanities
• Institutional Distribution of Master’s Degrees in the Humanities
• Institutional Distribution of Doctoral Degrees in the Humanities
• Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Advanced Degrees in the Humanities
• Gender Distribution of Advanced Degrees in the Humanities
• Years to Attainment of a Humanities Doctorate
• The Relationship between Funding and Time to Ph.D.
• Paying for Doctoral Study in the Humanities
• Debt and Doctoral Study in the Humanities
• Attrition in Humanities Doctorate Programs
• The Interdisciplinary Humanities Ph.D.
• English Language and Literature Degree Completions
• Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degrees in English Language and Literature
• Gender Distribution of Degrees in English Language and Literature
• History Degree Completions
• Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degrees in History
• Gender Distribution of Degrees in History
• Degree Completions in Languages and Literatures Other than English
• Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degrees in Languages and Literatures Other than English
• Gender Distribution of Degrees in Languages and Literatures Other than English
• Philosophy Degree Completions
• Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degrees in Philosophy
• Gender Distribution of Degrees in Philosophy
• Degree Completions in the Academic Study of Religion
• Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degrees in Religion
• Gender Distribution of Degrees in Religion
• Humanities Degree Completions: An International Comparison
• U.S. Students Pursuing Study Abroad

The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) reveals that the median age of humanities and arts students who completed a Ph.D. in 2020 was almost three years higher than for doctorate recipients in general, with a comparatively large share of older students earning the degree. This may come as little surprise, since doctoral students in the humanities and arts tend to take longer to complete a Ph.D. than their counterparts in other fields . However, the gap in age at completion is not fully explained by the difference in time to completion, as doctorate recipients in the humanities and arts spend only about one year longer in their doctoral programs than students earning a Ph.D. in other fields.

( Note: These indicators present data for Ph.D.’s in both the humanities and the arts, which the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics combines in its public reporting of findings from the SED. But because the humanities produce substantially more PhDs each year than the fine/performing arts , the SED provides useful insight about the state of doctoral education in the humanities.)

• The median age of new humanities and arts Ph.D.’s was 34.2 years in 2020—almost three years older than the median among new doctorate recipients generally (31.5 years; Indicator II-28a ). Only doctoral degree recipients in education had a higher median age (38.5 years).
• From 1994 to 2020, the median age of new doctoral degree recipients in all fields combined declined by 2.6 years, from 34.1 to 31.5. In the humanities and arts, the median age fell by 1.5 years, from 35.7 to 34.2—similar to every other field except education, where the median fell by more than five years (from 43.6 to 38.5).
• In the humanities and arts, 22% of new doctoral degree recipients in 2020 were age 30 or younger, as compared to 68% of the graduates in physical/earth sciences and 36% of those in the behavioral/social sciences ( Indicator II-28b ). A substantial plurality of new Ph.D.’s in the humanities and arts, 39%, were ages 31–35—the largest share in that age group for any field. Another 18% of humanities and arts Ph.D.’s were over 40. The only field with a larger share of degree recipients over 40 was education.
• Throughout the 2010–2020 time period, the median age of women earning humanities and arts Ph.D.’s was modestly lower than that of men (33.8 years versus 34.4 years in 2020; findings not visualized). Similarly, a comparison of the broad disciplinary categories within the humanities employed by the data collector 1  revealed only small differences in age at receipt of the doctorate across the ten-year period.
• 1 The compared disciplines are history, languages and literatures other than English, and “Letters.” The latter encompasses: American literature (U.S. and Canada); classics; comparative literature; creative writing; English language; English literature (British and Commonwealth); rhetoric and composition; and speech and rhetorical studies.

* Includes agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; and health sciences. ** Includes earth, computer, and information sciences, as well as mathematics. The latter three fields were reported separately beginning in 2015.

Source: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities (Data Tables, Years 1994–2020), https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/doctorates (accessed 2/15/2022). Table numbers for years: 1994 to 1998—A-3a; 1999 to 2001, 2005—18; 2002 to 2004—17; 2006, 2008—20; 2007 (included in 2008 report)—S-20; 2009—24; and 2010 to 2020—27. Data presented by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’  Humanities  Indicators ( www.humanitiesindicators.org ).

The data on which this indicator is based are collected as part of the federal Survey of Earned Doctorates , a national census of recently graduated doctorate recipients.

For additional indicators related to the completion of a doctorate in the humanities, see “Debt and Doctoral Study in the Humanities,” “Years to Attainment of a Humanities Doctorate,”   “Paying for Doctoral Study in the Humanities,” and “Attrition in Humanities Doctorate Programs.”

For trends in the number of doctorate completions in the humanities, see “Advanced Degrees in the Humanities.”

* Includes agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; and health sciences.

Source: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates (custom tabulation prepared for the Humanities Indicators by RTI in November 2021). Data presented by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’  Humanities  Indicators ( www.humanitiesindicators.org ).

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10 facts about today’s college graduates

Having a bachelor’s degree remains an important advantage in many sectors of the U.S. labor market. College graduates generally out-earn those who have not attended college, and they are more likely to be employed in the first place. At the same time, many Americans say they cannot afford to get a four-year degree – or that they just don’t want to.

Here are key facts about American college graduates.

This Pew Research Center analysis about U.S. college graduates relies on data from sources including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Student Clearinghouse and the Federal Reserve Bank, as well as surveys conducted by the Center.

Everyone who took the Pew Research Center surveys cited is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about  the ATP’s methodology .

Nearly four-in-ten Americans ages 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, a share that has grown over the last decade. As of 2021, 37.9% of adults in this age group held a bachelor’s degree, including 14.3% who also obtained a graduate or professional degree, according to data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. That share is up 7.5 percentage points from 30.4% in 2011.

An additional 10.5% had an associate degree in 2021. About four-in-ten Americans ages 25 and older had a high school diploma with no further education (25.3%) or completed some college but didn’t have a degree (14.9%).

In a reversal, women are now more likely than men to graduate from college, according to the Current Population Survey . In 2021, 39% of women ages 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or more education, compared with 37% of men in the same age range. The gap in college completion is even wider among adults ages 25 to 34: 46% of women in this age group have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 36% of men.

In an October 2021 Pew Research Center survey of Americans without a degree, 34% of men said a major reason why they have not received a four-year college degree is that they just didn’t want to. Only one-in-four women said the same. Men were also more likely to say a major reason they didn’t have a four-year degree is that they didn’t need more education for the job or career they wanted (26% of men said this vs. 20% of women).

Women (44%) were more likely than men (39%) to say not being able to afford college was a major reason they don’t have a bachelor’s degree. Men and women were about equally likely to say a major impediment was needing to work to help support their family.

There are racial and ethnic differences in college graduation patterns, as well as in the reasons for not completing a degree. Among adults ages 25 and older, 61% of Asian Americans have a bachelor’s degree or more education, along with 42% of White adults, 28% of Black adults and 21% of Hispanic adults, according to 2021 Current Population Survey data. The share of bachelor’s degree holders in each group has increased since 2010. That year, 52% of Asian Americans had a four-year degree or more, compared with a third of White adults, 20% of Black adults and 14% of Hispanic adults.

The October 2021 Center survey found that among adults without a bachelor’s degree, Hispanic adults (52%) were more likely than those who are White (39%) or Black (41%) to say a major reason they didn’t graduate from a four-year college is that they couldn’t afford it. Hispanic and Black adults were more likely than their White counterparts to say needing to work to support their family was a major reason.

While a third of White adults said not wanting to go to school was a major reason they didn’t complete a four-year degree, smaller shares of Black (22%) and Hispanic (23%) adults said the same. White adults were also more likely to cite not needing more education for the job or career they wanted. (There weren’t enough Asian adults without a bachelor’s degree in the sample to analyze separately.)

Only 62% of students who start a degree or certificate program finish their program within six years, according to the most recent data from the  National Student Clearinghouse , a nonprofit verification and research organization that tracked first-time college students who enrolled in fall 2015 with the intent of pursuing a degree or certificate. The degree completion rate for this group was highest among students who started at four-year, private, nonprofit schools (78.3%), and lowest among those who started at two-year public institutions (42.2%).

Business is the most commonly held bachelor’s degree, followed by health professions.  According to the  National Center for Education Statistics , about a fifth (19%) of the roughly 2 million bachelor’s degrees conferred in 2019-20 were in business. Health professions and related programs were the second most-popular field, making up 12.6% of degrees conferred that year. Business has been the single most common major since 1980-81; before that, education led the way.

The  least  common bachelor’s degrees in 2019-20 were in military technologies and applied sciences (1,156 degrees conferred in 2019-20), library science (118), and precision production (39).

There is a growing earnings gap between young college graduates and their counterparts without degrees. In 2021, full-time workers ages 22 to 27 who held a bachelor’s degree, but no further education, made a median annual wage of $52,000, compared with $30,000 for full-time workers of the same age with a high school diploma and no degree, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gap has widened over time. Young bachelor’s degree holders earned a median annual wage of $48,481 in 1990, compared with $35,257 for full-time workers ages 22 to 27 with a high school diploma.

The unemployment rate is lower for college graduates than for workers without a bachelor’s degree, and that gap widened as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In February 2020, just before the COVID-19 outbreak began in the U.S., only 1.9% of college graduates ages 25 and older were unemployed, compared with 3.1% of workers who completed some college but not a four-year degree, and 3.7% of workers with only a high school diploma. By June 2020, after the pandemic hit, 6.8% of college grads, 10.8% of workers with some college, and 12.2% of high school grads were unemployed.

By March 2022, the unemployment rate had nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels for college graduates (2%) while dropping to 3% among those with some college education but no four-year degree, and 4% among those with only a high school diploma.

Recent college graduates are more likely than graduates overall to be underemployed – that is, working in jobs that typically do not require a college degree, according to an analysis of Census Bureau and BLS data by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York . As of December 2021, 41% of college graduates ages 22 to 27 were underemployed, compared with 34% among all college graduates. The underemployment rates for recent college grads rose in 2020 as the COVID-19 outbreak strained the job market, but have since returned to pre-pandemic levels.

As of the end of 2021, only 34% of underemployed graduates ages 22 to 27 worked what the Fed defines as “good non-college jobs” – those paying at least $45,000 a year – down from around half in the 1990s. The share of underemployed graduates ages 22 to 27 in low-wage jobs – those earning less than $25,000 annually – rose from about 9% in 1990 to 11% last year.

When it comes to income and wealth accumulation, first-generation college graduates lag substantially behind those with college-educated parents, according to a May 2021 Pew Research Center analysis . Households headed by a first-generation college graduate – that is, someone who has completed at least a bachelor’s degree but does not have a parent with a college degree – had a median annual income of $99,600 in 2019, compared with $135,800 for households headed by those with at least one parent who graduated from college. The median wealth of households headed by first-generation college graduates ($152,000) also trailed that of households headed by someone with a parent who graduated from college ($244,500). The higher household income of the latter facilitates saving and wealth accumulation.

The gap also reflects differences in how individuals finance their education. Second-generation college graduates tend to come from  more affluent families , while first-generation college graduates are more likely to incur education debt than those with a college-educated parent.

Most Americans with college degrees see value in their experience. In the Center’s October 2021 survey , majorities of graduates said their college education was extremely or very useful when it came to helping them grow personally and intellectually (79%), opening doors to job opportunities (70%) and developing specific skills and knowledge that could be used in the workplace (65%).

Younger college graduates were less likely than older ones to see value in their college education. For example, only a third of college graduates younger than 50 said their college experience was extremely useful in helping them develop skills and knowledge that could be used in the workplace. Among college graduates ages 50 and older, 45% said this.

• Higher Education

Katherine Schaeffer is a research analyst at Pew Research Center .

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What Is The Age Limit for A PhD?

• By Dr Harry Hothi
• August 17, 2020

Introduction

I have seen and personally worked with PhD candidates of all ages, some older than me, some younger. In all my time within academia, I haven’t come across any university that places a limit on the age of an individual that wants to apply for and pursue a full time doctoral degree; indeed the practice of doing so would be rightly considered a form of discrimination at most academic institutions and even against the law in some countries.

However, a quick search on Google is enough to see that the question about age limits for doing a PhD is something that is asked quite often. This leads me to believe that there are many very capable potential doctoral candidates in the world that haven’t pursued their dreams of academic research almost entirely because they believe that they’re too old to do so.

There is No Age Limit for Doing a PhD

Simply put there is no age limit for someone considering doing a PhD. Indeed, on the opposite end of the scale, even the definition of a minimum’ age at which someone can start a PhD is not really well defined.

One of the youngest PhD graduates in recent times is thought to be Kim Ung-Yong who is a South Korean professor who purportedly earned a PhD in civil engineering at the age of 15 [1]. For the vast majority however, the practical considerations of progressing through the different stages of education (i.e. high school, undergraduate degree, a Master’s degree, etc.) mean that most won’t start their PhD projects until they’re at least in their early to mid 20’s; in the UK, for example, the average age for a PhD graduate is between 26 and 27 years old [2].

Meanwhile, the oldest person to be awarded a PhD degree in the United Kingdom is thought to be 95 year old Charles Betty, who gained his doctorate from the University of Northampton in 2018 after completing his 48,000 word thesis on why elderly expats living in Spain decide to return to the UK’ [3].

What does the data say?

According to data published by the National Science Foundation (NSF), a total of 54,904 people earned PhDs at universities in the United States of America in 2016; 46% of all new doctorates were women and 31% were international candidates [4].

Looking at the age distributions available for 51,621 of these new PhD graduates in 2016, 44% (n=22,863) were aged 30 or below, 43% (n=22,038) were aged between 31 and 40 and 13% (n=6,720) were over the age of 40 when they were awarded their doctoral degree. In this same year, over 50% of PhD students in subjects related to physical sciences, earth sciences, life sciences, mathematics, computer sciences and engineering were below the age of 31, whilst less than 10% of these STEM graduates were older than 41.

Conversely, 61% of PhDs in humanities and arts and 52% in other non-engineering and science disciplines gained their doctorates between 31 and 40 years of age. Interestingly, the analysis by the NSF found that 94% of doctoral candidates aged below 31 supported their research financially through research or teaching assistantships, grants or fellowships. Only 36% of PhDs aged over 41 at graduation reported receiving similar types of financial support; approximately 50% of this age group were found to have self-funded their studies.

The reasons for fewer doctoral candidates aged over 41 receiving external funding to support their time as research students is not clear. On the face of it, the data may appear to suggest a bias towards funding younger students which unfortunately may be the case in some instances. In Germany, for example, the German Federal Training Assistance Act (BAfG) provides funding support for higher education but places a limit of 30 years for undergraduate degrees and 35 years for postgraduate students at graduate school. However, another explanation, at least in some cases, may be that non-STEM related subjects are less likely to be associated with specific project funding and NSF analysis suggests PhDs in these subjects are more often undertaken by older doctoral candidates.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages?

No one should be discouraged from pursuing a PhD program or entering into higher education based on how old they are and indeed there are several (albeit subjective) benefits and disadvantages of doing a PhD in your younger’ or older’ years.

A perceived advantage may be that gaining a PhD in your 20’s can potentially give you more time to develop your career. Younger doctoral students could earn their PhD and enter into academic jobs before starting a family (although many people successfully carry out doctoral research whilst also looking after young children). You could even afford yourself the time and flexibility to implement a career change further down the line if you so wanted.

Conversely, entering a graduate school and becoming a PhD student in later years means that you’ll be doing so having gained a lot more life experience and for some STEM research projects in particular, having work experience in industry can be invaluable. As an older PhD candidate you’re likely to be better equipped to work independently and the relationships / connections you’ll have built over time may be a useful factor in helping you progress faster. I’ve met several older students at university who had the opportunity to undertake PhD research years ago but have no regrets in having waited and started the adventure in later years.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

It’s inevitable that the question of age limits for pursing a PhD is going to invite some controversial opinions from some people; this unfortunately may always be the case when talking about differing social and demographic factors.

There’s no doubt however that PhD programs can help career advancement or a career change regardless of age however there’s also nothing to stop you from becoming a graduate student just for the academic pursuit!

The answer here is very simple: there is no age limit for doing a PhD.

[1] http://scienceandnaturea.blogspot.com

[2] https://www.eui.eu/

[3] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

[4] https://ncses.nsf.gov/

In this post you’ll learn what the significance of the study means, why it’s important, where and how to write one in your paper or thesis with an example.

Choosing a good PhD supervisor will be paramount to your success as a PhD student, but what qualities should you be looking for? Read our post to find out.

There’s no doubt about it – writing can be difficult. Whether you’re writing the first sentence of a paper or a grant proposal, it’s easy

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Browse PhDs Now

Do you need to have published papers to do a PhD? The simple answer is no but it could benefit your application if you can.

The answer is simple: there is no age limit for doing a PhD; in fact, the oldest known person to have gained a PhD in the UK was 95 years old.

Dr Easey has a PhD from the University of East Anglia where she genetically modified viral ligase enzymes for industry. She is now a biomedical scientist working in the Haematopathology and Oncology Diagnostic Service at Addenbrookes hospital.

Pavan’s nearing completion of her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree at the University of Toronto, whilst also working 4 days/week as a Clinical Pharmacist across 3 hospital sites in the Greater Toronto Area.

Join Thousands of Students

RIT graduate pursues Ph.D. across time zones

Nastaran Nagshineh, center, defended her Ph.D. thesis at RIT in April. Faculty from RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses served on her thesis committee and include, from left to right, Kathleen Lamkin-Kennard, Steven Weinstein, Nathaniel Barlow, and David Kofke (a professor at the University at Buffalo). Mohamed Samaha participated remotely and appears on the video screen behind the group and alongside Nagshineh’s picture.

Nastaran Nagshineh is one of the first Ph.D. candidates to bridge RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses. Her accomplishment creates a path for future students at the university’s international campuses.

Nagshineh completed her Ph.D. in mathematical modeling while working full time as a mathematics lecturer at RIT Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, teaching as many as five classes a semester. She described her Ph.D. journey as “an exercise in perseverance” due to competing demands and long days. Rochester is eight hours behind Dubai, and the time difference meant many late-night classes and meetings.

“I saw this collaboration as an opportunity, rather than as a challenge, because my primary adviser, Dr. Steven Weinstein (RIT professor of chemical engineering), and my co-adviser, Dr. Mohamed Samaha (RIT Dubai associate professor of mechanical engineering), both have the same area of research interest,” she said. “They both worked toward my success.”

Nagshineh is one of 67 RIT Ph.D. students who defended their thesis this academic year and who will earn their doctorate. RIT awarded 63 Ph.D. degrees in 2023.

In 2020-2021, RIT’s Graduate School met and surpassed the university’s goal of conferring 50 Ph.D. degrees during an academic year. That number will continue to grow as students cycle through the seven new Ph.D. programs that RIT has added since 2017, said Diane Slusarski , dean of RIT’s Graduate School.

Meeting these goals puts RIT on a path toward achieving an “R1,” or research-intensive designation, from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning. RIT is currently ranked as an R2 institution . Many factors go into changing a university’s status, including research investment and maintaining a three-year average of 70 Ph.D. degrees awarded per year, according to Slusarski.

“We have met the goals of the strategic plan, and now we look forward to contributing to the research innovation in the future,” Slusarski said. “We want to help the new programs thrive and win national research awards.”

RIT’s emphasis on high-level research is seen in Nagshineh’s Ph.D. work. She applies mathematical modeling to the field of fluid dynamics. Her research has been published in top-tier journals and has gained notice, said Weinstein, her thesis adviser.

Weinstein describes Nagshineh’s accomplishments as “a testament to a fantastic work ethic and commitment” and is inspirational to younger students at Rochester and Dubai.

“The collaboration between RIT Dubai/Rochester has continued,” he said. “Another paper was submitted a few weeks ago with Mohamed Samaha and Nate Barlow (RIT associate professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics) as co-authors, as well as Cade Reinberger, a younger Ph.D. student in my research group.”

Mathematical modeling is one of RIT’s newer Ph.D. degree programs, and Nagshineh is among its earliest graduates. The program has doubled in size since it began accepting students in 2017, Slusarski said. This past fall, the mathematical modeling program had 35 students, with two graduating this year.

Altogether, RIT has 13 Ph.D. degree programs currently enrolling 438 students, with computing and information sciences accounting for the largest with 117 students. RIT’s other Ph.D. programs include astrophysical sciences and technology , biomedical and chemical engineering , business administration , color science , electrical and computer engineering, imaging science , mechanical and industrial engineering , microsystems engineering , and sustainability .

New programs in cognitive science and physics will launch in the fall.

The growth in RIT graduate education—with more than 3,000 master’s and doctoral students—reflects a demographic change in the student population, Slusarski said. “We have a higher percentage of women in the graduate programs than we have for RIT undergraduate programs.”

RIT’s graduate programs enroll 42 percent women, according to Christie Leone , assistant dean for the Graduate School.

Nagshineh, who also holds an MS in electrical engineering from RIT Dubai, welcomes her role as a mentor to other women students on both campuses.

“As a young woman in an Arabic country, the power of women is often underestimated and undervalued, and I hope to serve as a role model to female students, especially those that question their path,” Nagshineh said.

She plans to continue in her career as a professor and a researcher. “I would like to pursue a research program where I can advise my own students and teach them more deeply.”

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