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Each fall the Statistical Research Center (SRC) conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey is sent to all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the United States and Puerto Rico. Departments are asked to provide information concerning the number of students they currently have enrolled and the number of degrees they conferred in the previous academic year. The academic year is defined as being from September to August. In the 2017-18 academic year, 753 departments offered bachelor's degrees in physics. This Focus On highlights 2018 survey results pertaining to degrees conferred, characteristics (citizenship, age, gender, two-year college background, double majors, minors, and degree focus, race and ethnicity), and enrollments.

Physics bachelor's degree production continues to increase, with the 8,122 bachelor's awarded representing yet another all-time high. Further increases in physics bachelor's degree production are anticipated as undergraduate junior- and senior-level enrollments continue to climb. The all-time high of 1,860 physics PhDs conferred in the class of 2015 continues the trend of increasing PhD production. First-year graduate physics student enrollments have been relatively unchanged in recent years, as a result total graduate enrollments are expected to remain at about 15,000 for the next couple of years. This report contains the most current enrollment and degree data for each degree-granting physics department in the US. The findings in this report come from the AIP annual survey of Enrollments and Degrees.

Physics bachelor's degree production has more than doubled since the recent low in 1999 and total enrollments in US undergraduate physics programs continue to increase. The all-time high of 7,526 bachelor's degrees in the class of 2014 represents the 15th consecutive year that the number of physics bachelor's conferred has increased. First-year graduate physics student enrollments have been relatively unchanged in recent years averaging around 3,200 students. The number of physics PhDs conferred continues the general decade long trend of increasing PhD production. The 1,803 physics PhDs conferred in the class of 2014 is a 3% increase from the previous year and represents a new all-time high for physics PhDs. This report contains detailed data from the annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2014 and covers all degree-granting physics departments in the United States. Of the 751 degree-granting physics departments, 679 (90%) contributed to the data supplied in this year's roster. The totals above include data from responding departments as well as estimated data for the 72 non-responding departments.

Undergraduate astronomy enrollments in the US continue to rise with junior and senior level enrollments exceeding the previous year's all-time high. The increasing undergraduate enrollments have produced 428 bachelor's in the 2013-14 academic year, also an all-time high. Undergraduate astronomy degree production will continue to rise given the increases seen in undergraduate enrollments. The first-year graduate student enrollments for fall 2014 were similar to the previous year with 187 students enrolled. The number of astronomy PhDs awarded has remained relatively unchanged in recent years, with 147 astronomy PhDs conferred in the class of 2014. This report contains detailed data from the annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2014 and includes all degree-granting astronomy departments in the United States. All but 5 of the 81 degree-granting astronomy departments contributed to the data supplied in this year's roster (94%). Thirty-eight are stand-alone astronomy departments and the remaining 43 are combined physics and astronomy departments. The totals above include data from the 76 responding departments as well as estimated data for the 5 non-responding departments.