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Astronomy PhD recipients generally follow three main outcomes after receiving their degrees: they accept a postdoctoral position, a non-postdoctoral temporary position, or a potentially permanent position. To learn more about these outcomes, AIP annually asked new astronomy PhDs about their immediate post-degree outcomes. For the classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020, an average of just over 160 individuals per year earned an astronomy PhD at one of the 45 departments in the US with an astronomy doctoral program. From these three classes, around two-thirds of PhD graduates accepted a postdoc. Most of the other graduates secured potentially permanent employment. The graduates accepting potentially permanent jobs entered very different employment positions than those accepting postdocs. Most of the postdocs were in academia, while most of the potentially permanent positions were in the private sector. Those taking positions in the private sector typically reported considerably higher starting salaries than those accepting postdocs. Despite the lower pay, more of the graduates accepting a postdoc find their work challenging, and a higher proportion indicate being satisfied with their employment.

In this report we explore how and why undergraduate students' career and education plans changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that when students changed their plans, they were more likely to pursue employment instead of graduate education. Students reported that their plans changed due to not being accepted into graduate school, feeling unprepared to apply, or losing interest in applying. Students also adjusted their plans centering around employment outcomes, travel, and their undergraduate degree. A regression analysis showed that several factors impacted student plan changes. Students were more likely to change their plans if they experienced financial strain, loss of internship/job opportunities, graduation delays, less university support, and if they identified as Asian or Asian American. Universities, departments, and faculty members can use these findings and recommendations to recognize where additional student support may be needed, to help students achieve their career aspirations. Additionally, this report includes data on students' post-graduation outcomes a year later. The majority (77%) of student outcomes were consistent with their original plans to attend graduate school or seek employment. Students who had different outcomes a year later were more likely to switch from graduate study to employment.

This Focus On uses data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to showcase that, as a group, recipients of physics bachelor's degrees tend to do well on two prominent standardized tests for medical school and law school admission. Although only a small percent of the physics bachelor's degree recipients each year (2-4%) pursue these two career paths, a physics degree provides a solid foundation for those making that choice.

After receiving their degrees, exiting master's degree holders have a variety of employment and education options available to them. Many students enter or remain in the workforce, whereas others continue their graduate education in physics or other subjects. Some new exiting masters, mostly non-US citizens, leave the US after receiving their degrees. Physics departments in the US averaged 942 exiting physics master's degrees a year in the classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018. These new exiting physics masters were asked about their current status in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. This report looks at the different post-degree pursuits of the exiting physics masters from these three classes combined, reporting on sectors and fields of employment, skills used, and starting salaries.

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.

By the time physics students receive their PhDs, they have a broad understanding of many areas of physics and in-depth knowledge in a specific subfield. They have developed a comprehensive knowledge of mathematics, modeling, and programming. Graduate students in physics also develop skills in areas not specifically related to physics and not explicitly associated with research. These include how to work on a team, manage projects, and technical writing. This Focus On looks at the knowledge and skills used by new physics PhDs in the first positions they held after receiving their degrees. It also looks at how new PhDs perceive the subjective aspects of their first post-degree position.

The majority (67%) of degree-granting physics departments in the United States grant a bachelor's degree as their highest degree. There are 84 departments that grant astronomy bachelor's degrees. Of these departments, 39 are separate, stand-alone astronomy departments, and 45 are in departments that award both astronomy and physics degrees. The size of physics and astronomy departments varies greatly depending on the characteristics of each institution. The data presented in this report provide an overall view of the relationship of full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty to the number of physics and astronomy bachelor's degrees conferred. Department's missions are not homogenous, so this relationship is not a measure of productivity. Rather, interested parties can compare their departments with others.

New physics bachelors entering the workforce receive some of the highest starting salaries of any undergraduate majors. Bachelors accepting STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) positions in the private sector had a median starting salary of $55,000. Physics bachelors from 2013 and 2014 were contacted in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. They were asked to share their employment or graduate school experiences. This report describes the findings from the 2013 and 2014 follow-up surveys of physics bachelors.

This report provides data on the size of degree-granting physics and astronomy departments by examining the number of bachelor's degrees awarded and the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty members employed. The benchmarking data in this report is intended to allow physics and astronomy departments to see how they fit in the national landscape of physics and astronomy bachelor's degree production.

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.

By the time people earn physics PhDs, they have learned a great deal about physics and how research is conducted. However, physics PhDs also develop skills and knowledge in a number of related areas, such as advanced mathematics, programming, modeling, and technical writing. Physics PhDs draw upon an arsenal of skills and knowledge in their careers. This "Focus On" begins with a discussion about the types of skills and knowledge that physics PhDs from the classes of 2013 and 2014 used regularly in the jobs they held after earning their degrees. A summary of qualitative job satisfaction measures follows.

This report presents trend data on the status of physics PhDs one year after receiving their degree. For the last decade postdoctoral fellowships were the most commonly reported positions taken by physics PhDs in the year after receiving their degree. The type of initial employment for of physics PhDs varied depending on the subfield of their dissertation. The findings in this report come from the annual American Institute of Physics (AIP) Follow-up Survey of physics PhD recipients, classes of 2013 and 2014.

Exiting physics master's recipients from the classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014 combined pursued a variety of different post-degree outcomes. Initial outcomes differed greatly depending on citizenship. The majority of US citizens were in the workforce following the receipt of their master's degrees. In contrast, the majority of non-US citizens continued their education by enrolling in another graduate program. Regardless of citizenship, most masters continuing with graduate study did so in physics. In this report, an exiting master is defined as an individual who received his or her degree from a US physics department and left that department with no degree higher than a master's degree. Exiting masters can be earned at departments where the master's is the highest degree offered as well as at departments that offer a PhD. Each year there are many students who earn a masters en route and continue working toward a physics PhD at the same institution. They are not included in this analysis.

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.

New physics bachelor's entering the workforce receive some of the highest starting salaries of any undergraduate majors. Each fall, the Statistical Research Center conducts its "Survey of Enrollments and Degrees," which asks physics and astronomy departments to provide information concerning the numbers of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, departments are asked for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct the follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The follow-up surveys for the classes of 2011 and 2012, on which the majority of the data in this report is taken, were administered with a web-based form. Up to four e-mail survey invitations were sent to degree recipients. This report presents data from the the 2011 and 2012 follow-up surveys of physics bachelor's.

Each fall the Statistical Research Center (SRC) conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the US to provide information concerning the numbers of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, SRC asks for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct the Follow-up Survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The post-degree outcome data in this "Focus On" come from that survey. This edition of "Focus On" provides profiles for astronomy bachelor's, master's, and PhD degree recipients from the classes of 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Each fall the Statistical Research Center (SRC) conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the U.S. to provide information concerning the number of students they have enrolled and the counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, SRC asks for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct their follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The data in this "Focus On" comes from that follow-up survey. New physics PhDs typically enter into one of three main employment types. For the classes of 2011 and 2012, the majority of PhD recipients accepted a postdoctoral appointment. Taking a postdoc has been the dominant post-degree outcome for physics PhDs since the class of 2001. About a third of physics PhDs accepted a potentially permanent position, while a smaller but significant proportion accepted "other temporary positions."

Each fall the American Institute of Physics (AIP) Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the U.S. to provide information concerning the number of students they have enrolled and the counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, they ask for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct their follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The data in this "Focus On" comes from that follow-up survey. The last few years have demonstrated a relatively stable job market for physics PhDs. Although the proportion of new PhDs accepting postdocs and potentially permanent positions have experienced some recent annual fluctuations, the overall trend in types of positions new PhDs accepted has changed very little in the last seven years.

Each fall, the Statistical Research Center conducts the "Survey of Enrollments and Degrees," which asks physics and astronomy departments to provide information concerning the number of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients are requested. This information is used to conduct the follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. Once they receive a bachelor's degree in physics, new graduates typically follow one of two paths: enroll in graduate school or enter the employment market. This publication explores the post-degree paths of the physics bachelor's from the classes of 2011 and 2012. Within these classes, nearly sixty percent of graduates chose to enroll in a graduate program, and about forty percent entered the employment market. Enrollment in physics bachelor's programs has continued to increase dramatically over the last decade, with each year representing a record high for the number of bachelor's degrees conferred.

In the 2011-12 academic year there were 751 degree-granting physics departments in the U.S. Of these, 195 offered a PhD and 62 departments offered a master's as the highest physics degree. The remaining 494 departments offered a bachelor's as their highest physics degree. There were six universities that had two doctoral-granting physics departments, a traditional physics department and one with an applied physics program. This "Focus On" presents findings on graduate physics degrees from the Statistical Research Center's annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. It examines the size of PhD and master's granting departments in the U.S. as measured by the number of graduate degrees awarded. It also identifies the departments that recently awarded the most degrees. Physics and astronomy are closely related fields and as a result, in the academic year 2011-12, departments at 12 universities granted graduate-level degrees in both physics and astronomy. These departments were asked to report their astronomy enrollment and degree data separately from their physics data.

A physics master's degree provides the recipient with a variety of career options. Some master's recipients will continue their education at the graduate level in physics or another field, where others enter the workforce pursuing a wide range of employment opportunities. This "Focus On" provides an in-depth analysis of physics master's production in the U.S. It presents detailed trends on the number of physics master's awarded in the U.S. including data on citizenship, women, and minorities. For the purposes of this report exiting physics master's degrees include degree recipients who left their current physics department with a master's. Some exiting master's will continue their graduate education in a different department at the same institution or at a different institution, possibly in physics.

Each fall, the American Institute of Physics (AIP's) Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey is sent to all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and asks them to provide the number of degrees they conferred in the previous academic year. The academic year is defined as being from September to August. In the academic year 2011-12 there were 195 departments with a physics PhD program. Responses were received from 96% of these departments. Estimates were derived and included in the totals for non-responding departments. This "focus on" provides an in-depth analysis of physics PhD production in the U.S. It presents detailed trends on the number of physics PhDs awarded in the U.S. including data on citizenship, women, and minorities. It includes data on recent PhD recipients such as time to degree, subfield of dissertation, and general satisfaction with degree. The number of physics PhDs awarded in the U.S. continued to climb with the class of 2012, reaching a new high. The 1,762 physics PhDs awarded in the class of 2012 represented a 4% increase over the previous year and a 62% increase from a recent low 8 years earlier. An appendix presents the number of physics doctorates conferred in academic years 2002-2012.

Each fall, the Statistical Research Center conducts the Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks physics and astronomy departments to provide information on the number of students enrolled and the number of recent degree recipients conferred the previous academic year. This survey also asks for the names and contact information of their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct a master's follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. In this report an exiting master's is defined as an individual who received his or her degree from a US physics department and left that department with a master's. Exiting master's can be earned at departments where the master's is the highest degree offered as well as at departments that offer a PhD. Physics departments in the US averaged 790 exiting physics master's degrees a year in the classes of 2009, 2010, and 2011. In the winter following the academic year in which they received their degree, these new exiting physics master's were asked about their current status. This "focus on" summarizes the findings from those follow-up surveys. Included at the end of this "focus on" is a brief summary of the outcomes of exiting astronomy master's.

The number of physics degrees earned in the U.S. continues to rise, with bachelor's and PhDs yet again reaching all-time highs. The 6,776 physics bachelor's degrees awarded in the 2011-2012 academic year represent an 8% increase over the previous year and an 86% increase from a recent low in 1999. Similarly, the number of PhDs (1,762) in the class of 2012 is up 4% from the previous year and 62% from a recent low in 2004. This roster contains detailed data from the annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2012 and covers all degree-granting physics departments in the United States.

By the time people earn physics PhDs, they have learned a great deal about physics and how research is conducted. However, physics PhDs also develop skills and knowledge in a number of related areas, such as advanced mathematics, programming, modeling, and technical writing. New physics PhDs draw upon an arsenal of skills and knowledge in their early careers. This "Focus On" in the series about new physics doctorates begins with a discussion about the types of skills and knowledge that physics PhDs from the classes of 2009 and 2010 used regularly in the jobs they held one year after earning their degrees. A summary of qualitative job satisfaction measures follows.

Each fall the Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the U.S. to provide information concerning the numbers of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, the authors ask for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct their follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The data in this "focus on" comes from that survey. Findings reveal that more than two-thirds of physics PhDs from the classes of 2009 and 2010 accepted a temporary position after earning their doctorate. Postdocs at government labs had a higher starting salary than postdocs in academe. The median starting salary for potentially permanent positions in the private sector was $90,000. New PhDs in potentially permanent positions were much more likely to be employed in the private sector than in academic institutions or in the U.S. government. Most new physics PhDs work in physics and nearly all work in STEM fields. There are viable ways for new PhDs to change subfields or to move into non-physics fields, should they desire. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Each fall the Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the US to provide information concerning the numbers of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, the authors ask for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct the authors' follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The data in this "Focus On" come from that survey. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)

The Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics conducts an annual census of all degree-granting physics departments in the United States and Puerto Rico. In the 2007-2008 academic year, there were 763 degree-granting departments. The authors received responses from 97% of these departments. Estimates were derived and included in the totals for non-responding departments. Their findings are presented in this paper. Appendices include: (1) Undergraduate physics student enrollments, fall 1999-fall 2008; and (2) Graduate physics student enrollments, fall 1999-fall 2008. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)