Older Students and Doctorate Production

The number of doctoral degrees among U.S. citizens continues to decline as the customary pool for doctoral students—traditional-age baccalaureate graduates—shrinks. Meanwhile, the number of students age twenty-five and older continues to increase in baccalaureate graduating classes. Using data from the National Research Council, this study analyzes how many of these older students receive doctorates, their personal attributes, fields of study, sources of support, and predictors for time-lapse from baccalaureate to doctorate. The study discusses the possibility of increasing the number of doctorates earned by older students.