Enrollments and Degrees Report, 2006

Highlights

The class of 2006 represents the seventh consecutive year that undergraduate physics degree production has increased. The 5,373 physics bachelors in the class of 2006 represent a gain of 5% from the previous year and a 47% increase over the class of 1999 (Figure 4).
There were 1,380 physics PhDs produced in the class of 2006, up 11% from the previous year and 26% during the last two years (Figure 13).
The median number of degrees produced by the 187 physics doctoral departments for the class of 2006 was 5. Thiry-three (18%) of the doctoral-granting departments averaged eleven or more PhDs. re PhDs. These departments were responsible for producing half of the PhDs conferred during this time period (Figure).
Undergraduate astronomy degree production has also increased sharply during the past decade, up 98% since a recent low in 1997 (Figure 5).