The 1993 National Survey of Recent College Graduates sponsored by the NSF provides a look at demographic, educational and employment characteristics of recent bachelor's and master's degree recipients. The survey includes data on degree recipients who graduated during spring 1990, academic year 1990-1991, and academic year 1991- 1992. A sample of 25,785 graduates (16,585 bachelor's and 9,200 master's) were selected and the unweighted response rate was 85.7 percent. Of those who responded, 673 had received bachelor's degrees in the mathematical sciences and 391 had received master's degrees in the mathematical sciences.
Participants were asked questions about their education background and their present employment status. They were also asked information about their work day activities and salary.
This is a summary of the data focusing on the types of nonacademic positions recent graduates are obtaining and the duties they perform.
Employment of Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Employment of Master's Degree Recipients
A note on the data:
The NSF counts students employed by a university as a graduate or research assistant within the employment area that comes closest to their field. So a graduate assistant working on statistical applications is counted under the job code for Statistics. However, for the purposes of this summary, graduates who are full or part-time students working as graduate or research assistants are counted as academically employed. They were identified by their employer, salary (under 15,000), and by the description they gave of their position. A graduate student who is a teaching assistant teaching in mathematics would be listed under Postsecondary Education, Mathematics in the NSF data and for this study would also be counted as academically employed.
Questions or Comments? Please contact Linda C. Thiel thiel@siam.org
For more information on NSF surveys go to the Science Resources Studies Division.