Statistics Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

PhDs enrolment

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

Enrolment in doctoral programs in Canada has been on the rise since around 2001, but has not yet translated into more doctoral graduates.

In the 2005/2006 academic year, enrolment increased 6.1% to 36,700 candidates. This was the largest percentage increase in enrolment among all programs at the university level and it followed enrolment growth that averaged 8.1% a year over the previous three years.

However, the number of doctoral degree recipients was only slightly higher than almost a decade earlier. In 2005, 4,200 students received a research doctoral degree, compared with 4,000 in 1998.

Growth has been faster in the United States. In 2005/2006, the number of graduates from U.S. institutions increased 5.1% to 45,596 research doctoral degrees. This was 8.2% higher than the number of degrees granted in 2003/2004.

Doctoral students in Canada are more likely than those in the United States to graduate in the biological and health sciences. In contrast, the United States shows a higher proportion of graduates in humanities and education.