Pathways to Doctoral Degrees in Computing (2025)
Chapter: Front Matter
Pathways to Doctoral Degrees in Computing
_______
Committee on Pathways to Doctoral Degrees in Computing
Computer Science and Telecommunications Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Consensus Study Report
NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
This activity was supported by grant number CNS-1445814 from the National Science Foundation to the National Academy of Sciences. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-72251-3
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27862
This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242; http://nap.nationalacademies.org.
The manufacturer’s authorized representative in the European Union for product safety is Authorised Rep Compliance Ltd., Ground Floor, 71 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin D02 P593 Ireland; www.arccompliance.com.
Copyright 2025 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and National Academies Press and the graphical logos for each are all trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Pathways to Doctoral Degrees in Computing. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27862.
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. Tsu-Jae Liu is president.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.
The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.
Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.
Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.
Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.
Rapid Expert Consultations published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are authored by subject-matter experts on narrowly focused topics that can be supported by a body of evidence. The discussions contained in rapid expert consultations are considered those of the authors and do not contain policy recommendations. Rapid expert consultations are reviewed by the institution before release.
For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.
COMMITTEE ON PATHWAYS TO DOCTORAL DEGREES IN COMPUTING
CHARLES ISBELL, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Co-Chair
MARIA KLAWE, Math for America, Co-Chair
DAVID W. AUCSMITH, University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory
M. BRIAN BLAKE, Georgia State University
CARLA E. BRODLEY, Northeastern University
AARON CLAUSET, University of Colorado Boulder
MARIAN R. CROAK (NAE), Google
ANN Q. GATES, University of Texas at El Paso
GREGORY D. HAGER, Johns Hopkins University (until March 15, 2024)
SUSANNE HAMBRUSCH, Purdue University
DAVE LEVIN, University of Maryland
SATHYA NARAYANAN, California State University Monterey Bay
JENNIFER REXFORD (NAS, NAE), Princeton University
MICHAEL ROACH, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
ROB A. RUTENBAR, University of Pittsburgh
KELLY SHAW, Williams College
Study Staff
GABRIELLE M. RISICA, Program Officer, Study Director
JON EISENBERG, Senior Board Director
SHENAE A. BRADLEY, Administrative Coordinator
NOTE: Gregory Hager resigned from the committee following his appointment as Assistant Director for the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the National Science Foundation effective March 15, 2024.
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD
LAURA M. HAAS (NAE), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Chair
DAVID DANKS, University of California, San Diego
CHARLES ISBELL, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
ECE KAMAR, Microsoft Research Redmond
JAMES F. KUROSE (NAE), University of Massachusetts Amherst
DAVID LUEBKE, NVIDIA
DAWN C. MEYERRIECKS, The MITRE Corporation
WILLIAM L. SCHERLIS, Carnegie Mellon University
HENNING SCHULZRINNE, Columbia University
NAMBIRAJAN SESHADRI (NAE), University of California, San Diego
KENNETH E. WASHINGTON (NAE), Medtronic
Ex Officio
JOHN L. MANFERDELLI (NAE), Datica Research
Staff
JON EISENBERG, Senior Board Director
THƠ H. NGUYỄN, Senior Program Officer
GABRIELLE RISICA, Program Officer
NNEKA UDEAGBALA, Associate Program Officer (until July 23, 2025)
SHENAE A. BRADLEY, Administrative Coordinator
RENEE HAWKINS, Finance Business Partner (until May 10, 2024)
AARYA SHRESTHA, Senior Finance Business Partner (starting August 26, 2024)
Reviewers
This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
NATHAN R. BROOKS, The Boeing Company
RITA BUSH, National Security Agency
TRACY CAMP, Computing Research Association
INA GANGULI, University of Massachusetts Amherst
JUAN E. GILBERT, University of Florida
ERIC B. LARSON, University of Washington
MICHAEL A. MCROBBIE, Indiana University
ELIZABETH MYNATT, Northeastern University
ALFRED Z. SPECTOR (NAE), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MOSHE Y. VARDI (NAS/NAE), Rice University
JEANETTE M. WING (NAE), Columbia University
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by ROBERT F. SPROULL (NAE), University of Massachusetts Amherst, and FRED B. SCHNEIDER (NAE), Cornell University. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.
Contents
2 UNDERSTANDING SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR COMPUTING DOCTORATES
Information Sources and Methodological Approach
Size, Growth, and Composition of Computing Doctorates
3 SUPPLY, DEMAND, AND SECTOR-SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS
Industry Demand for Computing Doctorates
Academic Demand for Computing Doctorates
National Security and Other Government Demand for Computing Doctorates
4 PREPARING AND MOTIVATING STUDENTS FOR PHDS IN COMPUTING
Building Research Awareness, Advising, and Exposure
Expanding Research Opportunities for Undergraduates
5 INCREASING RECRUITMENT, ACCEPTANCE, RETENTION, AND GRADUATION OF PHD STUDENTS IN COMPUTING
Admission to Doctoral Programs
Building the Faculty Needed to Educate the Next Generation of Computing Doctoral Recipients
Preface
Recipients of doctoral degrees in computing have been a bedrock of the U.S. technology innovation ecosystem. PhD recipients lead research in both academia and industry and teach the next generation of leaders in computing.
This study, undertaken by the Committee on Pathways to Doctoral Degrees in Computing, under the auspices of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) and sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), assesses trends in supply and demand, pathways and flows toward advanced degrees in computing and computing careers, the balance between doctoral degrees awarded to U.S. and international students, and areas of potential shortfall and their implications for the health of computer and information science and engineering disciplines and academic programs (see Appendix A for the full statement of task).
The study builds in part on a 2018 CSTB study assessing the growth of undergraduate enrollment in computer science (NASEM 2018a) as well as a 2021 report from a subcommittee of the CISE Advisory Committee on growing and diversifying the domestic graduate pipeline (NSF 2021).
The committee met 26 times virtually to receive briefings from experts and stakeholders across computing (see Appendix B for a list of
presentations), review relevant reports, deliberate, and develop this report. The committee offers its recommendations in hopes of guiding computing departments, colleges and universities, and scientific and professional societies in ensuring a robust supply of computing doctorates and collecting data needed to more fully assess trends and impacts. The committee would like to thank the NSF CISE for its sponsorship of this study. It would also like to thank Jeff Forbes (NSF) and Betsy Bizot, Burçin Campbell, and Evelyn Yarzebinski (Computing Research Association) for their assistance marshaling and interpreting key data sets used in this study. Last, the committee would like to acknowledge the assistance throughout this study of the following National Academies’ staff: Gabrielle Risica (study director), Shenae Bradley (administrative coordinator), and Jon Eisenberg (CSTB senior board director).
Charles Isbell and Maria Klawe, Co-Chairs
Committee on Pathways to Doctoral Degrees in Computing
August 2025
