Foreign postdocs in the U.S.
What are the numbers?
The exact size of the postdoctoral workforce in the U.S. is still debated, some experts claiming there is an underestimation on the numbers of postdocs in the USA.
“the number of postdoctoral researchers … may be under-estimated by as much as a factor of 2”
NIH’s Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group Report (2012).
However, it is clear that the number of postdocs in the U.S. coming from other countries has been steadily increasing over the past decades, exceeding U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
According to data from the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering from the NSF, there was an estimation of 64,000 postdocs working in the U.S., including around 35,000 international postdocs.
International postdocs have become essential to the workforce of American laboratories and scientific discoveries!
Evolution of the proportion of U.S. vs Non-U.S. postdocs
1985
1995
2005
2015
International postdocs in Science and Engineering fields by state (2015)
- Rank
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- U.S. Institution
- California
- Massachusetts
- New York
U.S. and Non-U.S. postdocs by field (2015)
All postdocs
U.S. citizens & Permanent residents
International postdocs
Ranking of U.S. institutions by the number of postdocs appointed (2015)
- 2nd
- Stanford University
- 1st
- Harvard University
- 3rd
- Johns Hopkins University
Rank Institution All postdoctoral appointees
All institutions 63861
1 Harvard U. 5674
2 Stanford U. 2264
3 Johns Hopkins U. 1679
4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1493
5 U. Michigan 1300
6 U. California, San Diego 1250
7 Columbia U. in the City of New York 1249
8 U. Washington 1205
9 U. Colorado 1199
10 U. California, Berkeley 1184
11 Yale U. 1157
12 U. California, San Francisco 1041
13 U. California, Los Angeles 1016
14 U. Pennsylvania 901
15 Cornell U. 856
16 U. California, Davis 833
17 U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill 803
18 U. Wisconsin-Madison 765
19 U. Minnesota 755
20 Northwestern U. 746
21 New York U. 680
22 U. Florida 679
23 U. Pittsburgh 664
24 Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai 643
25 Emory U. 642
26 U. Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center 637
27 Vanderbilt U. 629
28 Ohio State U. 619
29 Texas A&M U. 615
29 Washington U., Saint Louis 615
31 U. Chicago 586
32 Duke U. 584
33 Mayo Clinic, Mayo Graduate School 576
34 Scripps Research Institute 573
35 U. Texas Southwestern Medical Center 562
36 California Institute of Technology 552
37 U. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 542
38 Baylor C. of Medicine 537
39 Princeton U. 526
40 North Carolina State U. 497
41 U. Maryland, College Park 496
42 U. Utah 487
43 U. Southern California 475
44 Michigan State U. 471
44 U. Arizona 471
46 Pennsylvania State U. 436
47 Boston U. 421
48 U. Virginia 420
49 Indiana U. 394
50 Purdue U. 391
51 U. Texas, Austin 370
52 Rutgers, State U. New Jersey 362
53 U. Massachusetts, Medical School 348
54 U. Iowa 346
55 U. Maryland Baltimore 325
56 U. California, Santa Barbara 306
57 U. Cincinnati 303
58 Iowa State U. 299
59 U. California, Irvine 297
60 Oregon Health and Science U. 292
60 Rockefeller U. 292
62 Yeshiva U. 283
63 U. South Florida, Tampa 282
64 Case Western Reserve U. 271
65 U. Houston 264
66 Rice U. 263
66 SUNY, Stony Brook U. 263
68 U. Miami 258
69 Arizona State U. 257
69 Louisiana State U. 257
71 SUNY, U. Buffalo 256
72 Colorado State U., Fort Collins 254
73 Brown U. 252
73 U. Alabama, Birmingham 252
75 U. Georgia 250
76 U. Kansas 249
77 Georgia Institute of Technology 237
77 U. Texas Health Science Center, Houston 237
79 U. Hawaii, Manoa 234
80 U. Rochester 233
81 Texas Tech U. 228
82 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U. 225
83 U. Kentucky 221
84 U. Oklahoma 216
85 U. Illinois, Chicago 214
86 U. Connecticut 213
87 Oregon State U. 212
88 U. Nebraska-Lincoln 205
89 Dartmouth C. 204
90 Florida State U. 202
91 Virginia Commonwealth U. 194
92 Carnegie Mellon U. 193
93 U. California, Riverside 190
94 Tufts U. 182
95 Medical U. South Carolina 178
96 Washington State U. 175
97 Temple U. 167
97 U. Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 167
99 U. Missouri, Columbia 165
100 Augusta U. a 159
101 Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute 157
102 Kansas State U. 146
102 Wayne State U. 146
104 U. Massachusetts, Amherst 144
105 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 143
106 U. Tennessee, Knoxville 136
107 Tulane U. 133
108 U. Delaware 132
109 U. South Carolina 129
110 U. California, Santa Cruz 125
111 U. New Mexico 124
111 U. Notre Dame 124
113 City of Hope, Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences 119
114 Thomas Jefferson U. 117
115 Northeastern U. 114
116 George Washington U. 111
117 Georgetown U. 109
118 U. Nebraska, Medical Center 108
119 U. Louisville 107
120 U. Oregon 105
121 U. Tennessee, Health Science Center 103
122 U. Texas Medical Branch 102
123 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 99
124 Brandeis U. 95
125 Drexel U. 93
126 U. Mississippi 88
127 Southern Illinois U., Carbondale 87
127 Wake Forest U. 87
129 SUNY, U. Albany 86
129 U. Vermont 86
131 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy 83
132 U. Texas, Dallas 80
133 U. Nevada, Reno 78
134 Clemson U. 77
135 Georgia State U. 76
136 Florida International U. 75
137 U. Arkansas, Fayetteville 69
138 U. Maryland, Baltimore County 67
139 Medical C. Wisconsin 66
140 Colorado School of Mines 65
141 Northern Illinois U. 64
142 U. Akron 60
142 U. Texas, Arlington 60
144 Saint Louis U. 59
145 U. Texas, El Paso 58
146 U. North Texas, Denton 56
147 North Dakota State U. 55
148 U. Wyoming 54
149 Oklahoma State U. 53
150 Syracuse U. 52
151 Mississippi State U. 51
151 Montana State U. 51
151 U. Central Florida 51
151 U. Idaho 51
151 West Virginia U. 51
156 Loma Linda U. 50
157 American Museum of Natural History 48
158 CUNY, City C. 47
159 U. New Hampshire 46
160 Loyola U., Chicago 45
161 George Mason U. 44
162 Boston C. 43
162 Kent State U. 43
164 New Jersey Institute of Technology 42
164 Utah State U. 42
166 U. Alabama, Tuscaloosa 41
167 Auburn U. 40
167 U. California, Merced 40
169 U. Texas, San Antonio 39
170 U. Alaska, Fairbanks 37
171 Albany Medical C. 36
171 U. Montana 36
173 Baylor U. 34
174 San Diego State U. 33
174 Uniformed Services U. of the Health Sciences 33
174 U. Nevada, Las Vegas 33
177 U. Rhode Island 32
178 Creighton U. 31
178 Illinois Institute of Technology 31
178 Old Dominion U. 31
178 U. Toledo 31
178 Worcester Polytechnic Institute 31
183 South Dakota State U. 30
183 SUNY, Binghamton U. 30
183 U. South Alabama 30
186 Missouri U. of Science and Technology 29
186 U. North Carolina, Charlotte 29
188 Brigham Young U. 28
188 East Carolina U. 28
188 Rush U. 28
191 Rosalind Franklin U. of Medicine and Science 27
191 U. Massachusetts, Lowell 27
191 U. North Carolina, Greensboro 27
194 Lehigh U. 26
194 Southern Methodist U. 26
194 U. North Texas, Health Science Center 26
197 C. of William and Mary 25
197 Northeastern Ohio Universities, C. of Medicine 25
197 Ohio U. 25
197 U. Wisconsin-Milwaukee 25
197 Western U. of Health Sciences 25
202 Michigan Technological U. 24
202 New Mexico State U. 24
202 SUNY, Upstate Medical U. 24
202 U. North Dakota 24
206 Air Force Institute of Technology 23
206 Stevens Institute of Technology 23
206 U. Arkansas for Medical Sciences 23
209 Howard U. 22
209 Naval Postgraduate School 22
209 U. Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras 22
209 Van Andel Institute 22
213 Louisiana Tech U. 21
213 Northern Arizona U. 21
215 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State U. 20
216 Florida A&M U. 19
217 Delaware State U. 18
217 Jackson State U. 18
217 Texas State U. 18
217 U. Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus 18
221 Catholic U. of America 17
221 Clarkson U. 17
221 CUNY, Brooklyn C. 17
221 Marquette U. 17
225 Bowling Green State U. 16
225 New York Medical C. 16
225 SUNY, C. of Environmental Science and Forestry 16
228 Portland State U. 15
228 U. Maine 15
230 California State U., Los Angeles 14
230 Lincoln U., Jefferson City 14
230 Nova Southeastern U. 14
230 Texas A&M U.-Corpus Christi 14
230 U. Southern Mississippi 14
235 Florida Institute of Technology 13
235 Miami U. 13
235 U. Alabama, Huntsville 13
235 U. Memphis 13
239 Meharry Medical C. 12
239 Mercer U. 12
239 Morehouse School of Medicine 12
239 Morgan State U. 12
239 San Francisco State U. 12
239 Wesleyan U. 12
245 Eastern Virginia Medical School 11
245 Florida Atlantic U. 11
245 Oakland U. 11
245 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 11
245 U. Denver 11
245 U. Massachusetts, Boston 11
251 East Tennessee State U. 10
251 U. Missouri, Kansas City 10
253 Boise State U. 9
253 CUNY, Queens C. 9
253 Illinois State U. 9
253 Rochester Institute of Technology 9
253 SUNY, Downstate Medical Center 9
253 Texas A&M U.-Commerce 9
253 U. Dayton 9
253 U. South Dakota 9
253 U. Tulsa 9
253 Villanova U. 9
263 Central Michigan U. 8
263 Rowan U. 8
263 SUNY, C. of Optometry 8
263 U. Louisiana, Lafayette 8
263 U. Missouri, Saint Louis 8
263 Western Michigan U. 8
269 Chapman U. 7
269 CUNY, C. Staten Island 7
269 Duquesne U. 7
269 U. Alaska, Anchorage 7
269 U. San Diego 7
274 Fisk U. 6
274 Fordham U. 6
274 Midwestern U. 6
274 U. Nebraska, Omaha 6
274 U. of the Sciences Philadelphia 6
279 Albany C. of Pharmacy and Health Sciences 5
279 Arkansas State U. 5
279 Clark Atlanta U. 5
279 Hampton U. 5
279 Idaho State U. 5
279 New School 5
279 Seton Hall U. 5
279 Texas Christian U. 5
279 Trinity C., Hartford 5
279 U. New Orleans 5
289 American U. 4
289 C. Charleston 4
289 Prairie View A&M U. 4
289 Smith C. 4
289 Trinity U. 4
289 Tuskegee U. 4
289 U. Arkansas, Little Rock 4
289 U. Maryland, Eastern Shore 4
289 U. New England 4
298 Cleveland State U. 3
298 James Madison U. 3
298 Kennesaw State U. b 3
298 Marshall U. 3
298 Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences 3
298 St. John's U., Queens 3
298 U. Hawaii, Hilo 3
298 U. Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 3
306 A. T. Still U. 2
306 Alabama A&M U. 2
306 Clark U. 2
306 Connecticut C. 2
306 Furman U. 2
306 Hofstra U. 2
306 Indiana State U. 2
306 Lamar U. 2
306 Loyola Marymount U. 2
306 Mount Holyoke C. 2
306 Santa Clara U. 2
306 U. Guam 2
306 U. of the Virgin Islands 2
319 California State U., Long Beach 1
319 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 1
319 Charles R. Drew U. of Medicine and Science 1
319 CUNY, John Jay C. of Criminal Justice 1
319 Des Moines U., Osteopathic Medical Center 1
319 Keck Graduate Institute 1
319 Montana Tech of U. Montana 1
319 Murray State U. 1
319 New England C. of Optometry 1
319 New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 1
319 Oklahoma State U., Center for Health Sciences 1
319 Sam Houston State U. 1
319 Savannah State U. 1
319 Swarthmore C. 1
319 Texas Southern U. 1
319 Toyota Technological Institute, Chicago 1
319 U. Arkansas, Pine Bluff 1
319 U. Detroit Mercy 1
319 U. Massachusetts, Dartmouth 1
319 U. North Carolina, Wilmington 1
319 U. of the Incarnate Word 1
319 U. San Francisco 1
319 Valparaiso U. 1
319 Vassar C. 1
319 Williams C. 1
319 Wright State U. 1
International postdocs in Science field by state (2015)
- Rank
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- U.S. Institution
- California
- New York
- Massachusetts
International postdocs in Engineering field by state (2015)
- Rank
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- U.S. Institution
- California
- Massachusetts
- Texas
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.
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