U.S. Science Ph.D. Enrollments Drop 18% as Trump-Era Funding Cuts Shrink Pipeline
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 10
U.S. Science Ph.D. Enrollments Drop 18% as Trump-Era Funding Cuts Shrink Pipeline
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 10
Summary
An analysis of 27 top U.S. research universities found 2025 science doctoral intake fell sharply despite rising applications, with engineering enrollments down 18% and science and health down about 10% from 2024.
Federal funding turmoil drove the pullback: universities cut Ph.D. slots, grants were canceled or delayed, and long-standing fellowship programs at agencies such as NSF became harder to access or less predictable.
About 1,600 fewer doctoral students entered those programs in 2025, and some schools saw steeper declines — Scripps fell 19% from 47 to 38 entrants, then to 19 new Ph.D. students this fall.
That instability is already pushing talent away from U.S. research, with applicants choosing Canada, current students delaying or abandoning doctorates, and new Ph.D.s struggling to secure postdoc and faculty jobs.
The White House says Trump’s policies will revive U.S. science, but researchers warn even two years of disruption could permanently weaken the country’s training pipeline and future discoveries.