PhD graduates; experiences and duration PhD track

Changed on: 24/12/2025 02:00

PhD graduates; experiences and duration PhD track
Sex	Margins	PhD characteristics	Periods	Experiences PhD track Satisfied with PhD track as a whole (%)	Experiences PhD track Experienced (very) high work pressure (%)	Sufficiently prepared for career In academia (%)	Sufficiently prepared for career Outside academia (%)	Average time required for obtaining PhD (Months)
Total male and female	Value	Total	2019	91.9	59.8	44.5	13.2	66.0
Total male and female	Value	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	92.7	57.9	42.4	12.8	65.8
Total male and female	Value	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	90.0	64.8	50.0	14.2	66.8
Total male and female	Value	01 Education	2019	90.0	65.6	47.6	7.4	67.8
Total male and female	Value	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	89.4	60.5	35.7	5.6	78.4
Total male and female	Value	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	90.3	60.4	45.2	7.4	67.3
Total male and female	Value	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	91.2	59.6	43.3	12.2	71.3
Total male and female	Value	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	91.7	57.9	47.9	13.6	62.5
Total male and female	Value	06 Computing	2019	92.1	56.5	44.8	17.4	65.9
Total male and female	Value	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	91.8	54.9	39.3	24.1	63.7
Total male and female	Value	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	95.0	65.5	44.5	13.6	66.5
Total male and female	Value	09 Health and welfare	2019	93.5	61.9	44.8	13.6	65.6
Total male and female	Value	10 Services	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Total male and female	Value	Type of education is unknown	2019	90.2	62.5	39.1	3.1	71.6
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	91.7	56.0	45.0	13.1	63.5
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	91.1	65.9	41.7	13.8	73.8
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	92.8	63.4	44.1	12.9	65.1
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	92.2	67.5	.	.	79.1
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	91.5	62.8	.	.	70.6
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	91.4	58.8	43.3	12.4	65.6
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	92.0	56.7	41.1	11.9	65.2
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	88.9	63.1	47.9	12.8	65.9
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	85.2	58.7	39.3	3.9	64.3
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	86.4	56.0	30.5	3.4	75.1
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	88.6	57.8	42.2	6.0	65.9
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	89.0	55.9	39.0	9.7	69.4
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	90.6	56.0	45.7	12.1	61.7
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	06 Computing	2019	88.0	50.4	37.9	12.7	62.0
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	89.9	51.9	36.1	21.4	62.5
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	90.9	58.5	35.6	8.5	62.6
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	09 Health and welfare	2019	92.6	60.2	42.7	12.2	64.8
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	10 Services	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of education is unknown	2019	85.9	56.1	32.3	1.5	68.3
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	91.0	54.7	43.7	12.3	62.9
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	89.2	63.0	38.7	11.8	71.8
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	91.7	61.5	40.3	10.5	64.2
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	89.0	62.6	.	.	75.0
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	89.3	59.2	.	.	68.7
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	92.4	60.7	45.6	14.0	66.5
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	93.2	59.0	43.8	13.7	66.3
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	91.0	66.5	52.2	15.8	67.7
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	93.4	72.0	56.0	13.5	71.2
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	91.8	64.8	41.2	9.1	81.7
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	91.7	63.0	48.3	9.0	68.8
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	93.0	63.1	47.6	15.3	73.3
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	92.7	59.8	50.1	15.2	63.2
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	06 Computing	2019	94.8	62.4	51.8	23.4	69.7
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	93.3	57.9	42.6	27.0	64.9
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	97.3	72.0	53.7	21.2	70.4
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	09 Health and welfare	2019	94.3	63.7	47.1	15.2	66.5
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	10 Services	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of education is unknown	2019	93.3	68.4	46.4	6.6	75.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	92.4	57.3	46.3	14.0	64.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	92.6	68.7	44.7	16.0	75.9
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	93.8	65.3	48.0	15.7	66.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	94.6	72.0	.	.	83.2
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	93.3	66.2	.	.	72.6
Male	Value	Total	2019	92.9	57.8	45.8	14.9	66.1
Male	Value	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	93.4	56.9	44.2	14.4	65.8
Male	Value	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	91.0	61.0	51.3	16.6	67.0
Male	Value	01 Education	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Male	Value	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	89.7	60.8	38.3	5.8	79.5
Male	Value	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	91.1	59.6	50.4	9.5	67.1
Male	Value	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	92.2	56.9	48.1	14.7	72.3
Male	Value	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	93.3	55.7	47.5	14.2	62.1
Male	Value	06 Computing	2019	91.2	56.3	46.1	18.6	66.9
Male	Value	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	92.7	54.4	40.8	25.1	63.8
Male	Value	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	95.2	65.6	.	.	66.9
Male	Value	09 Health and welfare	2019	94.1	60.7	46.1	14.5	66.5
Male	Value	10 Services	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Male	Value	Type of education is unknown	2019	89.9	59.6	.	.	71.2
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	92.6	53.1	46.5	15.2	63.1
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	91.8	64.6	41.5	15.6	75.4
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	94.0	62.0	48.1	11.4	64.7
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	93.8	70.1	.	.	79.1
Male	Value	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	92.3	60.0	.	.	69.9
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	92.2	56.6	44.3	13.9	65.5
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	92.7	55.4	42.5	13.3	65.1
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	89.4	58.4	48.2	14.4	65.6
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	85.7	55.0	31.4	3.0	75.1
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	88.6	55.7	45.8	7.2	64.7
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	89.5	52.3	42.7	11.3	69.7
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	92.1	53.4	44.8	12.4	61.2
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	06 Computing	2019	86.7	49.8	38.8	13.5	62.7
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	90.8	51.1	37.2	22.0	62.4
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	89.9	57.1	.	.	62.2
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	09 Health and welfare	2019	92.7	58.1	42.8	12.3	65.1
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	10 Services	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of education is unknown	2019	83.2	50.1	.	.	66.8
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	91.6	51.4	44.8	14.0	62.4
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	89.5	60.9	37.9	13.1	72.7
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	92.6	59.4	42.7	8.4	63.4
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	90.4	64.4	.	.	74.3
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	89.4	55.3	.	.	67.2
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	93.5	59.0	47.3	16.0	66.8
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	94.1	58.3	45.9	15.6	66.5
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	92.4	63.5	54.5	19.1	68.5
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	.	.	.	.	.
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	92.7	66.2	45.8	11.0	83.9
Source: CBS.

Explanation of symbols

Table explanation

This table shows figures on how PhD graduates experienced their PhD-track and the duration of their PhD-track, by sex and PhD characteristics (time since receiving PhD, discipline and type of PhD).

The figures come from the periodically recurring Careers of Doctorate Holders survey. Data from the 2019 survey are published for the first time on Statline. The survey was also conducted in 2010 and 2014. The target population consists of all individuals who have obtained their PhD at a university affiliated with the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) since the academic year 1990/’91, who were under the age of 70 at the time of the survey, and who were residing in the Netherlands according to the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP) at that time.

Data available from: 2019.

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are definite.

Changes as of December 24, 2025:
None, this is a new table.

When will new figures be published?
New figures from GPE 2025 will be published in the first quarter of 2026.

Description topics

Experiences PhD track

Satisfied with PhD track as a whole: A person who indicated in the questionnaire that they look back (very) satisfied on their PhD trajectory as a whole.

Experienced (very) high work pressure: A person who indicated in the questionnaire that they experienced a (very) high workload during their PhD trajectory.

Sufficiently prepared for career

In academia: A person who indicated in the questionnaire that they were sufficiently prepared for a career in academia during their PhD trajectory.

Outside academia: A person who indicated in the questionnaire that they were sufficiently prepared for a career outside of academia during their PhD trajectory.

Average time required for obtaining PhD

Gross time required to complete a PhD, in months. This refers to the time between the start and end of the PhD program.