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	Sufficiently prepared for career In academia (%)	Sufficiently prepared for career Outside academia (%)
Total male and female	Value	Total	2019	44.5	13.2
Total male and female	Value	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	42.4	12.8
Total male and female	Value	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	50.0	14.2
Total male and female	Value	01 Education	2019	47.6	7.4
Total male and female	Value	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	35.7	5.6
Total male and female	Value	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	45.2	7.4
Total male and female	Value	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	43.3	12.2
Total male and female	Value	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	47.9	13.6
Total male and female	Value	06 Computing	2019	44.8	17.4
Total male and female	Value	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	39.3	24.1
Total male and female	Value	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	44.5	13.6
Total male and female	Value	09 Health and welfare	2019	44.8	13.6
Total male and female	Value	10 Services	2019	.	.
Total male and female	Value	Type of education is unknown	2019	39.1	3.1
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	45.0	13.1
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	41.7	13.8
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	44.1	12.9
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	.	.
Total male and female	Value	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	.	.
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	43.3	12.4
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	41.1	11.9
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	47.9	12.8
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	39.3	3.9
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	30.5	3.4
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	42.2	6.0
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	39.0	9.7
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	45.7	12.1
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	06 Computing	2019	37.9	12.7
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	36.1	21.4
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	35.6	8.5
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	09 Health and welfare	2019	42.7	12.2
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	32.3	1.5
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	43.7	12.3
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	38.7	11.8
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	40.3	10.5
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	.	.
Total male and female	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	.	.
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	45.6	14.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	43.8	13.7
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	52.2	15.8
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	56.0	13.5
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	41.2	9.1
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	48.3	9.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	47.6	15.3
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	50.1	15.2
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	06 Computing	2019	51.8	23.4
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	42.6	27.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	53.7	21.2
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	09 Health and welfare	2019	47.1	15.2
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	46.4	6.6
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	46.3	14.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	44.7	16.0
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	48.0	15.7
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	.	.
Total male and female	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	.	.
Male	Value	Total	2019	45.8	14.9
Male	Value	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	44.2	14.4
Male	Value	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	51.3	16.6
Male	Value	01 Education	2019	.	.
Male	Value	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	38.3	5.8
Male	Value	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	50.4	9.5
Male	Value	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	48.1	14.7
Male	Value	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	47.5	14.2
Male	Value	06 Computing	2019	46.1	18.6
Male	Value	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	40.8	25.1
Male	Value	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	.	.
Male	Value	09 Health and welfare	2019	46.1	14.5
Male	Value	10 Services	2019	.	.
Male	Value	Type of education is unknown	2019	.	.
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	46.5	15.2
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	41.5	15.6
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	48.1	11.4
Male	Value	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	.	.
Male	Value	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	44.3	13.9
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	42.5	13.3
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	48.2	14.4
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	31.4	3.0
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc...	2019	45.8	7.2
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	04 Law, business, administration, trade	2019	42.7	11.3
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	05 Mathematics, physical sciences	2019	44.8	12.4
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	06 Computing	2019	38.8	13.5
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	07 Engineering, manufacturing, con...	2019	37.2	22.0
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ...	2019	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	09 Health and welfare	2019	42.8	12.3
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	10 Services	2019	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of education is unknown	2019	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee-PhD	2019	44.8	14.0
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: employee in PhD	2019	37.9	13.1
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: contract-PhD	2019	42.7	8.4
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD Candidate: external PhD	2019	.	.
Male	Lower bound 95% confidence interval	Type of PhD candidate: unknown	2019	.	.
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Total	2019	47.3	16.0
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: 5 years or less	2019	45.9	15.6
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	Time since PhD: more than 5 years	2019	54.5	19.1
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	01 Education	2019	.	.
Male	Upper bound 95% confidence interval	02 Design, arts, language and history	2019	45.8	11.0
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

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.