As is the usual trend, the numbers of schools known to offer degrees in Biochemistry and/or Molecular Biology, the number of schools reporting, and the number of students graduation at all three levels has increased from last year. Several responding schools noted the increase in departments offering biotechnology degrees. At this time we have no category for these degrees.

This year the survey was sent to 515 schools known to offer degrees in biochemistry, molecular biology, or chemistry with a biochemical emphasis. This year ASBMB offered to create a link to the schools that responded. We received responses from 245. Some of the schools either gave sex or racial categories only so one additional column and one additional row were added at the appropriate place.

One trend that is continuing is the increased percentage of women obtaining degrees at all levels. For the first time during the survey, more women were reported to have received Masters degrees than men, and the gap at the Ph.D. level narrowed noticeably (3.8% difference this year compared to 18.6% last year). At the bachelors level the number of women graduates has exceeded male graduates for several years.

Of continuing concern is the number of degrees offered to minorities. While the numbers at the bachelor and Ph.D. levels are the same or higher than last year, the numbers are about the same as the numbers two years ago. Unfortunately the numbers of minority Masters degrees are down for the second year in a row. A list of the schools reporting the highest number of graduates in each category can be found as supplemental information.

Average and median faculty size and composition has remained fairly constant at 12.4 male, 3.4 female (average), 10.5 male, 3.0 female (median). The average size of the reporting schools was 11,300 students, but the median size was much smaller at 6,900 students. Tables and bar graphs on these distributions can be found at the same supplemental site as above.

These graduation surveys are only as representative as the responses from departments. Check our list of schools to see if your department responded to the survey and to check the list of programs known to offer degrees at some level. Those schools that responded are marked in red. If you know of any schools that offer a degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, or chemistry with a biochemistry emphasis and are not listed, please contact us at via email at education@asbmb.org With your help we can prepare an even more definitive survey next year

BS/BA      MS        PhD        Male Female Total  Male Female Total  Male Female Unspec. Total  American Indian or Alaskan Native 4 6 10 1 1 2 2 3   5 Asian 164 218 382 20 20 40 44 37   81 Black, not of Hispanic origin 38 59 97 2 4 6 6 8   14 Hispanic 55 73 128 9 8 17 13 14 2 29 Pacific Islander 8 12 20 0 2 2 3 0   3 White, not of Hispanic Origin 903 914 1817 104 105 209 254 225 2 481 International Students 40 46 86 20 36 56 69 71 1 141 Unspecified 26 4 30   1 1 2 2   4 Total 1238 1332 2570 156 177 333  393 360 5 758