But this ranking tells only half the story; in 1953-54 these groups of institutions arranged themselves quite differently when the percent of teachers at the bottom of the four-level scale of preparation was considered. The large nonpublic colleges were found to be condoning the use of teachers with less than the master's degree to the extent of 13.7 percent of the total full-time staff; land-grant colleges, 12.8 percent; small nonpublic colleges, 12.7 percent; nonpublic universities, 11.7 percent; middle-size nonpublic colleges, 10.9 percent; municipal universities, 8.9 percent; and state colleges, 7.0 percent. At the end of the list were teachers colleges, with only 3.2 percent of their staffs at this lowest level of preparation.

These widely varying employment practices are further complicated by the fact that some types of institutions make liberal use of part-time teachers about whose qualifications the comparable data are not available-while in other types the use of part-time teachers is a negligible factor. And finally, there is wide variation among types of institutions in the percent of full-time teachers who have completed at least one year of graduate study beyond the master's degree but have not yet earned the doctorate: 30.8 percent

in teachers colleges at the top; 11.3 percent in municipal universities, at the bottom.

These variations spring from basic differences in employment policies dominated largely by (a) the general objectives of the institutions, and (b) the resources available to the employing officer. But the continuing search for the most desired candidates leads to these two questions: (a) How many doctor's degree graduates in each field are produced annually? (b) What occupations gain the services of these graduates? Answers to these questions are provided by the nationwide study reported in this section.

Doctorate Production Rises Slowly

Figure V shows that the postwar production reached a peak in 1954, three years after the master's degree class and four years after the bachelor's degree class. After reaching a total of 8996 that year the number fell to 8840, then up to 8903, then down to 8756 in 1957 before climbing back to 8942 in 1958 and 9360 in 1959. The percent of women in this degree class has not yet reached 11, and has exceeded 10 only during the three most recent years.

Not All Doctor's Degree Graduates Are Available

The foregoing figures, if considered alone, are deceiving. The first circle in Figure VI shows that only slightly over one-half (52.6 percent) of those receiving the degree the past two years actually entered new occupations. As many as 22.9 percent were already in full service as college teachers, and 20.4 percent were known to be settled in other occupations. This means that an assumed "new supply" of 9000 potential college teachers with the most comprehensive preparation would be in reality only about 4700. And the second circle in Figure VI shows that of this realistic "new supply," college teaching attracts just over 4 of every 10 (43.2 percent). Other kinds of educational service-administration, research, elementary and secondary education, and educational associations and agencies-claim almost 1 of every 5 (18.1) percent). Almost 4 of every 10 (38.7 percent) accept employment in noneducational occupations. Thus the new teachers entering college teaching turn out to be 22.7 percent of the original typical graduating class of 9000.

Field-by-Field Differences Are Great

Of first concern to employing officials-and to students about to choose their fields of graduate study is this question: How many graduates emerge from each field, and what occupations attract them? Employing officials are usually aware of the competition of other occupations, but the specific facts may be decisive in supporting budgetary proposals. And students, before launching into two or more years of post-master's degree study, should be fully informed about the number and the nature of future employment opportunities.

Tables 27 and 28 present many pertinent facts concerning members of the two most recent classes of doctor's degree graduates. In Table 27 the principal fields of graduate study are arranged according to the percent of graduates who, during the year of graduation, were fully engaged in occupations in which they were continuing. Column 3 shows the precent of the total number who were already "occupationally consumed," i.e., they did not enter the reservoir of new supply as a result of their being graduated.

The range of percents in column 3 of Table 27 is extremely wide. Chemistry, the field producing

the greatest number of doctor's degree graduates, is at one end of the distribution. Only about 1 of every 5 (21.0 percent) is already occupationally engaged; more than three-fourths of the group are engaged in graduate study as their principal occupation during the year of graduation and thus become available to the competing prospective employers. On the surface, it would appear that the colleges should be well supplied with thoroughly prepared teachers of this subject. But Table 28, which follows, throws new light on current conditions.

Along with chemistry at the end of the distribution in column 3 of Table 27 is physics; only 1 of every 4 (25.3 percent) is occupationally engaged during the year of his graduation. Similarly, in biological sciences, just 31.5 percent are continuing in their already chosen occupations.

Mathematics, another field in which doctor's degree holders are coveted for college teaching, has only 1 of every 3 (35.5 percent) already settled in an occupation in which he continues.

Near the other end of this distribution (column 3, Table 27) is the field of education, (Ed.D. degree), second only to chemistry in total number of doctor's degrees granted. But here 2 of every 3 (65.3 percent) are already occupationally committed; they are fully employed during the year of graduation and they continue without change as a result of receiving the degree. Thus only 1 of every 3 enters the reservoir of new supply, in contrast to the 4-of-every-5 ratio in chemistry and 3-of-every-4 in physics. The other major fields of college teaching further illustrate the wide range in percent of graduates continuing in already chosen occupations.

How Many Are College Teachers?

The foregoing paragraphs have sharply pointed up this fact: The number of doctor's degree graduates is not, in itself, an accurate indication of the number of potential candidates for employment in new occupations. More specifically, it is not a trustworthy indication of the possible new supply of candidates for college teaching. But Table 28 answers these two pertinent questions:

1. Of the new doctor's degree graduates in each field, how many are already fully engaged in college teaching?

2. How many enter college teaching?

It now becomes clear that the acute shortage of highly qualified candidates for teaching certain college subjects is not simply that graduate schools do not produce them in considerable numbers. The telling fact is that other occupations attract them.

The point is probably best illustrated in chemistry. In Section 1 it was shown that the shortage of qualified teachers of this subject is more acute than in any other field. Yet the number of doctor's degrees granted in chemistry is greater than in any other field (unless the Ed.D. and Ph.D. recipients in education are combined). Table 28 tells the story.

Almost all advanced students in chemistry are in full-time residence during the year of their graduation. Not even 1 in every 20 (only 4.7 percent) is a full-time college teacher during the year of his graduation, as shown in column 3 of Table 28. But column 4 shows that, of all chemistry graduates, only 14.6 percent become college teachers following graduation. This means that the occupation of college teaching benefits by less than 1 of every 5 chemistry majors (19.3 percent, as shown in column 5). Many other activities in the industrial and professional life of the nation require highly trained chemists, and these occupations outbid the institutions of higher education for the services of four-fifths of them.

The situation in physics is almost the same. Only 7.8 percent are already "occupationally consumed" in college teaching, and only 18.7 percent enter, making a total of just 26.5 percent of the recipients of the doctor's degree engaged in producing more trained scholars in physics, whereas the average for all fields combined is 45.6 percent contributing to the higher education enterprise.