One-third of young scientists who were planning careers in academic research changed their minds in the spring of 2025, according to a new survey, with fewer expecting to remain in higher education and in the U.S. to work or feeling that pursuing a Ph.D. was the right decision.
The survey, recently published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, was taken at a time of tightening government policy on science funding and the presence of international students in the country. The government’s efforts in those areas have been stymied by the courts, at least initially.
But the new study suggests the high-profile campaign and lack of a final legal resolution have fueled uncertainty among younger scientists about the prospects for careers here. It also adds to researchers’ concerns about the disruption of the partnership between the U.S. government and universities that has driven the nation’s leadership in scientific discovery, innovation, and economic growth.
The survey, conducted in March 2025, showed that a third of the respondents who had previously said they were likely or very likely to pursue a career in academia no longer felt that way. Similarly, almost a fourth of those who had previously expected to stay and work in the U.S. no longer felt that was likely or very likely. And finally, when asked whether they were satisfied with having pursued a Ph.D., 17 percent fewer said they were either satisfied or neutral about the decision compared with six months earlier.
