25% of US-trained STEM PhD graduates leave within 15 years, but US retains 50% of their patent citations—five times more than destination countries, 1980-2024 study finds.

A Quarter of US-Trained Scientists Eventually Leave. Is the US Giving Away Its Edge?

View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Using newly-assembled data from 1980 through 2024, we show that 25% of scientifically-active, US-trained STEM PhD graduates leave the US within 15 years of graduating. Leave rates are lower in the life sciences and higher in AI and quantum science but overall have been stable for decades. Contrary to common perceptions, US technology benefits from these graduates' work even if they leave: though the US share of global patent citations to graduates' science d...