Abstract
This study examines issues related to the fertility of graduate students over time. First, it examines changes in motherhood rates between 1970 and 2000 among women aged 20–49 who are enrolled in graduate school, both by themselves and relative to prevailing trends among women not enrolled in graduate school, and to other college educated women. Overall, women enrolled in graduate school are increasingly likely to be mothers of young children, and are increasingly similar to non-graduate students. Second, it examines the timing of these births, and finds that almost half of births occur while women are enrolled in graduate school. Third, a brief review of current maternity leave policies and childcare options available to graduate students is presented. Results are discussed in terms of institutional changes within academia, changes between cohorts that attended graduate school in these decades, and the policy needs of graduate student mothers.
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Notes
This measurement does not take into account field of study or type of degree. As shown in Table 1, the enrollment rates of women vary considerably across type of degree. Enrollment rates of women probably also vary considerably across specific fields of study. Unfortunately, information on field of study is not available in any longitudinal study that includes information on graduate student enrollment and fertility rates, and so cannot be taken into account in this study. This measurement also includes both full time and part time enrolled students, as information on whether students were enrolled full time or part time was not collected in the U.S. census. Both female enrollment rates and motherhood rates can vary considerably by field of study and whether enrollment was part time or full time. Part time students may not be enrolled in a degree seeking program, and may be balancing the decision to have a child with both school enrollment and formal employment. The age structure of female graduate students may also vary considerably by field of study, as in some fields of study it is standard practice to work for several years before enrolling in graduate school, and in some fields most students enter graduate school immediately following college. While this should not affect age-standardized examinations of motherhood, this will affect the extent to which findings are relevant to different degree programs, especially if motherhood is concentrated among older students. This paper cannot address these questions due to the discussed data constrains. Future data collection efforts can address the degree to which findings can vary by field of study.
With these data it is impossible to determine the exact extent to which policies affect the fertility of graduate students. Furthermore, between graduate programs, fields of study, and universities, there is considerable variation in motherhood rates, the representation of women, the age structure of graduate students, and family friendly policies. Future research would be able to examine the connection between policy and fertility in greater depth, by examining specific programs and fields of study within schools, the gender and age structure of their programs, their fertility policies and childcare options, and the fertility rates of their female graduate students.
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Kuperberg, A. Motherhood and Graduate Education: 1970–2000. Popul Res Policy Rev 28, 473–504 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-008-9108-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-008-9108-3