What is SESTAT?
The Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT) is a database containing information about a representative sample of persons in the United States who are working or trained as scientists or engineers. SESTAT, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, comprises data from three sources: the National Survey of College Graduates, the National Survey of Recent College Graduates, and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients.
The Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT), sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is a data system of information about a representative sample of people living in the United States who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a science or engineering (S&E) field, or who are working in an S&E job.
SESTAT is a comprehensive and integrated system of information about the employment, educational, and demographic characteristics of scientists and engineers (S&E) in the United States. In concept it covers those with a bachelor’s degree or higher who either work in or are educated in science or engineering, although some data on the non-S&E are also included. SESTAT was created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide data for policy analysis and general research. Maintained by the Division of Science Resource Studies within the NSF, SESTAT contains data from three NSF-sponsored demographic surveys. These surveys were conducted in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999. These surveys provide data that have been integrated into a single system. The 1993 surveys include responses from about 200,000 individuals representing an S&E population of 11.6 million. The 1995 surveys include responses from about 105,000 individuals, representing 12.0 million scientists and engineers.
SESTAT is a comprehensive and integrated system of information about the employment, educational, and demographic characteristics of scientists and engineers in the United States. It comprises data collected through three national sample surveys supported by NSF: the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG), the National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG), and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR). These surveys are conducted biennially; each is administered to a different sample population of bachelor’s and above college degree holders. Although there are individuals in the U.S. who have earned science and engineering related degrees at the associate’s degree level or who do not have bachelor’s degrees but are working in science and engineering occupations, these individuals are not included in the sampling frames for the three SESTAT surveys.
