2019 acs graduate Student Survey Report

Percentage Indicating They 
Currently Have
a
:
Percentage Indicating They 
Ideally Desire
b
:
“A lot of 
support”
“A lot of 
support”
“None” or
“moderate” 
support
“None” or
“moderate” 
support
Source of Support
*p<0.05
a
Doctoral degree students: n=1,793; master’s degree students: n=151
b
Doctoral degree students: n=1,720; master’s degree students: n=139
Note: The “Other” option had 356 responses (M.S.: 41, Ph.D.: 315) and 348 responses
(M.S.: 35, Ph.D.: 313) respectively
Table 3.3.2.4. Current and Ideal Amount of Support for Graduate Students’ Professional Development 
and Career, by Degree Type (N=1,944
a
and 1,859
b
) 

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28
When graduate students were asked about their views on the adequacy of funding, 62.3% 
(n=848) of survey respondents agreed that their funding was adequate, while 27.3% (n=372) 
disagreed that their funding was adequate. It is important to highlight the fact that the 2013 ACS 
Graduate Student Survey results showed a higher percentage of students agreeing with the ad-
equacy of their funding (69.1%, n=1,699) and a lower percentage disagreeing with the adequacy 
of funding (21.1%, n=519).
A comparison of the perceptions regarding funding adequacy among the different funding sourc-
es indicated that a higher percentage of students agreed with the adequacy of funding when 
Administrators and 
staff members at your 
current institution
17.8 
18.5 
80.1 
79.7 
26.4 
26.4 
71.8 
72.0
Alumnus/a 
from institution 
5.4 
5.9 
83.3 
85.4 
13.3 
16.2 
77.8 
75.7
Family 
49.1* 39.2 48.4 59.1* 51.9* 38.9 45.3 
58.9*
Friends 
45.7* 
33.6 
51.6 
64.9* 51.6* 36.6 45.4 
61.7*
Postdocs at your 
current institution 
15.4 
15.3 
6
6
.8 
70.2 
26.8 
25.8 
57.2 
61.5
Primary 
research advisor 
39.4 
39.9 57.4 
58.0 72.7 
71.8 24.8 
27.3
Professional colleagues
outside of your current
institution
11.4 
12.7 76.6 
77.5 21.5 
20.2 68.5 70.0
Other faculty 
(besides your primary 
research advisor) at 
your current institution 10.8 
11.5 85.3 
85.8 20.8 
23.4 75.6 73.0
Other graduate 
students at your 
current institution 
33.8 
29.8 65.1 
69.0 41.3* 35.6 57.1 
62.8*
Other 
8.6 
10.3 12.3 
17.3 12.3 
11.9 10.5 17.0