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Main Authors: Shvadron, Dror, Zhang, Hansen, Fleming, Lee, Gross, Daniel P.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.11146
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author Shvadron, Dror
Zhang, Hansen
Fleming, Lee
Gross, Daniel P.
author_facet Shvadron, Dror
Zhang, Hansen
Fleming, Lee
Gross, Daniel P.
contents 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 drops from 70% to 50% after migrating, it remains five times larger than the destination country share, and as large as all other countries combined. These results highlight the value that the US derives from training foreign scientists - not only when they stay, but even when they leave.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_11146
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Quarter of US-Trained Scientists Eventually Leave. Is the US Giving Away Its Edge?
Shvadron, Dror
Zhang, Hansen
Fleming, Lee
Gross, Daniel P.
General Economics
Economics
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 drops from 70% to 50% after migrating, it remains five times larger than the destination country share, and as large as all other countries combined. These results highlight the value that the US derives from training foreign scientists - not only when they stay, but even when they leave.
title A Quarter of US-Trained Scientists Eventually Leave. Is the US Giving Away Its Edge?
topic General Economics
Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.11146