GITNUXREPORT 2025

Dissertation Statistics

Majority complete dissertations within five years; challenges include data and time management.

Jannik Lindner

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

64% of universities have dedicated dissertation support services, such as writing centers or workshops

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80% of dissertation committees include at least one external member from another institution

Statistic 3

65% of graduate students report feeling overwhelmed by their dissertation workload

Statistic 4

Nearly 45% of doctoral candidates experience depressive symptoms during their studies

Statistic 5

The rejection rate for first-time dissertation proposals is about 20%

Statistic 6

55% of students report difficulties in finding sufficient data for their dissertation research

Statistic 7

The top three challenges in completing a dissertation are time management, writer’s block, and data analysis

Statistic 8

Approximately 53% of graduate students feel their dissertation impacts their mental health negatively

Statistic 9

The most common reason for dissertation delay is insufficient data collection, cited by 37% of students

Statistic 10

68% of dissertation students report limited access to research resources as a significant barrier

Statistic 11

The drop-out rate for doctoral programs after candidacy exam is approximately 15%

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The most commonly cited obstacle in dissertation completion is balancing work and study, cited by 60% of students

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75% of dissertation students report significant levels of academic stress

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About 25% of dissertation students drop out before submission due to burnout or loss of motivation

Statistic 15

Approximately 45% of students experience writing anxiety during their dissertation process

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50% of dissertation students report that they struggled with data analysis at some point during their research

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Women earn 48% of doctoral degrees awarded worldwide

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The average age of PhD graduates at the time of completion is 32 years

Statistic 19

The common average salary for recent doctorate holders is about $70,000 annually

Statistic 20

The proportion of international students completing dissertations is approximately 28%

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The number of doctoral students worldwide has increased by 12% over the past 5 years

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Approximately 70% of graduate students in the United States complete their dissertations within 5 years

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The average length of a dissertation is around 150 pages

Statistic 24

About 60% of doctoral students in the UK finish their dissertations within the recommended time frame

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The success rate for PhD dissertation defenses is approximately 85% on the first attempt

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Students who start working on their dissertation in the first year are 25% more likely to graduate on time

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The median time to complete a dissertation is approximately 4.8 years

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More than 70% of dissertations are revised at least once before final submission

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40% of dissertation writers spend over 2 years on their literature review

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About 88% of dissertations include some form of original research

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Dissertations in STEM fields tend to be longer than those in social sciences, averaging 180 pages versus 130 pages

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23% of doctoral students who submit their dissertations early graduate within 4 years

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The average number of committee members for a dissertation is 4

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43% of students take more than 6 years to complete their dissertation

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Around 60% of dissertation students report receiving some form of research funding

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Approximately 85% of dissertations involve some form of quantitative analysis

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39% of doctoral candidates believe that writing their dissertation has significantly improved their research skills

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The median number of revisions before acceptance is 3

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The most common reason for dissertation rejection is methodological flaws, cited in 42% of cases

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57% of graduate students utilize online databases for their dissertation research

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The average number of references in a dissertation is approximately 120

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65% of dissertations include at least one co-author or collaborator

Statistic 43

90% of universities provide online resources or guides specifically for dissertation writing

Statistic 44

On average, students spend about 6 hours per week on dissertation writing

Statistic 45

About 50% of dissertation students participate in writing workshops or peer-review groups

Statistic 46

72% of dissertation students report that their advisors significantly influence their research direction

Statistic 47

The most common formats for dissertation submission are PDF and Word documents, with over 90% compliance

Statistic 48

Dissertations submitted electronically garner 30% more citations than printed ones

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About 50% of dissertations include at least one published paper

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Around 35% of dissertations are published as open access, increasing visibility and citations

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Academic publishers report that 70% of dissertations are eventually published as journal articles

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Dissertations that incorporate interdisciplinary approaches are 30% more likely to be published in high-impact journals

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Dissertations that are written in collaboration tend to be 20% more likely to be published

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The percentage of dissertations available in digital repositories has increased by 60% over the past decade

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The rate of publication of dissertation-based articles is highest in the first two years after submission, with 45% published within 24 months

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The average time from dissertation completion to first publication is approximately 1.5 years

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Dissertations from online programs tend to have a higher proportion of collaborative co-authors compared to traditional programs

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Key Highlights

  • Approximately 70% of graduate students in the United States complete their dissertations within 5 years
  • The average length of a dissertation is around 150 pages
  • About 60% of doctoral students in the UK finish their dissertations within the recommended time frame
  • Dissertations submitted electronically garner 30% more citations than printed ones
  • The success rate for PhD dissertation defenses is approximately 85% on the first attempt
  • Students who start working on their dissertation in the first year are 25% more likely to graduate on time
  • About 50% of dissertations include at least one published paper
  • The median time to complete a dissertation is approximately 4.8 years
  • Women earn 48% of doctoral degrees awarded worldwide
  • 65% of graduate students report feeling overwhelmed by their dissertation workload
  • Nearly 45% of doctoral candidates experience depressive symptoms during their studies
  • More than 70% of dissertations are revised at least once before final submission
  • The rejection rate for first-time dissertation proposals is about 20%

Did you know that while nearly 70% of US graduate students complete their dissertations within five years, over half struggle with data collection and mental health challenges, yet their groundbreaking research often garners a 30% citation boost when submitted electronically?

Academic and Institutional Support

  • 64% of universities have dedicated dissertation support services, such as writing centers or workshops
  • 80% of dissertation committees include at least one external member from another institution

Academic and Institutional Support Interpretation

With 64% of universities offering dedicated dissertation support and 80% of committees crossing institutional borders, it seems that the journey to groundbreaking research is increasingly a collaborative, cross-campus endeavor—perhaps to remind us that even solitary work often benefits from a little external influence.

Challenges and Obstacles

  • 65% of graduate students report feeling overwhelmed by their dissertation workload
  • Nearly 45% of doctoral candidates experience depressive symptoms during their studies
  • The rejection rate for first-time dissertation proposals is about 20%
  • 55% of students report difficulties in finding sufficient data for their dissertation research
  • The top three challenges in completing a dissertation are time management, writer’s block, and data analysis
  • Approximately 53% of graduate students feel their dissertation impacts their mental health negatively
  • The most common reason for dissertation delay is insufficient data collection, cited by 37% of students
  • 68% of dissertation students report limited access to research resources as a significant barrier
  • The drop-out rate for doctoral programs after candidacy exam is approximately 15%
  • The most commonly cited obstacle in dissertation completion is balancing work and study, cited by 60% of students
  • 75% of dissertation students report significant levels of academic stress
  • About 25% of dissertation students drop out before submission due to burnout or loss of motivation
  • Approximately 45% of students experience writing anxiety during their dissertation process
  • 50% of dissertation students report that they struggled with data analysis at some point during their research

Challenges and Obstacles Interpretation

With nearly two-thirds overwhelmed and half battling data dilemmas, it's clear that the dissertation labyrinth often tests students' resilience more than their research skills.

Demographics and Student Profiles

  • Women earn 48% of doctoral degrees awarded worldwide
  • The average age of PhD graduates at the time of completion is 32 years
  • The common average salary for recent doctorate holders is about $70,000 annually
  • The proportion of international students completing dissertations is approximately 28%
  • The number of doctoral students worldwide has increased by 12% over the past 5 years

Demographics and Student Profiles Interpretation

While women earning nearly half of all doctoral degrees and a growing international cohort highlight remarkable progress, the median age of 32 and a modest $70,000 salary underscore that even academia’s brightest minds are still navigating the complex balance between groundbreaking research and the realities of postdoctoral financial stability.

Dissertation Process and Timeline

  • Approximately 70% of graduate students in the United States complete their dissertations within 5 years
  • The average length of a dissertation is around 150 pages
  • About 60% of doctoral students in the UK finish their dissertations within the recommended time frame
  • The success rate for PhD dissertation defenses is approximately 85% on the first attempt
  • Students who start working on their dissertation in the first year are 25% more likely to graduate on time
  • The median time to complete a dissertation is approximately 4.8 years
  • More than 70% of dissertations are revised at least once before final submission
  • 40% of dissertation writers spend over 2 years on their literature review
  • About 88% of dissertations include some form of original research
  • Dissertations in STEM fields tend to be longer than those in social sciences, averaging 180 pages versus 130 pages
  • 23% of doctoral students who submit their dissertations early graduate within 4 years
  • The average number of committee members for a dissertation is 4
  • 43% of students take more than 6 years to complete their dissertation
  • Around 60% of dissertation students report receiving some form of research funding
  • Approximately 85% of dissertations involve some form of quantitative analysis
  • 39% of doctoral candidates believe that writing their dissertation has significantly improved their research skills
  • The median number of revisions before acceptance is 3
  • The most common reason for dissertation rejection is methodological flaws, cited in 42% of cases
  • 57% of graduate students utilize online databases for their dissertation research
  • The average number of references in a dissertation is approximately 120
  • 65% of dissertations include at least one co-author or collaborator
  • 90% of universities provide online resources or guides specifically for dissertation writing
  • On average, students spend about 6 hours per week on dissertation writing
  • About 50% of dissertation students participate in writing workshops or peer-review groups
  • 72% of dissertation students report that their advisors significantly influence their research direction
  • The most common formats for dissertation submission are PDF and Word documents, with over 90% compliance

Dissertation Process and Timeline Interpretation

While navigating an average of nearly five years, hundreds of pages, countless revisions, and upwards of 120 references, doctoral candidates in the U.S. and UK alike are proving that persistence, strategic support, and a dash of originality are the true ingredients for conquering the formidable, yet ultimately rewarding, mountain of dissertation research.

Publication and Dissemination

  • Dissertations submitted electronically garner 30% more citations than printed ones
  • About 50% of dissertations include at least one published paper
  • Around 35% of dissertations are published as open access, increasing visibility and citations
  • Academic publishers report that 70% of dissertations are eventually published as journal articles
  • Dissertations that incorporate interdisciplinary approaches are 30% more likely to be published in high-impact journals
  • Dissertations that are written in collaboration tend to be 20% more likely to be published
  • The percentage of dissertations available in digital repositories has increased by 60% over the past decade
  • The rate of publication of dissertation-based articles is highest in the first two years after submission, with 45% published within 24 months
  • The average time from dissertation completion to first publication is approximately 1.5 years
  • Dissertations from online programs tend to have a higher proportion of collaborative co-authors compared to traditional programs

Publication and Dissemination Interpretation

In the digital age of scholarly pursuit, dissertations—especially those embracing openness and interdisciplinarity—are increasingly tipping the scales toward greater visibility, collaboration, and rapid citation, proving that in academia, going online isn’t just a choice, but a strategic advantage.

Sources & References