No. of Israeli Arabs studying for doctorates doubles in a decade - report

There were 759 Israeli Arab doctoral students in 2018

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Hebrew University students upset by the incident continued to protest Wednesday afternoon. (photo credit: URI BOLLAG)
Hebrew University students upset by the incident continued to protest Wednesday afternoon.
(photo credit: URI BOLLAG)
There were 759 Israeli Arab doctoral students in 2018, according to a report released Sunday by Israel’s Council for Higher Education. That number is up from 355 in 2008.
The CHE report showed that 40% of Israeli Arab Ph.D. candidates were studying in the fields of engineering and natural sciences. Another 40% are learning social and life sciences. 
Nearly 7% of Israel’s Ph.D. students are from the Arab sector, according to the report. Roughly 20% of Israel’s population is Arab.
The study also showed an increase of 90% in the past decade in the number of Arab students studying toward a master’s degree.
However, a recent study by the Israel Democracy Institute found that the rate of NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) among Israeli Arabs between 19 and 23 years of age is 37%. The NEET rate in Israel in general is 28% - one of the highest among OECD countries.
Around 1,300 doctoral students complete a PhD each year in Israel, according to reports.
Israeli universities are also among some of the top ranked in the world. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, for example, is ranked the 178th best university worldwide in the 2015-16 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.