Approximately 35–40% of U.S. Nobel laureates were born overseas.
This trend is especially strong in science and economics categories, such as Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Economics.
Category | % Foreign-born among U.S. Laureates |
---|---|
Physics | ~40% |
Chemistry | ~35–40% |
Medicine | ~35% |
Economics | ~40–45% |
Literature/Peace | Lower (typically 20%) |
The U.S. has benefited from immigration of top scientific talent, especially during and after WWII.
Many came from Europe, including Germany, Hungary, the UK, and later from China, India, and other parts of Asia.
From 2000 to 2022, over 50% of U.S. Nobel winners in Physics were foreign-born.
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According to the National Foundation for American Policy, the share of foreign-born U.S. Nobel laureates in scientific and economic fields since 2000 is as follows:Forbes+7CNN+7Boundless+7
Physics: ~42%
Chemistry: ~38%
Medicine: ~38%
Economics: ~31%
These figures highlight the significant contributions of immigrants to the United States' achievements in Nobel-recognized disciplines.Boundless+2Diario AS+2Forbes+2
U.S. immigrant Nobel laureates have hailed from a diverse array of countries, including:
Germany
United Kingdom
France
Hungary
India
China
Canada
Turkey
Israel
South Africa Reddit+11Wikipedia+11Forbes+11ForbesNational Geographic+4The Independent+4Wikipedia+4
This diversity underscores the global nature of scientific and academic excellence and the United States' role as a hub for international talent.
Notably, 44% of these immigrant laureates earned their highest academic degrees from U.S. institutions, emphasizing the role of American universities in attracting and nurturing global talent. Diario AS
Leading U.S. universities have been instrumental in this success. For instance, since 2000, Harvard University has produced 60 Nobel laureates, followed by institutions like MIT and the University of California, Berkeley.
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