Monitoring Academic Institutions Attended by American Scholars
In the realm of academic research, understanding the career trajectories of tenure-track faculty is crucial. A groundbreaking dataset, known as the AARC faculty rosters dataset, has been created to address this need. This dataset, developed by researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, provides an in-depth look into the educational and career histories of over 314,000 tenure-line faculty members at 393 U.S. PhD-granting institutions from 2011 to 2020[1].
The AARC faculty rosters dataset is an integrated part of a research project published by Tripodi et al. in PNAS (2025). To access this valuable resource, researchers and interested parties are advised to refer to the data repository mentioned in the study or contact the authors or institutions maintaining the AARC dataset[1].
This dataset is a treasure trove of information, offering detailed tenure and research trajectories, and enabling the analysis of faculty title changes, such as from assistant to associate professor, by examining faculty title changes[1]. It is integrated with multiple other sources, including publication records, bibliometric databases, and dissertation repositories, to provide a comprehensive study of faculty careers[1].
The main matched sample includes over 12,000 scholars with linked publication and tenure data[1]. It's important to note that this is a specialized academic dataset and may require institutional permission or collaboration to obtain[1].
Other general degree and dissertation data, such as those from NSF and ProQuest, exist but are less specific to tenure-track trajectories[2][1]. If you're seeking publicly available degree statistics (not faculty data), NSF and NCES data tools are available but focus on degrees awarded, not faculty career data[2].
The AARC faculty rosters dataset is not the only resource of its kind. Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder have also developed a dataset tracking educational backgrounds for tenure-track faculty at universities that grant Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in the United States[3].
In summary, the AARC faculty rosters dataset is currently the most comprehensive dataset specifically tracking tenure-track faculty educational and career data at U.S. PhD-granting universities. This valuable resource offers a wealth of information for researchers and academics seeking to understand the career trajectories of tenure-track faculty members.
[1] Tripodi, M., et al. (2025). AARC faculty rosters dataset. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [2] National Science Foundation (NSF) Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/ [3] University of Colorado, Boulder (2022). AARC faculty rosters dataset. [Data file]. Retrieved from https://data.colorado.edu/dataset/aarc-faculty-rosters-dataset
- The AARC faculty rosters dataset, a valuable resource for researchers, contains data about the education, career histories, and tenure trajectories of over 314,000 tenure-line faculty members, making it an excellent tool for analyzing learning, research, and education-and-self-development within this demographic.
- Leveraging AI, this dataset is integrated with multiple sources to provide a comprehensive study of faculty careers, offering insights not only about tenure and research trajectories but also faculty title changes, publication records, bibliometric databases, and dissertation repositories, furthering the understanding of education and self-development in academic settings.
