Taking as reference the information from the TESEO database, the number of doctoral theses per university and year has been counted. The result is a statistical table showing 73 Spanish universities and their output from 1977 to 2014. These statistical data may be useful for comparing scientific production in terms of doctoral theses among different universities and analyzing their evolution. The data can be downloaded from the following dataset file.

  1. Dataset file [Datasets] – dataset_teseo-analisis-universidades.xlsx

Given the vast amount of information and potential studies that can be derived, the sample selected consists of doctoral theses data from the Complutense University of Madrid. The graph in Figure 1 clearly shows that the most productive years correspond to 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2010, and 2014. The highest figures occur in periods ranging between three and four years, which coincides with the average time required to complete doctoral theses. Significant declines in production are also observed in the years 1984, 1992, and 2013, with registered works ranging between 165 and 410.

Fig.1. Doctoral Theses at the Complutense University of Madrid (1977-2014)

Figure 1. Doctoral Theses at the Complutense University of Madrid (1977-2014)

If all doctoral theses from each university are summed, the ranking of universities with the highest number of doctoral theses is obtained, see Figure 2. The Complutense University of Madrid leads the list with 22,373 doctoral theses, closely followed by the University of Barcelona with 20,550 investigations.

Fig.2. Universities with the Most Doctoral Theses

Figure 2. Universities with the Most Doctoral Theses

The following universities on the list barely reach half the output of the top two. This is due in part to the founding dates of the universities and also in part to demographic and socio-economic factors in the regions where they are located. The data file shows that in 1977, only 24 universities had doctoral theses registered in TESEO; see Figure 3.

Fig.3. Data file on doctoral thesis production by university and year

Figure 3. Data file on doctoral thesis production by university and year

To facilitate access to all data, the following dynamic chart has been created to enable comparison of doctoral thesis production across Spanish universities.

List of TESEO Articles

  1. Catalog of Spanish Doctoral Theses TESEO Available for Download
  2. TESEO Database. Initial Data
  3. How the Teseo Data Were Obtained, Aspects to Consider, and New Actions
  4. Update of Teseo Data
  5. Doctoral Theses in Spanish Universities During the Period 1977–2014