| 1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | |
| 13,735 | 20,343 | 26,765 | 36,794 | 65,185 | 115,435 | 127,390 | 134,880 | 142,918 | 153,448 | 162,818 | 169,308 | |
| Private | 11,440 | 16,026 | 20,715 | 28,160 | 51,587 | 94,146 | 103,336 | 109,042 | 115,098 | 123,782 | 131,774 | 136,922 |
| 10,606 | 13,883 | 17,858 | 24,124 | 44,507 | 83,663 | 90,898 | 95,590 | 100,679 | 108,246 | 115,328 | 119,508 | |
| 335 | 674 | 987 | 1,333 | 2,296 | 3,398 | 4,212 | 4,639 | 5,044 | 5,440 | 5,773 | 6,169 | |
| 276 | 950 | 1,196 | 1,630 | 3,133 | 4,506 | 5,324 | 5,690 | 5,899 | 6,166 | 6,311 | 6,411 | |
| 223 | 519 | 674 | 1,073 | 1,651 | 2,579 | 2,902 | 3,123 | 3,476 | 3,930 | 4,362 | 4,834 | |
| Government | 2,295 | 4,317 | 6,050 | 8,634 | 13,598 | 21,289 | 24,054 | 25,838 | 27,820 | 29,666 | 31,044 | 32,386 |
| 1,746 | 3,149 | 4,170 | 5,616 | 8,098 | 12,513 | 13,334 | 14,005 | 14,818 | 15,542 | 15,856 | 16,340 | |
| 54 | 87 | 176 | 297 | 446 | 613 | 710 | 816 | 866 | 909 | 946 | 991 | |
| 335 | 834 | 1,411 | 2,287 | 4,076 | 6,432 | 8,020 | 8,937 | 9,973 | 10,958 | 11,886 | 12,740 | |
| 160 | 247 | 293 | 434 | 978 | 1,731 | 1,990 | 2,080 | 2,163 | 2,257 | 2,356 | 2,315 | |
| Basic research | 1,221 | 2,540 | 3,532 | 4,908 | 8,685 | 14,309 | 18,064 | 18,914 | 21,673 | 24,671 | 28,346 | 29,308 |
| 768 | 1,458 | 1,810 | 2,442 | 4,333 | 7,414 | 9,843 | 10,061 | 12,042 | 14,254 | 17,104 | 17,287 | |
| 380 | 565 | 574 | 698 | 1,244 | 2,777 | 4,231 | 3,922 | 5,346 | 6,928 | 9,290 | 9,000 | |
| 255 | 577 | 840 | 1,091 | 1,723 | 2,589 | 3,147 | 3,198 | 3,444 | 3,712 | 3,952 | 4,212 | |
| 57 | 160 | 209 | 359 | 828 | 1,098 | 1,319 | 1,644 | 1,777 | 1,948 | 2,013 | 2,025 | |
| 76 | 156 | 187 | 294 | 538 | 950 | 1,146 | 1,297 | 1,475 | 1,666 | 1,849 | 2,050 | |
| 453 | 1,082 | 1,722 | 2,466 | 4,352 | 6,895 | 8,221 | 8,853 | 9,631 | 10,417 | 11,242 | 12,021 | |
| 193 | 386 | 568 | 757 | 1,232 | 1,860 | 2,021 | 2,081 | 2,238 | 2,386 | 2,491 | 2,600 | |
| 14 | 30 | 44 | 73 | 89 | 93 | 88 | 96 | 110 | 119 | 127 | 137 | |
| 202 | 581 | 1,003 | 1,442 | 2,535 | 4,089 | 5,142 | 5,644 | 6,203 | 6,772 | 7,395 | 8,077 | |
| 44 | 85 | 107 | 194 | 496 | 853 | 970 | 1,032 | 1,080 | 1,140 | 1,229 | 1,207 | |
| Applied research | 2,966 | 4,333 | 5,882 | 8,368 | 14,305 | 25,892 | 28,467 | 30,139 | 32,930 | 36,054 | 39,896 | 40,205 |
| 2,282 | 3,105 | 4,045 | 5,515 | 10,052 | 20,394 | 22,266 | 23,437 | 25,612 | 28,248 | 31,406 | 31,210 | |
| 2,048 | 2,626 | 3,380 | 4,555 | 8,419 | 17,903 | 19,344 | 20,337 | 22,233 | 24,589 | 27,562 | 27,005 | |
| 67 | 79 | 117 | 207 | 435 | 623 | 823 | 1,117 | 1,249 | 1,343 | 1,427 | 1,543 | |
| 83 | 205 | 287 | 328 | 592 | 1,029 | 1,085 | 852 | 894 | 917 | 864 | 941 | |
| 84 | 195 | 261 | 425 | 606 | 839 | 1,014 | 1,131 | 1,236 | 1,399 | 1,553 | 1,721 | |
| 684 | 1,228 | 1,837 | 2,853 | 4,253 | 5,498 | 6,201 | 6,702 | 7,318 | 7,806 | 8,490 | 8,995 | |
| 491 | 903 | 1,339 | 1,885 | 2,646 | 3,022 | 3,238 | 3,339 | 3,514 | 3,658 | 4,064 | 4,392 | |
| 27 | 38 | 86 | 156 | 259 | 396 | 491 | 558 | 583 | 609 | 631 | 657 | |
| 112 | 207 | 326 | 723 | 1,170 | 1,804 | 2,224 | 2,553 | 2,943 | 3,254 | 3,520 | 3,676 | |
| 54 | 80 | 86 | 89 | 178 | 276 | 248 | 252 | 278 | 285 | 275 | 270 | |
| Development | 9,548 | 13,470 | 17,351 | 23,518 | 42,195 | 75,234 | 80,859 | 85,827 | 88,315 | 92,723 | 94,576 | 99,795 |
| 8,390 | 11,463 | 14,860 | 20,203 | 37,202 | 66,338 | 71,227 | 75,544 | 77,444 | 81,280 | 83,264 | 88,425 | |
| 8,178 | 10,692 | 13,904 | 18,871 | 34,844 | 62,983 | 67,323 | 71,331 | 73,100 | 76,729 | 78,476 | 83,503 | |
| 13 | 18 | 30 | 35 | 138 | 186 | 242 | 324 | 351 | 385 | 394 | 414 | |
| 136 | 585 | 700 | 943 | 1,713 | 2,379 | 2,920 | 3,194 | 3,228 | 3,301 | 3,434 | 3,445 | |
| 63 | 168 | 226 | 354 | 507 | 790 | 742 | 695 | 765 | 865 | 960 | 1,063 | |
| 1,158 | 2,007 | 2,491 | 3,315 | 4,993 | 8,896 | 9,632 | 10,283 | 10,871 | 11,443 | 11,312 | 11,370 | |
| 1,062 | 1,860 | 2,263 | 2,974 | 4,220 | 7,631 | 8,075 | 8,585 | 9,066 | 9,498 | 9,301 | 9,348 | |
| 13 | 19 | 46 | 68 | 98 | 124 | 131 | 162 | 173 | 181 | 188 | 197 | |
| 21 | 46 | 82 | 122 | 371 | 539 | 654 | 740 | 827 | 932 | 971 | 987 | |
| 62 | 82 | 100 | 151 | 304 | 602 | 772 | 796 | 805 | 832 | 852 | 838 |
1. Nonprofit institutions are divided into four subgroups: Private universities and colleges, FFRDC's administered by universities and colleges, FFRDC's administered by nonprofit institutions, and other nonprofit institutions.
FFRDC Federally funded research and development center