Although American leaders fret about the health of the science-and-technology enterprise in this country, the field of physics is growing substantially, according to data released this week in Seattle at a joint meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Astronomical Society. The number of students graduating with bachelor’s degrees in physics has climbed 31 percent since 2000. Also, the number of high-school students who have taken a physics class set a new record in 2005, reported the American Institute of Physics, which analyzed the educational data.

Michael Neuschatz, a senior research associate with the institute’s statistical-research center, explained the increases in part as an expansion of the types of physics classes offered to high-school students. Students may also be flocking to physics courses with the hope of making their high-school transcripts look more appealing. The upward trend was also seen among girls and members of minority groups.