A strong body of evidence shows that doctoral student experiences are shaped by both individual factors and socio-cultural contexts. However, we know little about the differences and similarities of such experiences across different socio-cultural contexts. To contribute to the understanding on contextual and invariants of doctoral experience, we surveyed doctoral students' key experiences in two different socio-cultural contexts: two research-intensive universities in South Africa and Finland. The results indicate that both positive and negative student experiences shape doctoral education across institutions, disciplines and national contexts. The research supports the notion of the doctorate as a socio-cultural experience ranging from individual learning through experience, to relational enculturation into the wider scholarly community. The findings provide the basis for understanding the doctoral experience as a force shaping doctoral education systems.