Comparative and international education (CIE) claims to be an interdisciplinary field embracing a diversity in methodologies and theoretical perspectives. Over the years, there has been an expansion in the range of theoretical perspectives employed in scholarship, as new scholars bring with them interests, expertise and positionalities. Our analysis maps the development of theoretical perspectives in doctoral theses in CIE at North American universities since 1990. We find that theory has changed considerably in this time, with a greater emphasis on critical perspectives and standpoint theories and a declining interest in economically focused perspectives. We also note that the role of doctoral advisors is primarily in terms of theoretical perspective, rather than context or methodology. These findings improve our understanding of the field in North America and potentially hold relevance to scholarship in other parts of the world.