Bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees conferred by degree-granting institutions, by field of study and year: Selected years, 1970-71 through 2006-07 |
||||||||||||||||
Degree and year |
Number of degrees conferred |
Percentage distribution of degrees conferred |
||||||||||||||
Total degrees |
Humani-ties\1\ |
Social and behavioral sciences\2\ |
Natural sciences\3\ |
Computer sciences and engi- neering\4\ |
Education |
Business |
Other fields\5\ |
Total degrees |
Humani- ties\1\ |
Social and behavioral sciences\2\ |
Natural sciences\3\ |
Computer sciences and engi- neering\4\ |
Educa-tion |
Business |
Other fields\5\ |
|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Bachelor's degrees | ||||||||||||||||
| 1970-71 | 839,730 | 143,571 | 193,511 | 81,894 | 52,570 | 176,307 | 115,396 | 76,481 | 100.0 | 17.1 | 23.0 | 9.8 | 6.3 | 21.0 | 13.7 | 9.1 |
| 1975-76 | 925,746 | 150,805 | 176,674 | 91,527 | 52,328 | 154,437 | 143,171 | 156,804 | 100.0 | 16.3 | 19.1 | 9.9 | 5.7 | 16.7 | 15.5 | 16.9 |
| 1980-81 | 935,140 | 134,214 | 141,581 | 78,017 | 90,476 | 108,074 | 200,521 | 182,257 | 100.0 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 8.3 | 9.7 | 11.6 | 21.4 | 19.5 |
| 1985-86 | 987,823 | 132,966 | 134,468 | 76,153 | 139,459 | 87,147 | 236,700 | 180,930 | 100.0 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 7.7 | 14.1 | 8.8 | 24.0 | 18.3 |
| 1990-91 | 1,094,538 | 172,590 | 183,762 | 70,104 | 104,910 | 110,807 | 249,165 | 203,200 | 100.0 | 15.8 | 16.8 | 6.4 | 9.6 | 10.1 | 22.8 | 18.6 |
| 1995-96 | 1,164,792 | 193,668 | 199,895 | 93,090 | 102,592 | 105,384 | 226,623 | 243,540 | 100.0 | 16.6 | 17.2 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 19.5 | 20.9 |
| 2000-01 | 1,244,171 | 214,818 | 201,681 | 88,955 | 117,117 | 105,458 | 263,515 | 252,627 | 100.0 | 17.3 | 16.2 | 7.1 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 21.2 | 20.3 |
| 2002-03 | 1,348,811 | 236,152 | 221,906 | 90,559 | 134,752 | 105,845 | 293,391 | 266,206 | 100.0 | 17.5 | 16.5 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 7.8 | 21.8 | 19.7 |
| 2003-04 | 1,399,542 | 246,646 | 232,455 | 92,819 | 137,715 | 106,278 | 307,149 | 276,480 | 100.0 | 17.6 | 16.6 | 6.6 | 9.8 | 7.6 | 21.9 | 19.8 |
| 2004-05 | 1,439,264 | 256,151 | 242,506 | 97,867 | 133,854 | 105,451 | 311,574 | 291,861 | 100.0 | 17.8 | 16.8 | 6.8 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 21.6 | 20.3 |
| 2005-06 | 1,485,242 | 263,125 | 249,619 | 104,266 | 129,090 | 107,238 | 318,042 | 313,862 | 100.0 | 17.7 | 16.8 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 7.2 | 21.4 | 21.1 |
| 2006-07 | 1,524,092 | 267,489 | 254,222 | 111,178 | 124,242 | 105,641 | 327,531 | 333,789 | 100.0 | 17.6 | 16.7 | 7.3 | 8.2 | 6.9 | 21.5 | 21.9 |
| Master's degrees |
||||||||||||||||
| 1970-71 | 230,509 | 29,457 | 22,256 | 17,150 | 18,535 | 87,666 | 26,490 | 28,955 | 100.0 | 12.8 | 9.7 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 38.0 | 11.5 | 12.6 |
| 1975-76 | 311,771 | 31,377 | 26,120 | 15,738 | 19,403 | 126,061 | 42,592 | 50,480 | 100.0 | 10.1 | 8.4 | 5.0 | 6.2 | 40.4 | 13.7 | 16.2 |
| 1980-81 | 295,739 | 28,239 | 22,168 | 13,572 | 21,434 | 96,713 | 57,888 | 55,725 | 100.0 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 4.6 | 7.2 | 32.7 | 19.6 | 18.8 |
| 1985-86 | 288,567 | 27,572 | 20,409 | 14,034 | 30,216 | 74,816 | 66,676 | 54,844 | 100.0 | 9.6 | 7.1 | 4.9 | 10.5 | 25.9 | 23.1 | 19.0 |
| 1990-91 | 337,168 | 30,327 | 23,582 | 13,626 | 34,774 | 87,352 | 78,255 | 69,252 | 100.0 | 9.0 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 10.3 | 25.9 | 23.2 | 20.5 |
| 1995-96 | 406,301 | 34,965 | 30,164 | 16,002 | 39,525 | 104,936 | 93,554 | 87,155 | 100.0 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 3.9 | 9.7 | 25.8 | 23.0 | 21.5 |
| 2000-01 | 468,476 | 35,661 | 30,330 | 15,213 | 44,183 | 127,829 | 115,602 | 99,658 | 100.0 | 7.6 | 6.5 | 3.2 | 9.4 | 27.3 | 24.7 | 21.3 |
| 2002-03 | 513,339 | 37,774 | 31,791 | 15,719 | 50,179 | 147,883 | 127,685 | 102,308 | 100.0 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 3.1 | 9.8 | 28.8 | 24.9 | 19.9 |
| 2003-04 | 558,940 | 40,477 | 34,008 | 17,418 | 55,340 | 162,345 | 139,347 | 110,005 | 100.0 | 7.2 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 9.9 | 29.0 | 24.9 | 19.7 |
| 2004-05 | 574,618 | 42,207 | 35,782 | 18,354 | 53,549 | 167,490 | 142,617 | 114,619 | 100.0 | 7.3 | 6.2 | 3.2 | 9.3 | 29.1 | 24.8 | 19.9 |
| 2005-06 | 594,065 | 44,018 | 37,139 | 19,333 | 50,585 | 174,620 | 146,406 | 121,964 | 100.0 | 7.4 | 6.3 | 3.3 | 8.5 | 29.4 | 24.6 | 20.5 |
| 2006-07 | 604,607 | 44,209 | 38,702 | 19,470 | 48,394 | 176,572 | 150,211 | 127,049 | 100.0 | 7.3 | 6.4 | 3.2 | 8.0 | 29.2 | 24.8 | 21.0 |
| Doctor's degrees\6\ | ||||||||||||||||
| 1970-71 | 32,107 | 4,410 | 5,804 | 9,118 | 3,816 | 6,041 | 774 | 2,144 | 100.0 | 13.7 | 18.1 | 28.4 | 11.9 | 18.8 | 2.4 | 6.7 |
| 1975-76 | 34,064 | 5,495 | 7,314 | 7,557 | 3,118 | 7,202 | 906 | 2,472 | 100.0 | 16.1 | 21.5 | 22.2 | 9.2 | 21.1 | 2.7 | 7.3 |
| 1980-81 | 32,958 | 4,876 | 6,698 | 7,424 | 2,860 | 7,279 | 808 | 3,013 | 100.0 | 14.8 | 20.3 | 22.5 | 8.7 | 22.1 | 2.5 | 9.1 |
| 1985-86 | 33,653 | 4,701 | 6,548 | 7,615 | 3,800 | 6,610 | 923 | 3,456 | 100.0 | 14.0 | 19.5 | 22.6 | 11.3 | 19.6 | 2.7 | 10.3 |
| 1990-91 | 39,294 | 4,976 | 6,944 | 9,260 | 6,006 | 6,189 | 1,185 | 4,734 | 100.0 | 12.7 | 17.7 | 23.6 | 15.3 | 15.8 | 3.0 | 12.0 |
| 1995-96 | 44,652 | 6,571 | 7,901 | 10,705 | 7,300 | 6,246 | 1,366 | 4,563 | 100.0 | 14.7 | 17.7 | 24.0 | 16.3 | 14.0 | 3.1 | 10.2 |
| 2000-01 | 44,904 | 6,738 | 9,021 | 9,861 | 6,372 | 6,284 | 1,180 | 5,448 | 100.0 | 15.0 | 20.1 | 22.0 | 14.2 | 14.0 | 2.6 | 12.1 |
| 2002-03 | 46,042 | 6,735 | 8,685 | 9,868 | 6,149 | 6,832 | 1,252 | 6,521 | 100.0 | 14.6 | 18.9 | 21.4 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 2.7 | 14.2 |
| 2003-04 | 48,378 | 6,599 | 8,638 | 10,117 | 6,890 | 7,088 | 1,481 | 7,565 | 100.0 | 13.6 | 17.9 | 20.9 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 3.1 | 15.6 |
| 2004-05 | 52,631 | 6,806 | 8,925 | 10,868 | 7,720 | 7,681 | 1,498 | 9,133 | 100.0 | 12.9 | 17.0 | 20.6 | 14.7 | 14.6 | 2.8 | 17.4 |
| 2005-06 | 56,067 | 7,015 | 8,835 | 11,557 | 8,887 | 7,584 | 1,711 | 10,478 | 100.0 | 12.5 | 15.8 | 20.6 | 15.9 | 13.5 | 3.1 | 18.7 |
| 2006-07 .......................... | 60,616 | 7,214 | 8,997 | 12,551 | 9,718 | 8,261 | 2,029 | 11,846 | 100.0 | 11.9 | 14.8 | 20.7 | 16.0 | 13.6 | 3.3 | 19.5 |
| \1\Includes degrees in Area, ethnic, cultural, and gender studies; English language and literature/letters; Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics; Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities; Multi/interdisciplinary studies; Philosophy and religious studies; Theology and religious vocations; and Visual and performing arts. |
||||||||||||||||
| \2\Includes Psychology; and Social sciences and history. | ||||||||||||||||
| \3\Includes Biological and biomedical sciences; Mathematics and statistics; and Physical sciences and science technologies. | ||||||||||||||||
| \4\Includes Computer and information sciences; Engineering; and Engineering technologies. | ||||||||||||||||
| \5\Includes Agriculture and natural resources; Architecture and related services; Communication, journalism, and related programs; Communications technologies; Family and consumer sciences/human sciences; Health professions and related clinical sciences; Legal professions and studies; Library science; Military technologies; Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies; Precision production; Public administration and social services; Security and protective services; Transportation and materials moving; and Not classified by field of study. | ||||||||||||||||
| \6\Includes Ph.D., Ed.D., and comparable degrees at the doctoral level. Excludes first-professional, such as M.D., D.D.S., and law degrees. | ||||||||||||||||
| NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. | ||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, 1970-71 through 1985-86; and 1990-91 through 2006-07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, "Completions Survey" (IPEDS-C:91-96), and Fall 2001 through Fall 2007. (This table was prepared September 2008.) | ||||||||||||||||
