Minority students have accounted for about half of the growth in the number of associate’s and bachelor’s degrees and 73 percent of the growth in first-professional degrees earned since 1976–77, while nonresident aliens have accounted for the majority of growth in doctoral degrees.

Between 1976–77 and 2004–05, enrollments in postsecondary degree-granting institutions increased by 57 percent (NCES 2006-030, table 3). This growth in enrollment has been accompanied by increases in the number of degrees earned, with the number of associate’s degrees increasing by 72 percent, bachelor’s degrees by 57 percent, master’s degrees by 81 percent, first-professional degrees by 36 percent, and doctoral degrees by 59 percent (see table 26-1). For example, the annual number of bachelor’s degrees earned increased from 918,000 in 1976–77 to 1,439,000 in 2004–05.

During this period, minority students accounted for roughly half of the increase in the number of associate’s and bachelor’s degrees earned (see tables 26-2 and 26-3). For example, while the number of bachelor’s degrees earned by Whites increased 241,000 (from 808,000 to 1,049,000), the number of bachelor’s degrees earned by minority students increased 250,000 (from 95,000 to 345,000). Minority students accounted for 34 percent of the increase in the number of master’s degrees, 73 percent of the increase in the number of first-professional degrees, and 28 percent of the increase in the number of doctoral degrees earned (see tables 26-4, 26-5, and 26-6). Nonresident aliens (foreign students) accounted for 22 percent of the increase in the number of master’s degrees earned and 54 percent of the increase in doctoral degrees earned. As a result, the ratio of doctoral degrees earned by nonresident aliens to doctoral degrees earned by White and minority students in 2004–05 was 1 to 3, whereas it was 1 to 8 in 1976–77.

Among minority students, Asian/Pacific Islander students experienced the greatest rates of growth in the number of degrees earned during this period. The number of first-professional degrees earned by Asian/Pacific Islander students grew by 930 percent, bachelor’s degrees by 600 percent, master’s degrees by 540 percent, associate’s degrees by 380 percent, and doctoral degrees by 340 percent.

White students experienced slower growth in the number of degrees earned than minority or nonresident alien students over this period: among Whites, the number of associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees earned grew between 30 and 43 percent, while the number of doctoral degrees earned grew by 13 percent. Despite slower growth, however, White students still earned the majority of all degrees conferred every year.