In 2006-07, degrees in the field of business made up 21 percent of the bachelor's degrees awarded. Over 327,500 bachelor's degrees were awarded in business that year.

In 2006-07, of the 1.5 million bachelor's degrees awarded that year, over 50 percent were concentrated in five fields: business (21 percent); social sciences and history (11 percent); education (7 percent); health professions and related clinical sciences (7 percent); and psychology (6 percent) (see table A-40-1). During the same time period, the fields of visual and performing arts (6 percent), engineering and engineering technologies (5 percent), communication and communications technologies (5 percent), and biological and biomedical sciences (5 percent) represented about an additional 20 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded.

Overall, 351,200 more bachelor's degrees were awarded in 2006-07 than in 1996-97 (a 30 percent increase). Bachelor's degrees awarded in the field of parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies had the largest percent increase (93 percent), followed by the fields of visual and performing arts (70 percent) and computer and information sciences and support services (66 percent). The field of education had the smallest percent increase over this time period (0.5 percent).

About 57 percent of all bachelor's degrees conferred in 2006-07 were awarded to females. In the five most prevalent bachelor's degree fields, females earned between 49 and 86 percent of all degrees awarded. In 2006-07, females earned fewer bachelor's degrees than males (i.e., males earned more degrees than females) in fields including engineering and engineering technologies (17 percent of these degrees were awarded to females), computer and information sciences and support services (19 percent female), philosophy and religious studies (38 percent female), and physical sciences and science technologies (41 percent female). For females, the field with the largest percent increase in bachelor's degrees awarded between 1996-97 and 2006-07 was security and protective services (97 percent), while the field with the smallest percent increase during this time period for females was education (5 percent). There was a 14 percent decrease in the number of males who earned a bachelor's degree in the field of education over this time period.

In 2006-07, of the 728,100 associate's degrees earned, 54 percent were awarded in two broad areas of study: liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities (34 percent) and health professions and related clinical sciences (20 percent). Overall, 156,900 more associate's degrees were awarded in 2006-07 than in 1996-97 (a 27 percent increase). The field with the largest percent increase over this time period was computer and information sciences and support services (90 percent). Several fields experienced a decline in the number of associate's degrees awarded during this period. For example, 6,700 fewer associate's degrees were awarded in engineering and engineering technologies in 2006-07 than in 1996-97 (a 12 percent decrease).

In addition, females earned 62 percent of all associate's degrees awarded in 2006-07. Females earned the majority (96 percent) of all associate's degrees awarded in the field of family and consumer sciences/human sciences. Females earned fewer associate's degrees than males in fields including precision production trades (6 percent of these degrees were awarded to females) and engineering and engineering technologies (10 percent female).

Technical Notes

The percent increases discussed in this indicator refer to aggregate fields of study. For more information on fields of study for postsecondary degrees, see supplemental note 9. The new Classification of Instructional Programs was initiated in 2002-03. Estimates for 1996-97 have been reclassified when necessary to conform to the new taxonomy. For more information on the Classification of Postsecondary Education Institutions, see supplemental note 8. For more information on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), see supplemental note 3.