- Surveys & Programs
- Data & Tools
- Fast Facts
- News & Events
- Publications & Products
- About Us
 |
| 2006 Tables and Figures | All Years of Tables and Figures | Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest |
 Previous Page |
Download Excel  (53KB) |
| Table 216. | Enrollment in postsecondary education, by student level, type of institution, age, and major field of study: 2003–04 |
| Field of study | All students | Undergraduate | Graduate and first-professional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total (in thousands) | Percentage distribution, by age | 2-year institutions1 | 4-year institutions | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under 25 | 25 to 35 | Over 35 | Total (in thousands) | Percentage distribution, by age | Total (in thousands) | Percentage distribution, by age | Total (in thousands) |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Under 25 | 25 to 35 | Over 35 | Under 25 | 25 to 35 | Over 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 21,880 | (19.9) | 55.7 | (0.47) | 25.8 | (0.36) | 18.4 | (0.32) | 9,588 | (23.7) | 51.7 | (0.70) | 26.1 | (0.49) | 22.3 | (0.49) | 9,466 | (23.7) | 70.7 | (0.76) | 18.2 | (0.44) | 11.1 | (0.44) | 2,826 | (19.9) |
| Agriculture and related sciences | 95 | (8.5) | 72.0 | (3.40) | 19.2 | (3.08) | 8.8 | (2.59) | 36 | (5.4) | 62.0 | (6.50) | 23.2 | (5.90) | 14.8 | (5.69) | 52 | (4.7) | 82.7 | (3.35) | 13.4 | (2.93) | 3.9 | (2.14) | 8 | (2.5) |
| Architecture and related services | 126 | (10.6) | 68.0 | (2.59) | 24.8 | (2.32) | 7.2 | (1.37) | 46 | (5.1) | 57.2 | (5.52) | 28.7 | (4.85) | 14.0 | (3.41) | 68 | (8.9) | 80.4 | (3.03) | 16.8 | (3.04) | 2.8 | (1.22) | 12 | (1.6) |
| Area, ethnic, and gender studies | 44 | (4.3) | 63.2 | (4.41) | 21.2 | (3.81) | 15.6 | (3.58) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | 30 | (3.5) | 80.7 | (4.26) | 12.3 | (3.98) | 7.0 | (2.88) | 8 | (1.4) |
| Biological and biomedical sciences | 500 | (16.0) | 77.6 | (1.22) | 18.2 | (1.14) | 4.2 | (0.52) | 94 | (7.8) | 70.8 | (3.89) | 21.1 | (3.25) | 8.1 | (1.92) | 350 | (13.0) | 87.4 | (1.11) | 10.4 | (0.95) | 2.1 | (0.40) | 56 | (3.8) |
| Business, management, and marketing | 3,431 | (72.1) | 51.1 | (1.14) | 28.3 | (0.87) | 20.5 | (0.81) | 1,170 | (30.0) | 51.7 | (1.11) | 25.7 | (0.97) | 22.7 | (0.96) | 1,805 | (53.6) | 60.7 | (1.88) | 23.2 | (1.16) | 16.1 | (1.23) | 456 | (29.6) |
| Communication and journalism | 433 | (18.8) | 82.3 | (1.14) | 12.8 | (1.07) | 4.9 | (0.89) | 72 | (7.0) | 81.1 | (3.43) | 13.2 | (2.70) | 5.6 | (1.73) | 334 | (15.8) | 86.9 | (1.33) | 10.3 | (1.16) | 2.8 | (0.88) | 27 | (5.9) |
| Communications technologies/technicians | 112 | (9.9) | 65.4 | (3.54) | 19.5 | (2.76) | 15.1 | (2.88) | 45 | (5.9) | 64.3 | (6.32) | 16.0 | (3.85) | 19.7 | (5.14) | 63 | (7.6) | 69.8 | (4.82) | 19.2 | (3.86) | 10.9 | (3.37) | ‡ | (†) |
| Computer and information sciences | 998 | (36.7) | 49.3 | (1.33) | 29.2 | (1.15) | 21.5 | (1.18) | 436 | (21.6) | 45.6 | (2.00) | 28.7 | (1.95) | 25.7 | (1.68) | 494 | (23.6) | 56 | (2.15) | 27 | (1.50) | 17 | (1.59) | 69 | (9.2) |
| Construction trades | 95 | (12.9) | 46.4 | (5.16) | 29.9 | (3.67) | 23.7 | (3.82) | 75 | (12.4) | 38.4 | (5.63) | 34.5 | (4.17) | 27.0 | (4.78) | 20 | (2.7) | 77.7 | (5.53) | 12.0 | (5.22) | 10.3 | (4.73) | ‡ | (†) |
| Criminal justice | 452 | (21.0) | 59.5 | (1.96) | 28.5 | (1.73) | 12.0 | (1.18) | 210 | (14.2) | 56.4 | (2.96) | 31.0 | (2.50) | 12.5 | (1.72) | 231 | (16.9) | 64.1 | (2.73) | 24.0 | (2.06) | 11.9 | (1.88) | 11 | (3.1) |
| Economics | 89 | (7.0) | 82.2 | (2.53) | 15.9 | (2.26) | 1.9 | (0.80) | 8 | (2.0) | 90.4 | (6.26) | 7.7 | (6.28) | 1.9 | (0.98) | 70 | (6.7) | 90.3 | (2.29) | 8.2 | (1.93) | 1.5 | (0.94) | 11 | (1.4) |
| Education | 1,951 | (65.3) | 48.0 | (1.45) | 30.2 | (2.00) | 21.8 | (1.24) | 491 | (19.1) | 55.9 | (2.61) | 22.6 | (1.91) | 21.5 | (1.87) | 790 | (37.5) | 73.5 | (1.53) | 16.3 | (1.27) | 10.2 | (0.89) | 670 | (42.9) |
| Engineering | 683 | (51.6) | 68.7 | (1.87) | 22.2 | (1.18) | 9.1 | (1.56) | 140 | (9.6) | 64.4 | (3.62) | 21.0 | (2.46) | 14.7 | (2.41) | 416 | (42.3) | 82.9 | (1.80) | 13.3 | (1.68) | 3.8 | (0.62) | 127 | (13.8) |
| Engineering technologies/technicians | 252 | (15.1) | 51.8 | (2.80) | 26.7 | (2.45) | 21.4 | (2.45) | 131 | (10.5) | 43.9 | (3.81) | 29.8 | (3.76) | 26.2 | (3.64) | 109 | (9.6) | 64.3 | (3.77) | 21.9 | (3.28) | 13.8 | (2.42) | 12 | (2.8) |
| English language and literature/letters | 273 | (12.4) | 72.4 | (1.65) | 19.3 | (1.44) | 8.4 | (0.99) | 48 | (5.6) | 74.7 | (3.84) | 17.8 | (2.94) | 7.4 | (2.86) | 192 | (9.4) | 79.9 | (1.70) | 13.1 | (1.48) | 7.0 | (1.14) | 33 | (4.0) |
| Family and consumer/human sciences | 104 | (8.4) | 54.7 | (3.41) | 22.8 | (3.11) | 22.5 | (2.82) | 44 | (6.1) | 37.2 | (5.07) | 32.5 | (4.51) | 30.3 | (4.71) | 52 | (5.6) | 73.8 | (4.07) | 12.8 | (2.86) | 13.4 | (4.42) | ‡ | (†) |
| Foreign languages and literatures | 104 | (7.0) | 55.0 | (2.93) | 24.3 | (2.42) | 20.7 | (2.71) | 28 | (4.6) | 38.7 | (5.75) | 22.8 | (4.36) | 38.5 | (6.46) | 59 | (4.3) | 73.6 | (3.36) | 16.9 | (3.06) | 9.5 | (2.51) | 16 | (2.4) |
| Geography | 37 | (6.0) | 59.4 | (7.32) | 21.8 | (4.30) | 18.8 | (8.13) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | 25 | (4.3) | 72.9 | (6.19) | 16.0 | (5.06) | 11.1 | (3.86) | 5 | (1.0) |
| Health professions and related sciences | 2,672 | (72.4) | 45.6 | (0.78) | 32.9 | (0.70) | 21.5 | (0.77) | 1,646 | (48.9) | 41.8 | (1.01) | 34.1 | (0.92) | 24.1 | (0.82) | 692 | (36.8) | 60.8 | (1.77) | 23.2 | (1.32) | 16.0 | (1.17) | 334 | (24.9) |
| History | 220 | (11.2) | 70.8 | (2.29) | 18.9 | (2.01) | 10.3 | (1.77) | 36 | (4.5) | 60.2 | (7.09) | 18.7 | (5.12) | 21.1 | (7.11) | 159 | (9.6) | 81.6 | (1.82) | 13.2 | (1.63) | 5.2 | (1.40) | 26 | (3.9) |
| International relations and affairs | 41 | (4.1) | 76.3 | (4.19) | 17.1 | (3.78) | 6.6 | (2.81) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | 29 | (3.0) | 88.6 | (2.52) | 10.6 | (2.64) | 0.8 | (0.73) | ‡ | (†) |
| Legal professions and studies | 273 | (13.9) | 39.7 | (2.13) | 43.2 | (1.93) | 17.1 | (2.12) | 78 | (9.9) | 41.3 | (3.67) | 32.4 | (3.62) | 26.3 | (4.31) | 41 | (5.3) | 53.9 | (5.25) | 27.0 | (4.56) | 19.1 | (4.57) | 153 | (9.9) |
| Liberal arts, sciences and humanities | 900 | (40.5) | 62.0 | (1.71) | 21.0 | (1.16) | 17.0 | (1.36) | 616 | (38.1) | 61.3 | (2.36) | 21.1 | (1.66) | 17.5 | (1.74) | 260 | (15.8) | 67.5 | (1.62) | 18.8 | (1.26) | 13.8 | (1.35) | 24 | (3.6) |
| Library science | 22 | (5.5) | 13.3 | (4.65) | 50.4 | (8.62) | 36.4 | (8.32) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | 17 | (4.7) |
| Mathematics and statistics | 114 | (7.1) | 65.3 | (3.28) | 25.2 | (2.49) | 9.6 | (1.79) | 28 | (4.1) | 57.7 | (7.71) | 33.0 | (6.20) | 9.4 | (4.13) | 63 | (5.0) | 81.1 | (3.39) | 12.3 | (2.57) | 6.7 | (2.10) | 23 | (2.8) |
| Mechanic and repair technologies | 195 | (14.8) | 51.2 | (2.56) | 29.5 | (1.89) | 19.3 | (1.97) | 173 | (14.0) | 49.9 | (2.71) | 28.9 | (1.86) | 21.1 | (2.19) | 22 | (4.4) | 61.1 | (7.36) | 33.9 | (6.80) | 5.1 | (3.51) | ‡ | (†) |
| Military technologies | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) |
| Multi/interdisciplinary studies | 71 | (7.0) | 55.7 | (4.17) | 30.3 | (3.26) | 14.1 | (2.51) | 26 | (3.0) | 50.8 | (6.76) | 33.8 | (6.25) | 15.4 | (3.13) | 38 | (6.2) | 67.6 | (6.16) | 22.8 | (4.74) | 9.7 | (3.79) | ‡ | (†) |
| Natural resources and conservation | 58 | (6.8) | 69.4 | (5.72) | 24.1 | (5.61) | 6.5 | (2.20) | 12 | (2.2) | 73.5 | (7.90) | 13.6 | (5.97) | 12.9 | (6.91) | 35 | (5.7) | 87.7 | (4.13) | 12.1 | (4.05) | 0.2 | (0.23) | 11 | (2.6) |
| Natural sciences, other | 59 | (6.3) | 66.5 | (4.74) | 26.3 | (4.86) | 7.2 | (2.01) | 12 | (2.3) | 72.0 | (8.58) | 16.1 | (6.59) | 11.9 | (6.15) | 34 | (5.0) | 76.8 | (5.59) | 20.3 | (5.48) | 2.9 | (1.44) | 13 | (3.3) |
| Parks, recreation, and fitness studies | 109 | (8.4) | 79.7 | (2.56) | 17.2 | (2.24) | 3.1 | (1.23) | 23 | (4.0) | 78.6 | (5.92) | 14.2 | (4.45) | 7.2 | (4.33) | 80 | (7.2) | 82.5 | (3.18) | 15.7 | (2.89) | 1.9 | (1.25) | ‡ | (†) |
| Personal and culinary services | 283 | (39.4) | 60.2 | (2.83) | 26.0 | (1.62) | 13.8 | (1.97) | 224 | (29.7) | 58.2 | (2.32) | 26.7 | (1.49) | 15.1 | (1.73) | 59 | (30.4) | 68.3 | (8.13) | 22.9 | (5.22) | 8.8 | (5.46) | ‡ | (†) |
| Philosophy and religious studies | 75 | (6.7) | 62.7 | (3.76) | 21.3 | (2.42) | 16.0 | (3.18) | 7 | (1.7) | 44.9 | (12.50) | 17.5 | (9.13) | 37.6 | (13.01) | 53 | (5.6) | 78.1 | (3.39) | 15.5 | (2.78) | 6.3 | (1.87) | 15 | (3.0) |
| Physical sciences | 153 | (8.1) | 66.0 | (2.64) | 27.2 | (2.40) | 6.8 | (1.19) | 24 | (4.1) | 75.8 | (6.10) | 15.9 | (5.97) | 8.3 | (4.48) | 95 | (5.7) | 78.9 | (3.43) | 15.8 | (2.94) | 5.3 | (1.67) | 34 | (2.7) |
| Political science and government | 209 | (9.3) | 80.3 | (1.87) | 14.7 | (1.58) | 5.1 | (1.09) | 27 | (3.9) | 66.4 | (6.79) | 25.6 | (5.67) | 8.0 | (4.26) | 167 | (8.2) | 87.6 | (1.67) | 9.7 | (1.44) | 2.7 | (0.83) | 15 | (2.3) |
| Precision production | 10 | (2.1) | 47.1 | (10.35) | 15.9 | (5.84) | 37.0 | (11.06) | 8 | (2.0) | 45.6 | (11.79) | 14.1 | (6.18) | 40.3 | (12.10) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) |
| Psychology | 617 | (20.8) | 67.7 | (1.57) | 22.2 | (1.14) | 10.2 | (0.98) | 147 | (11.4) | 65.3 | (3.61) | 22.4 | (2.92) | 12.3 | (2.46) | 400 | (15.2) | 76.4 | (1.49) | 16.3 | (1.21) | 7.3 | (0.80) | 69 | (7.0) |
| Public administration and social services | 278 | (27.0) | 34.6 | (3.09) | 34.1 | (2.77) | 31.3 | (3.04) | 62 | (7.6) | 42.0 | (4.76) | 26.6 | (4.41) | 31.4 | (4.61) | 126 | (19.5) | 44.6 | (6.29) | 25.3 | (3.69) | 30.1 | (4.59) | 90 | (10.7) |
| Residency programs | 153 | (9.0) | 60.7 | (2.63) | 32.3 | (2.45) | 7.1 | (1.20) | 73 | (7.2) | 61.7 | (4.25) | 28.2 | (3.56) | 10.2 | (2.11) | 42 | (4.1) | 76.6 | (4.99) | 18.8 | (3.82) | 4.6 | (2.46) | 39 | (3.1) |
| Science technologies/technicians | 38 | (5.9) | 47.1 | (5.77) | 32.2 | (5.21) | 20.7 | (4.29) | 14 | (2.8) | 33.7 | (9.00) | 41.6 | (9.19) | 24.7 | (8.35) | 22 | (5.0) | 58.2 | (8.99) | 22.3 | (7.96) | 19.5 | (5.89) | ‡ | (†) |
| Security and criminal justice | 78 | (7.9) | 62.3 | (5.22) | 24.2 | (3.60) | 13.5 | (3.25) | 55 | (7.6) | 63.4 | (6.25) | 28.4 | (4.96) | 8.2 | (2.62) | 19 | (3.3) | 62.1 | (9.36) | 9.4 | (3.27) | 28.5 | (9.27) | ‡ | (†) |
| Social sciences, other | 116 | (8.2) | 55.3 | (3.70) | 26.0 | (3.03) | 18.7 | (2.58) | 32 | (4.8) | 57.4 | (5.99) | 23.8 | (5.50) | 18.9 | (4.12) | 66 | (5.7) | 64.8 | (4.67) | 20.7 | (3.68) | 14.5 | (3.45) | 18 | (2.6) |
| Sociology | 198 | (12.0) | 62.5 | (2.96) | 25.1 | (2.43) | 12.4 | (2.31) | 48 | (6.9) | 46.8 | (6.33) | 29.5 | (6.14) | 23.8 | (7.41) | 139 | (8.8) | 72.2 | (3.12) | 20.5 | (2.62) | 7.3 | (1.68) | 11 | (1.6) |
| Theology and religious vocations | 118 | (20.2) | 31.8 | (4.58) | 29.0 | (4.99) | 39.2 | (4.02) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | ‡ | (†) | 46 | (10.7) | 57.8 | (4.51) | 16.4 | (3.81) | 25.8 | (5.18) | 65 | (14.9) |
| Transportation and materials moving | 49 | (7.3) | 64.3 | (7.30) | 19.0 | (3.95) | 16.7 | (5.23) | 26 | (4.2) | 48.7 | (7.74) | 28.2 | (6.05) | 23.1 | (4.62) | 22 | (5.6) | 85.2 | (13.25) | 5.3 | (3.46) | 9.5 | (10.49) | ‡ | (†) |
| Visual and performing arts | 664 | (27.0) | 73.9 | (1.27) | 17.2 | (1.27) | 8.9 | (0.80) | 197 | (11.6) | 69.2 | (2.90) | 18.7 | (2.39) | 12.0 | (2.02) | 422 | (23.6) | 81.4 | (1.81) | 13.3 | (1.64) | 5.3 | (0.71) | 45 | (6.3) |
| Undeclared or not in a degree program | 4,328 | (103.0) | 53.7 | (0.81) | 22.2 | (0.51) | 24.1 | (0.76) | 2,890 | (87.5) | 50.3 | (1.04) | 23.5 | (0.69) | 26.1 | (1.02) | 1,169 | (35.1) | 71.8 | (1.07) | 15.6 | (0.86) | 12.5 | (0.73) | 268 | (29.2) |
| †Not applicable. ‡ Reporting standards not met. 1 Includes less-than-2-year schools and schools not identified by level. NOTE: Because of different survey editing and processing procedures, enrollment data in this table may differ from those appearing in other tables. Includes students who enrolled at any time during the 2003–04 academic year. Data include Puerto Rico. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04), unpublished tabulations. (This table was prepared September 2005.) |
