Table 318.

Degrees in English language and literature/letters conferred by degree- granting institutions, by level of degree and sex of student: Selected years, 1949-50 through 2008-09

Year	Bachelor's degrees				Master's degrees			Doctor's degrees
	Total		Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females
	Number	Annual percent change
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
1949-50	17,240	†	8,221	9,019	2,259	1,320	939	230	181	49
1959-60	20,128	†	7,580	12,548	2,931	1,458	1,473	397	314	83
1967-68	47,977	†	15,700	32,277	7,916	3,434	4,482	977	717	260
1969-70	56,410	†	18,650	37,760	8,517	3,326	5,191	1,213	837	376
1970-71	63,914	13.3	22,005	41,909	10,441	4,126	6,315	1,554	1,107	447
1971-72	63,707	-0.3	22,580	41,127	10,412	4,066	6,346	1,734	1,173	561
1972-73	60,607	-4.9	22,022	38,585	10,035	3,988	6,047	1,817	1,189	628
1973-74	54,190	-10.6	20,082	34,108	9,573	3,824	5,749	1,755	1,142	613
1974-75	47,062	-13.2	17,689	29,373	9,178	3,463	5,715	1,595	974	621
1975-76	41,452	-11.9	15,898	25,554	8,599	3,290	5,309	1,514	895	619
1976-77	37,343	-9.9	14,135	23,208	7,824	2,907	4,917	1,373	768	605
1977-78	34,799	-6.8	12,972	21,827	7,444	2,623	4,821	1,272	698	574
1978-79	33,218	-4.5	12,085	21,133	6,503	2,307	4,196	1,186	639	547
1979-80	32,187	-3.1	11,237	20,950	6,026	2,181	3,845	1,196	635	561
1980-81	31,922	-0.8	11,082	20,840	5,742	2,026	3,716	1,040	497	543
1981-82	33,078	3.6	11,300	21,778	5,593	1,916	3,677	986	467	519
1982-83	31,327	-5.3	10,699	20,628	4,866	1,653	3,213	877	419	458
1983-84	32,296	3.1	11,007	21,289	4,814	1,681	3,133	899	413	486
1984-85	32,686	1.2	11,195	21,491	4,987	1,723	3,264	915	414	501
1985-86	34,083	4.3	11,657	22,426	5,335	1,811	3,524	895	390	505
1986-87	35,667	4.6	12,133	23,534	5,298	1,819	3,479	853	367	486
1987-88	38,106	6.8	12,687	25,419	5,366	1,796	3,570	858	380	478
1988-89	41,786	9.7	13,729	28,057	5,716	1,930	3,786	929	405	524
1989-90	46,803	12.0	15,437	31,366	6,317	2,125	4,192	986	444	542
1990-91	51,064	9.1	16,891	34,173	6,784	2,203	4,581	1,056	469	587
1991-92	54,250	6.2	18,314	35,936	7,215	2,441	4,774	1,142	484	658
1992-93	55,289	1.9	19,007	36,282	7,537	2,570	4,967	1,201	495	706
1993-94	53,150	-3.9	18,214	34,936	7,611	2,620	4,991	1,205	512	693
1994-95	51,170	-3.7	17,581	33,589	7,612	2,672	4,940	1,393	589	804
1995-96	49,928	-2.4	17,007	32,921	7,657	2,727	4,930	1,395	535	860
1996-97	48,641	-2.6	16,325	32,316	7,487	2,650	4,837	1,431	610	821
1997-98	49,016	0.8	16,280	32,736	7,587	2,568	5,019	1,489	611	878
1998-99	49,800	1.6	16,285	33,515	7,288	2,442	4,846	1,407	560	847
1999-2000	50,106	0.6	16,124	33,982	7,022	2,315	4,707	1,470	611	859
2000-01	50,569	0.9	15,997	34,572	6,763	2,160	4,603	1,330	533	797
2001-02	52,375	3.6	16,457	35,918	7,097	2,270	4,827	1,291	532	759
2002-03	53,699	2.5	16,738	36,961	7,428	2,433	4,995	1,246	492	754
2003-04	53,984	0.5	16,792	37,192	7,956	2,459	5,497	1,207	479	728
2004-05	54,379	0.7	17,154	37,225	8,468	2,615	5,853	1,212	494	718
2005-06	55,096	1.3	17,316	37,780	8,845	2,860	5,985	1,254	510	744
2006-07	55,122	#	17,475	37,647	8,742	2,867	5,875	1,178	478	700
2007-08	55,038	#	17,681	37,357	9,161	3,027	6,134	1,262	453	809
2008-09	55,462	0.8	17,973	37,489	9,261	3,001	6,260	1,271	464	807
Percent change
1998-99 to     2003-04	8.4	†	3.1	11.0	9.2	0.7	13.4	-14.2	-14.5	-14.0
2003-04 to     2008-09	2.7	†	7.0	0.8	16.4	22.0	13.9	5.3	-3.1	10.9

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Data through 1994-95 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. (See Appendix A: Guide to Sources for details.)

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Earned Degrees Conferred, 1949-50 and 1959-60; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, 1967-68 through 1985-86; and 1986-87 through 2008-09 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, "Completions Survey" (IPEDS-C:87-99), and Fall 2000 through Fall 2009. (This table was prepared July 2010.)