Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics: 2011
Digest of Education Statistics: 2011

NCES 2012-001
May 2012


Table 397. Number, percentage distribution, unemployment rates, and median salaries of 25- to 29-year-old bachelor’s degree holders and percentage of degree holders among all 25- to 29-year-olds, by field of study: 2009
Field of study 25- to 29-year-old bachelor's degree holders Percent of
all 25- to 29-year-olds with degree in specific field
Number, in thousands Percentage distribution Unemployment rate Median annual salary
1 2 3 4 5 6
Total, all bachelor's degrees 6,418   (30.8) 100.0   (†) 5.2   (0.12) $44,900   (547) 29.9   (0.14)
Agriculture 59   (2.9) 0.9   (0.04) 2.2 ! (0.85) 38,990   (996) 0.3   (0.01)
Architecture 45   (2.3) 0.7   (0.04) 9.6   (1.58) 45,980   (1,187) 0.2   (0.01)
Area, ethnic, and civilization studies 27   (2.1) 0.4   (0.03) 7.3   (2.10) 39,950   (1,495) 0.1   (0.01)
Arts, fine and commercial                              
Fine arts 250   (6.5) 3.9   (0.10) 8.8   (0.79) 35,890   (889) 1.2   (0.03)
Commercial art and graphic design 96   (4.9) 1.5   (0.08) 9.2   (1.22) 39,960   (535) 0.4   (0.02)
                               
Business                              
Business, general 224   (6.6) 3.5   (0.10) 5.2   (0.63) 45,940   (1,111) 1.0   (0.03)
Accounting 184   (5.9) 2.9   (0.09) 4.4   (0.63) 52,870   (1,429) 0.9   (0.03)
Business management and administration 372   (8.7) 5.8   (0.13) 5.9   (0.46) 43,920   (1,238) 1.7   (0.04)
Marketing and marketing research 196   (6.3) 3.0   (0.10) 5.7   (0.67) 44,770   (134) 0.9   (0.03)
Finance 168   (5.2) 2.6   (0.08) 4.8   (0.74) 51,420   (891) 0.8   (0.02)
Management information systems and statistics 27   (2.0) 0.4   (0.03) 5.8   (1.66) 55,380   (2,571) 0.1   (0.01)
Business, other and medical administration 121   (5.2) 1.9   (0.08) 4.9   (0.88) 45,070   (1,434) 0.6   (0.02)
                               
Communications and communications technologies 384   (8.8) 6.0   (0.13) 5.4   (0.51) 39,920   (62) 1.8   (0.04)
Computer and information systems 259   (6.2) 4.0   (0.09) 5.2   (0.64) 59,060   (948) 1.2   (0.03)
Construction/electrical/transportation technologies 34   (2.2) 0.5   (0.03) 4.1   (1.19) 49,970   (2,249) 0.2   (0.01)
Criminal justice and fire protection 133   (4.5) 2.1   (0.07) 4.2   (0.72) 39,920   (453) 0.6   (0.02)
                               
Education                              
General education 143   (4.8) 2.2   (0.08) 3.3   (0.63) 39,200   (538) 0.7   (0.02)
Early childhood education 41   (2.5) 0.6   (0.04) 2.8 ! (1.00) 35,250   (889) 0.2   (0.01)
Elementary education 192   (5.2) 3.0   (0.08) 3.2   (0.49) 36,000   (896) 0.9   (0.02)
Secondary teacher education 21   (1.5) 0.3   (0.02) 3.8 ! (1.86) 38,500   (959) 0.1   (0.01)
Education, other 180   (5.0) 2.8   (0.08) 3.2   (0.59) 37,990   (825) 0.8   (0.02)
                               
Engineering and engineering-related fields                              
General engineering 55   (3.2) 0.9   (0.05) 6.0   (1.25) 59,810   (1,395) 0.3   (0.01)
Chemical engineering 30   (2.1) 0.5   (0.03) 3.6 ! (1.65) 64,960   (3,708) 0.1   (0.01)
Civil engineering 42   (2.3) 0.7   (0.03) 4.2   (1.13) 57,870   (1,794) 0.2   (0.01)
Computer engineering 55   (2.5) 0.9   (0.04) 4.9   (1.19) 59,930   (1,525) 0.3   (0.01)
Electrical engineering 95   (3.3) 1.5   (0.05) 4.3   (0.90) 63,610   (1,523) 0.4   (0.02)
Mechanical engineering 84   (3.7) 1.3   (0.06) 5.0   (0.92) 61,620   (1,700) 0.4   (0.02)
Engineering, other 74   (3.7) 1.2   (0.06) 4.3   (0.93) 58,900   (931) 0.3   (0.02)
Engineering technologies 38   (2.8) 0.6   (0.04) 7.0   (1.59) 54,270   (1,872) 0.2   (0.01)
                               
English language and literature 200   (5.3) 3.1   (0.08) 5.7   (0.77) 37,980   (1,050) 0.9   (0.02)
Family and consumer sciences 62   (2.8) 1.0   (0.05) 2.4   (0.65) 35,940   (2,416) 0.3   (0.01)
Health professions                              
General medical and health services 183   (5.2) 2.9   (0.08) 3.3   (0.60) 49,910   (1,305) 0.9   (0.02)
Nursing 164   (5.2) 2.6   (0.08) 1.5   (0.34) 52,920   (1,754) 0.8   (0.02)
History 133   (4.3) 2.1   (0.07) 7.4   (0.90) 39,660   (737) 0.6   (0.02)
Liberal arts and humanities 117   (4.4) 1.8   (0.07) 7.1   (0.88) 38,910   (1,375) 0.5   (0.02)
Linguistics and comparative language and literature 68   (3.3) 1.1   (0.05) 5.6   (1.18) 39,930   (795) 0.3   (0.02)
                               
Mathematics 70   (3.2) 1.1   (0.05) 4.7   (1.33) 49,570   (909) 0.3   (0.01)
Multi/interdisciplinary studies 121   (4.3) 1.9   (0.07) 5.8   (0.92) 43,010   (1,947) 0.6   (0.02)
Natural sciences                              
Biology 354   (6.8) 5.5   (0.10) 4.5   (0.52) 42,320   (879) 1.6   (0.03)
Environmental science 42   (2.5) 0.7   (0.04) 3.0 ! (1.15) 39,240   (603) 0.2   (0.01)
Physical sciences 104   (4.2) 1.6   (0.06) 4.2   (0.81) 44,190   (434) 0.5   (0.02)
                               
Physical fitness, parks, recreation and leisure 96   (3.9) 1.5   (0.06) 5.9   (0.93) 39,400   (350) 0.4   (0.02)
Philosophy and religious studies 57   (3.0) 0.9   (0.05) 8.1   (1.51) 40,990   (1,388) 0.3   (0.01)
Psychology 371   (7.6) 5.8   (0.12) 5.0   (0.50) 39,910   (765) 1.7   (0.04)
Public administration and public policy 14   (1.7) 0.2   (0.03) 4.8 ! (2.69) 52,180   (4,292) 0.1   (0.01)
                               
Social sciences                              
Anthropology and archeology 33   (2.1) 0.5   (0.03) 5.6 ! (1.91) 33,280   (2,557) 0.2   (0.01)
Economics 126   (4.5) 2.0   (0.07) 5.1   (0.80) 59,010   (3,145) 0.6   (0.02)
Geography 21   (1.7) 0.3   (0.03) 5.8 ! (2.11) 40,190   (1,216) 0.1   (0.01)
International relations 20   (1.6) 0.3   (0.02) 7.4   (2.18) 45,340   (2,966) 0.1   (0.01)
Political science and government 167   (5.2) 2.6   (0.08) 6.6   (0.85) 47,510   (1,034) 0.8   (0.02)
Sociology 113   (3.9) 1.8   (0.06) 5.3   (0.94) 38,640   (1,586) 0.5   (0.02)
Miscellaneous social sciences 32   (2.4) 0.5   (0.04) 6.6 ! (2.21) 39,920   (526) 0.2   (0.01)
                               
Social work and human services 67   (3.9) 1.0   (0.06) 4.0   (0.92) 34,970   (1,082) 0.3   (0.02)
Theology and religious vocations 32   (2.4) 0.5   (0.04) 3.7 ! (1.20) 35,320   (963) 0.1   (0.01)
Other fields 22   (2.2) 0.3   (0.03) 7.2 ! (2.59) 42,780   (3,819) 0.1   (0.01)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 30 percent or greater.
NOTE: Standard errors appear in parentheses. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data. (This table was prepared April 2012.)