• Introduction
• Degrees Awarded
• Degree Fields
• Reference

This report presents data on postsecondary degrees conferred by U.S. institutions during the 1997–98 academic year (July 1, 1997, to June 30, 1998). The data were collected through the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).¹ IPEDS collects, among other data, the number of degrees and awards conferred in each field of study by award level—ranging from postsecondary certificates requiring less than 1 year of study to doctor’s and first-professional degrees² and certificates—and by race/ethnicity and gender of recipient.

Discipline divisions and fields of study are based on classifications delineated in the 1990 version (Morgan, Hunt, and Carpenter 1991) of the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) taxonomy. The CIP, developed and maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is the federally accepted standard for collecting, reporting, and interpreting postsecondary education program data.

This report focuses on institutions that (1) have a Program Participation Agreement (PPA) with the Department of Education and thus are eligible to participate in Title IV programs, (2) grant associate’s or higher degrees, and (3) are within the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) establishes federal financial aid programs (e.g., Pell Grants, Stafford Loans) for students attending postsecondary institutions. Students attending institutions with a PPA may be eligible either to receive Title IV funds or to defer repayment of their loans.

Of the 9,355 postsecondary institutions within the 50 states and the District of Columbia identified by IPEDS, a little less than half (4,455) are categorized as degree granting. Of these, 4,015, or 90.1 percent, are Title IV participating institutions and form the basis for this report.

In the 1997–98 academic year, nearly 2.3 million degrees were awarded by America’s Title IV participating, degree-granting institutions. Of the total number of degrees awarded, 24.3 percent were associate’s degrees, 51.5 percent were bachelor’s degrees, 18.7 percent were master’s degrees, 2.0 percent were doctor’s degrees, and 3.4 percent were first-professional degrees (table A).

Table A.—Number and percentage distribution of degrees conferred by Title IV participating, degree-granting institutions, by level of degree, control of institution, gender, and race/ethnicity of recipient: 50 states and the District of Columbia, 1997–98

Public institutions awarded the majority of degrees at all degree levels, except for first-professional degrees. Public institutions awarded 81.5 percent of associate’s degrees, about two-thirds of bachelor’s and doctor’s degrees, and 54.8 percent of master’s degrees. In contrast, public institutions awarded 39.7 percent of first-professional degrees (table B).

Table B.—Number and percentage distribution of degrees conferred by Title IV participating, degree-granting institutions, by level of degree, control of institution, gender, and race/ethnicity of recipient: 50 states and the District of Columbia, 1996–97 and 1997–98

Table B.—Number and percentage distribution of degrees conferred by Title IV participating, degree-granting institutions, by level of degree, control of institution, gender, and race/ethnicity of recipient: 50 states and the District of Columbia, 1996–97 and 1997–98—Continued

The majority of degrees in 1997–98 at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels continued to be awarded to women. Degrees awarded to women at the doctoral level represented 42.0 percent and at the first-professional level 42.9 percent (figure A and table B).

Figure A.—Percentage of degrees awarded to women and minorities, by level of degree: 50 states and the District of Columbia, 1997–98

Nearly three-quarters (72.2 percent) of all degrees awarded in 1997–98 were awarded to white students, 19.8 percent were awarded to minority students, and 8.0 percent were awarded to nonresident aliens or individuals whose race/ethnicity was unknown. These percentages, however, varied considerably by level of degree. For example, nonresident aliens received less than 4 percent of all associate’s, bachelor’s, or first-professional degrees, but they received 12.2 percent of all master’s degrees and 24.6 percent of all doctor’s degrees (table B).

The proportion of degrees awarded to minority students was highest at the associate’s level (23.2 percent) and dropped at each successive degree level (except first-professional) through the doctor’s degree; the minority shares were 20.0 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 15.3 percent of master’s degrees, and 12.2 percent of doctor’s degrees. (One-fifth [21.5 percent] of first-professional degrees went to minorities.) The drop was even more precipitous when blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaska Natives are examined separately from Asians/Pacific Islanders. Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaska Natives received 18.8 percent of all associate’s degrees in 1997–98, 14.1 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 10.7 percent of master’s degrees, 7.3 percent of doctor’s degrees, and 11.9 percent of first-professional degrees (figure A and table B).

In 1997–98, approximately 85 percent of all associate’s degrees were awarded by 2-year institutions, with the remainder awarded by 4-year institutions. Over one-third of all associate’s degrees at 2-year institutions were awarded in liberal/general studies and humanities, a field that generally permits transfers to 4-year institutions. Another one-third were awarded in two occupational fields, business management and administrative services (16.0 percent) and the health professions and related sciences (16.1 percent). In 4-year institutions, 19.4 percent of associate’s degrees awarded were in liberal/general studies and humanities, while 18.7 percent and 18.5 percent of associate’s degrees were in the health professions and related sciences and in business management and administrative services, respectively. The percentages of associate’s degrees conferred by 2-year and 4-year institutions were similar across all fields of study (table C).

Table C.—Number and percentage distribution of associate’s degrees conferred by Title IV participating, degree-granting institutions, by level of institution and field of study: 50 states and the District of Columbia, 1997–98

Nearly one-fifth (19.3 percent) of all bachelor’s degrees were awarded in business management and administrative services. Another 10.6 percent were awarded in the social sciences and history, while 8.9 percent were awarded in education. Bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and the physical sciences comprised only 2.6 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded (table D).

Table D.—Number and percentage distribution of degrees conferred by Title IV participating, degree-granting institutions, by level of degree and field of study: 50 states and the District of Columbia, 1997–98

About one-half (50.3 percent) of the master’s degrees awarded were in two areas: education (26.7 percent) and business management and administrative services (23.6 percent). Awards in the health professions and related sciences and in engineering constituted the next highest number of master’s degrees conferred (9.1 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively) (table D).

At the doctor’s degree level, the highest percentage of degrees awarded in 1997–98 was in education (14.6 percent), followed by engineering (13.0 percent). The biological sciences/life sciences and the physical sciences accounted for 10.8 and 9.9 percent, respectively, closely followed by the social sciences and history (9.0 percent) and psychology (8.9 percent) (table D).

¹The “Completions Survey” (IPEDS–C) was sent to all institutions that award associate’s or higher level degrees or postbaccalaureate or higher certificates and that have Title IV Program Participation Agreements with the Department of Education. Post-secondary institutions that award only less-than-4-year certificates or diplomas reported completions as part of the “Consolidated Survey” (IPEDS–CN). The “Completions” data file combines data from the two surveys so that a complete picture of the universe of participating postsecondary education institutions in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories is possible.

²First-professional degrees are awarded after completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the following professions: Chiropractic (D.C. Or D.C.M.); Dentistry (DDS or D.M.D.); Law (L.L.B., JD); Medicine (M.D.); Optometry (O.D.); Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.); Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., Or Pod.D.); Theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., Or Ordination); or Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.).

Reference

Morgan, R.L., Hunt, E.S., and Carpenter, J.M. (1991). Classification of Instructional Programs: 1990 Edition (NCES 91–396). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Data source: The NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System “Completions Survey” (IPEDS–C:96–97 and IPEDS–C:97–98) and “Consolidated Survey” (IPEDS–CN:FY97 and IPEDS–CN:FY98). For technical information, see the complete report: Morgan, F.B. (2001). Degrees and Other Awards Conferred by Title IV Participating, Degree-Granting Institutions:1997–98 (NCES 2001–177). Author affiliation: F.B. Morgan, NCES. For questions about content, contact Frank Morgan (frank.morgan@ed.gov). To obtain the complete report (NCES 2001–177), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877–433–7827), visit the NCES Web Site ( http://nces.ed.gov), or contact GPO (202–512–1800).