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Table B02. Percentage of 1995–96 and 2003–04 beginning postsecondary students who persisted or attained a credential after 6 years, by initial degree or certificate program and field of study: 2001 and 2009
Initial degree or certificate program and field of study Persisted or attained     Attained any credential
2001   2009     2001   2009    
                     
Total, all beginning students1 66.0   64.5     51.6   49.5    
                     
Total, all beginning subbaccalaureate students 56.7   55.9     42.5   39.4    
Career/technical field of study2 56.6   55.8     45.8   40.7    
Agriculture and natural resources ‡   67.8     ‡   62.9    
Business and marketing 54.1   52.4     42.4   34.7    
Communications and arts 44.4   60.7     36.5   40.8    
Computer and information sciences 49.3   48.4     39.9   30.9    
Education 62.3   54.7     49.9   41.0    
Engineering and architecture 62.5   60.3     45.5   44.2    
Health sciences 58.3   57.8     46.5   42.6    
Manufacturing, construction, repair, and transportation 50.5   59.7     45.4   52.4    
Personal services 66.3   56.8     65.6   45.8    
Public, legal, social, and protective services 58.8   51.6     41.0   37.3    
Academic field of study3 60.9   57.8     39.9   38.4    
General studies and liberal arts and sciences 61.6   54.6     43.9   42.2    
Humanities ‡   47.5     ‡   35.7    
Natural sciences and mathematics 57.5   66.6     31.6   44.7    
Psychology 63.3   56.6     42.6 ! 28.4    
Social sciences and history ‡   69.4     ‡   38.8    
Multi and interdisciplinary studies ‡   ‡     ‡   ‡    
Undeclared field of study 54.4   55.3     36.4   36.6    
                     
Certificate 57.1   64.4     52.1   55.1    
Career/technical field of study2 57.8   60.5     53.8   52.7    
Agriculture and natural resources ‡   ‡     ‡   ‡    
Business and marketing 57.7   55.5     55.3   47.3    
Communications and arts ‡   ‡     ‡   ‡    
Computer and information sciences 69.1   25.6 !   64.6   21.8 !  
Education ‡   46.9     ‡   41.5    
Engineering and architecture 47.6   69.2     42.8 ! 60.0    
Health sciences 59.2   63.3     53.7   55.0    
Manufacturing, construction, repair, and transportation 49.7   64.9     46.0   59.6    
Personal services 66.4   60.5     65.8   53.2    
Public, legal, social, and protective services 63.2   63.8     47.8   54.5    
Academic field of study4 62.0   75.5     40.6 ! 54.4    
Undeclared field of study 51.5   74.0     44.8   62.1    
                     
Associate’s degree 56.6   53.6     38.4   35.1    
Career/technical field of study2 55.8   54.3     40.4   36.9    
Agriculture and natural resources ‡   66.9     ‡   63.2    
Business and marketing 52.4   52.0     36.4   33.1    
Communications and arts 45.5   61.4     35.8   41.7    
Computer and information sciences 41.0   51.3     29.4 ! 32.1    
Education 60.6   55.5     47.5   41.0    
Engineering and architecture 67.6   59.0     46.4   41.8    
Health sciences 57.8   55.0     42.3   36.3    
Manufacturing, construction, repair, and transportation 53.4 ! 52.3     43.2   42.3    
Personal services ‡   50.8     ‡   33.7    
Public, legal, social, and protective services 57.7   50.5     39.3   35.8    
Academic field of study3 60.9   56.3     39.9   37.0    
General studies and liberal arts and sciences 62.4   52.0     45.4   40.0    
Humanities ‡   45.9     ‡   34.0 !  
Natural sciences and mathematics 53.5   65.8     26.6 ! 42.3    
Psychology 63.2   55.9     42.4 ! 28.3    
Social sciences and history ‡   67.0     ‡   38.7    
Multi and interdisciplinary studies ‡   ‡     ‡   ‡    
Undeclared field of study 55.0   50.6     34.7   30.1    
                     
Total, all beginning baccalaureate students 81.0   79.0     66.3   67.3    
Career field of study2 81.1   77.5     67.1   64.4    
Agriculture and natural resources 64.8   83.6     53.9   76.9    
Business and marketing 80.0   71.8     67.5   59.0    
Communications and arts 77.6   83.4     65.2   69.7    
Computer and information sciences 78.6   70.6     62.2   57.5    
Education 82.7   80.0     67.5   67.1    
Engineering and architecture 84.0   80.1     68.6   65.6    
Health sciences 86.3   79.9     71.0   68.1    
Manufacturing, construction, repair, and transportation ‡   80.0     ‡   72.7    
Personal services ‡   69.0     ‡   59.3    
Public, legal, social, and protective services 79.2   74.7     65.8   58.9    
Academic field of study3 81.1   83.6     67.3   73.5    
General studies and liberal arts and sciences 72.6   80.3     58.9   67.4    
Humanities 76.1   83.1     67.7   72.6    
Natural sciences and mathematics 86.2   84.6     69.7   74.3    
Psychology 84.1   84.6     67.6   74.2    
Social sciences and history 78.2   82.8     68.4   74.7    
Multi and interdisciplinary studies 82.6   ‡     61.6   ‡    
Undeclared field of study 80.7   79.0     64.5   68.8    
! Interpret data with caution. Estimate is unstable because the standard error represents more than 30 percent of the estimate.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
1 Students who were not initially enrolled in a degree or certificate program are included in the totals but not shown separately.
2 Communications and arts includes visual and performing arts and communications; journalism; and related technologies. Engineering and architecture includes engineering, engineering technologies, and related fields; and architecture and related services. Manufacturing, construction, repair and transportation includes construction trades; mechanic, repair technologies and technicians; precision production; and transportation and materials moving. Personal services includes parks, recreation and leisure and fitness studies; and personal and culinary services. Public, legal, social, and protective services include family, consumer sciences and human sciences; legal professions and studies; public administration and social service; and homeland security, law enforcement, and protective services.
3 Humanities includes area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and groups studies; English language, literature, and letters; foreign languages and literature, and linguistics; and philosophy, theology, and religious studies. Natural sciences and mathematics includes biological and biomedical sciences; mathematics and statistics; physical sciences; and science technologies and technicians. In 1995–96, humanities includes clinical pastoral care; in 2003–04 this major was included in public, legal, social, and protective services.
4 Due to the limited number of cases, estimates for certificates in academic fields by major field of study are not shown.
NOTE: Estimates include students enrolled in Title IV eligible postsecondary institutions in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. These estimates were previously published in NCES report #2012-256, "Occupational and Academic Majors in Postsecondary Education: 6-Year Education and Employment Outcomes, 2001 and 2009."
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1995–96 and 2003–04 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Studies, Second Follow-ups (BPS:96/01 and BPS:04/09).

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National Center for Education Statistics - http://nces.ed.gov
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National Center for Education Statistics
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