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From fall 1999 to fall 2018, the total number of faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions increased by 49 percent (from 1.0 to 1.5 million). While the number of full-time faculty increased by 40 percent over this period, the number of part-time faculty increased by 72 percent between 1999 and 2011 and then decreased by 7 percent between 2011 and 2018.
In fall 2018, of the 1.5 million faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, 54 percent were full time and 46 percent were part time. Faculty include professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, lecturers, assisting professors, adjunct professors, and interim professors.
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NOTE: Includes faculty members with the title of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, lecturer, assisting professor, adjunct professor, or interim professor (or the equivalent). Excludes graduate students with titles such as graduate or teaching fellows who assist senior faculty. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data prior to 2007 exclude institutions with fewer than 15 full-time employees. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), “Fall Staff Survey” (IPEDS-S:99); IPEDS Winter 2001–02 through Winter 2004–05, Fall Staff survey; IPEDS Winter 2005–06 through Winter 2011–12, Human Resources component, Fall Staff section; and IPEDS Spring 2014 and Spring 2016 through Spring 2019, Human Resources component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2019, table 315.10.
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Sex breakouts excluded for faculty who were American Indian/Alaska Native and of Two or more races because the percentages were 1 percent or less. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Percentages are based on full-time faculty whose race/ethnicity was known. Detail may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Spring 2019, Human Resources component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2019, table 315.20.
NOTE: Data for academic year 2000–01 are not available. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data prior to 2007 exclude institutions with fewer than 15 full-time employees. Data exclude instructional faculty at medical schools. Data include imputations for nonrespondent institutions. Salaries are reported in constant 2018–19 dollars, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), “Salaries, Tenure, and Fringe Benefits of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Survey” (IPEDS-SA:1999–2000); IPEDS Winter 2001–02 through Winter 2004–05, Salaries survey; IPEDS Winter 2005–06 through Winter 2011–12, Human Resources component, Salaries section; and IPEDS Spring 2013 through Spring 2019, Human Resources component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2019, table 316.10.
NOTE: Doctoral institutions include institutions that awarded 20 or more doctor’s degrees during the previous academic year. Master’s institutions include institutions that awarded 20 or more master’s degrees, but less than 20 doctor’s degrees, during the previous academic year. Data exclude instructional faculty at medical schools. Degree-granting postsecondary institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Salaries are reported in constant 2018–19 dollars, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Spring 2019, Human Resources component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2019, table 316.20.
1 The ratios are calculated by dividing the number of FTE undergraduate and graduate students by the number of FTE faculty (full-time faculty, plus the full-time equivalent of the part-time faculty, including instructional, research, and public service faculty).
2 Percentages are based on full-time faculty whose race/ethnicity was known. Race/ethnicity was not collected for nonresident aliens.
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