Table 257.

Bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees conferred by degree-granting institutions, by field of study and year: Selected years, 1970–71 through 2004–05

Degree and school year	Number of degrees conferred								Percentage distribution of degrees conferred
	Total degrees	Humanities1	Social and behavioral sciences2	Natural sciences3	Computer sciences and engineering4	Education	Business	Other fields5	Total degrees	Humanities1	Social and behavioral sciences2	Natural sciences3	Computer sciences and engineering4	Education	Business	Other fields5
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
Bachelor's degrees
1970–71	839,730	143,571	193,511	81,894	52,570	176,307	115,396	76,481	100.0	17.1	23.0	9.8	6.3	21.0	13.7	9.1
1975–76	925,746	150,805	176,674	91,527	52,328	154,437	143,171	156,804	100.0	16.3	19.1	9.9	5.7	16.7	15.5	16.9
1980–81	935,140	134,214	141,581	78,017	90,476	108,074	200,521	182,257	100.0	14.4	15.1	8.3	9.7	11.6	21.4	19.5
1985–86	987,823	132,966	134,468	76,153	139,459	87,147	236,700	180,930	100.0	13.5	13.6	7.7	14.1	8.8	24.0	18.3
1990–91	1,094,538	172,590	183,762	70,104	104,910	110,807	249,165	203,200	100.0	15.8	16.8	6.4	9.6	10.1	22.8	18.6
1995–96	1,164,792	193,668	199,895	93,090	102,592	105,384	226,623	243,540	100.0	16.6	17.2	8.0	8.8	9.0	19.5	20.9
2000–01	1,244,171	214,818	201,681	88,955	117,117	105,458	263,515	252,627	100.0	17.3	16.2	7.1	9.4	8.5	21.2	20.3
2001–02	1,291,900	227,307	209,649	89,164	125,044	106,295	278,217	256,224	100.0	17.6	16.2	6.9	9.7	8.2	21.5	19.8
2002–03	1,348,503	235,922	221,831	90,505	134,706	105,790	293,545	266,204	100.0	17.5	16.5	6.7	10.0	7.8	21.8	19.7
2003–04	1,399,542	246,646	232,455	92,819	137,715	106,278	307,149	276,480	100.0	17.6	16.6	6.6	9.8	7.6	21.9	19.8
2004–05	1,439,264	256,151	242,506	97,867	133,854	105,451	311,574	291,861	100.0	17.8	16.8	6.8	9.3	7.3	21.6	20.3
Master's degrees
1970–71	230,509	29,457	22,256	17,150	18,535	87,666	26,490	28,955	100.0	12.8	9.7	7.4	8.0	38.0	11.5	12.6
1975–76	311,771	31,377	26,120	15,738	19,403	126,061	42,592	50,480	100.0	10.1	8.4	5.0	6.2	40.4	13.7	16.2
1980–81	295,739	28,239	22,168	13,572	21,434	96,713	57,888	55,725	100.0	9.5	7.5	4.6	7.2	32.7	19.6	18.8
1985–86	288,567	27,572	20,409	14,034	30,216	74,816	66,676	54,844	100.0	9.6	7.1	4.9	10.5	25.9	23.1	19.0
1990–91	337,168	30,327	23,582	13,626	34,774	87,352	78,255	69,252	100.0	9.0	7.0	4.0	10.3	25.9	23.2	20.5
1995–96	406,301	34,965	30,164	16,002	39,525	104,936	93,554	87,155	100.0	8.6	7.4	3.9	9.7	25.8	23.0	21.5
2000–01	468,476	35,661	30,330	15,213	44,183	127,829	115,602	99,658	100.0	7.6	6.5	3.2	9.4	27.3	24.7	21.3
2001–02	482,118	36,050	30,469	15,299	44,230	135,189	119,725	101,156	100.0	7.5	6.3	3.2	9.2	28.0	24.8	21.0
2002–03	512,645	37,726	31,757	15,725	50,172	147,448	127,545	102,272	100.0	7.4	6.2	3.1	9.8	28.8	24.9	19.9
2003–04	558,940	40,477	34,008	17,418	55,340	162,345	139,347	110,005	100.0	7.2	6.1	3.1	9.9	29.0	24.9	19.7
2004–05	574,618	42,207	35,782	18,354	53,549	167,490	142,617	114,619	100.0	7.3	6.2	3.2	9.3	29.1	24.8	19.9
Doctor's degrees
1970–71	32,107	4,410	5,804	9,118	3,816	6,041	774	2,144	100.0	13.7	18.1	28.4	11.9	18.8	2.4	6.7
1975–76	34,064	5,495	7,314	7,557	3,118	7,202	906	2,472	100.0	16.1	21.5	22.2	9.2	21.1	2.7	7.3
1980–81	32,958	4,876	6,698	7,424	2,860	7,279	808	3,013	100.0	14.8	20.3	22.5	8.7	22.1	2.5	9.1
1985–86	33,653	4,701	6,548	7,615	3,800	6,610	923	3,456	100.0	14.0	19.5	22.6	11.3	19.6	2.7	10.3
1990–91	39,294	4,976	6,944	9,260	6,006	6,189	1,185	4,734	100.0	12.7	17.7	23.6	15.3	15.8	3.0	12.0
1995–96	44,652	6,571	7,901	10,705	7,300	6,246	1,366	4,563	100.0	14.7	17.7	24.0	16.3	14.0	3.1	10.2
2000–01	44,904	6,738	9,021	9,861	6,372	6,284	1,180	5,448	100.0	15.0	20.1	22.0	14.2	14.0	2.6	12.1
2001–02	44,160	6,458	8,661	9,506	5,997	6,549	1,156	5,833	100.0	14.6	19.6	21.5	13.6	14.8	2.6	13.2
2002–03	46,024	6,727	8,681	9,868	6,149	6,835	1,251	6,513	100.0	14.6	18.9	21.4	13.4	14.9	2.7	14.2
2003–04	48,378	6,599	8,638	10,117	6,890	7,088	1,481	7,565	100.0	13.6	17.9	20.9	14.2	14.7	3.1	15.6
2004–05	52,631	6,806	8,925	10,868	7,720	7,681	1,498	9,133	100.0	12.9	17.0	20.6	14.7	14.6	2.8	17.4

1 Includes degrees in area, ethnic, cultural, and gender studies; English language and literature/letters; foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics; liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities; multi/interdisciplinary studies; philosophy and religious studies; theology and religious vocations; and visual and performing arts. 2 Includes psychology; and social sciences and history. 3 Includes biological and biomedical sciences; mathematics and statistics; and physical sciences and science technologies. 4 Includes computer and information sciences; engineering; and engineering technologies. 5 Includes agriculture and natural resources; architecture and related services; communication, journalism, and related programs; communications technologies; family and consumer sciences/human sciences; health professions and related clinical sciences; legal professions and studies; library science; military technologies; parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies; precision production; public administration and social services; security and protective services; transportation and materials moving; and not classified by field of study. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, 1970–71 through 1985–86; and 1990–91 through 2004–05 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, "Completions Survey" (IPEDS-C:91–99), and Fall 2000 through Fall 2005. (This table was prepared August 2006.)