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Digest of Education Statistics
2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 310. Degrees conferred by degree-granting institutions, by level of degree and sex of student: Selected years, 1869-70 through 2021-22
Year Associate's degrees Bachelor's degrees Master's degrees Doctor's degrees1
Total Males Females Percent female Total Males Females Percent female Total Males Females Percent female Total Males Females Percent female
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
1869-70 9,371 2 7,993 2 1,378 2 14.7 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.0
1879-80 12,896 2 10,411 2 2,485 2 19.3 879 868 11 1.3 54 51 3 5.6
1889-90 15,539 2 12,857 2 2,682 2 17.3 1,015 821 194 19.1 149 147 2 1.3
1899-1900 27,410 2 22,173 2 5,237 2 19.1 1,583 1,280 303 19.1 382 359 23 6.0
1909-10 37,199 2 28,762 2 8,437 2 22.7 2,113 1,555 558 26.4 443 399 44 9.9
                                       
1919-20 48,622 2 31,980 2 16,642 2 34.2 4,279 2,985 1,294 30.2 615 522 93 15.1
1929-30 122,484 2 73,615 2 48,869 2 39.9 14,969 8,925 6,044 40.4 2,299 1,946 353 15.4
1939-40 186,500 2 109,546 2 76,954 2 41.3 26,731 16,508 10,223 38.2 3,290 2,861 429 13.0
1949-50 432,058 2 328,841 2 103,217 2 23.9 58,183 41,220 16,963 29.2 6,420 5,804 616 9.6
1959-60 392,440 2 254,063 2 138,377 2 35.3 74,435 50,898 23,537 31.6 9,829 8,801 1,028 10.5
1969-70 206,023 117,432 88,591 43.0 792,316   451,097   341,219   43.1 213,589 130,799 82,790 38.8 59,486 53,792 5,694 9.6
                                       
1970-71 252,311 144,144 108,167 42.9 839,730   475,594   364,136   43.4 235,564 143,083 92,481 39.3 64,998 58,137 6,861 10.6
1971-72 292,014 166,227 125,787 43.1 887,273   500,590   386,683   43.6 257,201 155,010 102,191 39.7 71,206 63,353 7,853 11.0
1972-73 316,174 175,413 140,761 44.5 922,362   518,191   404,171   43.8 268,654 159,569 109,085 40.6 79,512 69,959 9,553 12.0
1973-74 343,924 188,591 155,333 45.2 945,776   527,313   418,463   44.2 282,074 162,606 119,468 42.4 82,591 71,131 11,460 13.9
1974-75 360,171 191,017 169,154 47.0 922,933   504,841   418,092   45.3 297,545 166,318 131,227 44.1 84,904 71,025 13,879 16.3
                                       
1975-76 391,454 209,996 181,458 46.4 925,746   504,925   420,821   45.5 317,477 172,519 144,958 45.7 91,007 73,888 17,119 18.8
1976-77 406,377 210,842 195,535 48.1 919,549   495,545   424,004   46.1 323,025 173,090 149,935 46.4 91,730 72,209 19,521 21.3
1977-78 412,246 204,718 207,528 50.3 921,204   487,347   433,857   47.1 317,987 166,857 151,130 47.5 92,345 70,283 22,062 23.9
1978-79 402,702 192,091 210,611 52.3 921,390   477,344   444,046   48.2 307,686 159,111 148,575 48.3 94,971 70,452 24,519 25.8
1979-80 400,910 183,737 217,173 54.2 929,417   473,611   455,806   49.0 305,196 156,882 148,314 48.6 95,631 69,526 26,105 27.3
                                       
1980-81 416,377 188,638 227,739 54.7 935,140   469,883   465,257   49.8 302,637 152,979 149,658 49.5 98,016 69,567 28,449 29.0
1981-82 434,526 196,944 237,582 54.7 952,998   473,364   479,634   50.3 302,447 151,349 151,098 50.0 97,838 68,630 29,208 29.9
1982-83 449,620 203,991 245,629 54.6 969,510   479,140   490,370   50.6 296,415 150,092 146,323 49.4 99,335 67,757 31,578 31.8
1983-84 452,240 202,704 249,536 55.2 974,309   482,319   491,990   50.5 291,141 149,268 141,873 48.7 100,799 67,769 33,030 32.8
1984-85 454,712 202,932 251,780 55.4 979,477   482,528   496,949   50.7 293,472 149,276 144,196 49.1 100,785 66,269 34,516 34.2
                                       
1985-86 446,047 196,166 249,881 56.0 987,823   485,923   501,900   50.8 295,850 149,373 146,477 49.5 100,280 65,215 35,065 35.0
1986-87 436,304 190,839 245,465 56.3 991,264   480,782   510,482   51.5 296,530 147,063 149,467 50.4 98,477 62,790 35,687 36.2
1987-88 435,085 190,047 245,038 56.3 994,829   477,203   517,626   52.0 305,783 150,243 155,540 50.9 99,139 63,019 36,120 36.4
1988-89 436,764 186,316 250,448 57.3 1,018,755   483,346   535,409   52.6 316,626 153,993 162,633 51.4 100,571 63,055 37,516 37.3
1989-90 455,102 191,195 263,907 58.0 1,051,344   491,696   559,648   53.2 330,152 158,052 172,100 52.1 103,508 63,963 39,545 38.2
                                       
1990-91 481,720 198,634 283,086 58.8 1,094,538   504,045   590,493   53.9 342,863 160,842 182,021 53.1 105,547 64,242 41,305 39.1
1991-92 504,231 207,481 296,750 58.9 1,136,553   520,811   615,742   54.2 358,089 165,867 192,222 53.7 109,554 66,603 42,951 39.2
1992-93 514,756 211,964 302,792 58.8 1,165,178   532,881   632,297   54.3 375,032 173,354 201,678 53.8 112,072 67,130 44,942 40.1
1993-94 530,632 215,261 315,371 59.4 1,169,275   532,422   636,853   54.5 393,037 180,571 212,466 54.1 112,636 66,773 45,863 40.7
1994-95 539,691 218,352 321,339 59.5 1,160,134   526,131   634,003   54.6 403,609 183,043 220,566 54.6 114,266 67,324 46,942 41.1
                                       
1995-96 555,216 219,514 335,702 60.5 1,164,792   522,454   642,338   55.1 412,180 183,481 228,699 55.5 115,507 67,189 48,318 41.8
1996-97 571,226 223,948 347,278 60.8 1,172,879   520,515   652,364   55.6 425,260 185,270 239,990 56.4 118,747 68,387 50,360 42.4
1997-98 558,555 217,613 340,942 61.0 1,184,406   519,956   664,450   56.1 436,037 188,718 247,319 56.7 118,735 67,232 51,503 43.4
1998-99 564,984 220,508 344,476 61.0 1,202,239   519,961   682,278   56.8 446,038 190,230 255,808 57.4 116,700 65,340 51,360 44.0
1999-2000 564,933 224,721 340,212 60.2 1,237,875   530,367   707,508   57.2 463,185 196,129 267,056 57.7 118,736 64,930 53,806 45.3
                                       
2000-01 578,865 231,645 347,220 60.0 1,244,171   531,840   712,331   57.3 473,502 197,770 275,732 58.2 119,585 64,171 55,414 46.3
2001-02 595,133 238,109 357,024 60.0 1,291,900   549,816   742,084   57.4 487,313 202,604 284,709 58.4 119,663 62,731 56,932 47.6
2002-03 634,016 253,451 380,565 60.0 1,348,811   573,258   775,553   57.5 518,699 215,172 303,527 58.5 121,579 62,730 58,849 48.4
2003-04 665,301 260,033 405,268 60.9 1,399,542   595,425   804,117   57.5 564,272 233,056 331,216 58.7 126,087 63,981 62,106 49.3
2004-05 696,660 267,536 429,124 61.6 1,439,264   613,000   826,264   57.4 580,151 237,155 342,996 59.1 134,387 67,257 67,130 50.0
                                       
2005-06 713,066 270,095 442,971 62.1 1,485,242   630,600   854,642   57.5 599,731 241,656 358,075 59.7 138,056 68,912 69,144 50.1
2006-07 728,114 275,187 452,927 62.2 1,524,092   649,570   874,522   57.4 610,597 242,189 368,408 60.3 144,690 71,308 73,382 50.7
2007-08 750,164 282,521 467,643 62.3 1,563,069   667,928   895,141   57.3 630,666 250,169 380,497 60.3 149,378 73,453 75,925 50.8
2008-09 787,325 298,141 489,184 62.1 1,601,368   685,382   915,986   57.2 662,079 263,538 398,541 60.2 154,425 75,639 78,786 51.0
2009-10 849,452 322,916 526,536 62.0 1,650,014   706,633   943,381   57.2 693,025 275,197 417,828 60.3 158,558 76,605 81,953 51.7
                                       
2010-11 942,327 361,309 581,018 61.7 1,715,913   734,133   981,780   57.2 730,635 291,551 439,084 60.1 163,765 79,654 84,111 51.4
2011-123 979,000 375,000 604,000 61.7 1,776,000   766,000   1,010,000   56.9 738,000 298,000 440,000 59.6 170,300 81,500 88,700 52.1
2012-133 993,000 381,000 612,000 61.6 1,812,000   784,000   1,028,000   56.7 756,000 303,000 453,000 59.9 174,700 84,700 90,100 51.6
2013-143 1,000,000 383,000 616,000 61.6 1,836,000   795,000   1,040,000   56.6 778,000 311,000 466,000 59.9 176,600 85,700 90,900 51.5
2014-153 1,008,000 386,000 622,000 61.7 1,855,000   800,000   1,054,000   56.8 798,000 317,000 481,000 60.3 179,000 86,100 92,900 51.9
                                       
2015-163 1,015,000 389,000 627,000 61.8 1,870,000   803,000   1,066,000   57.0 817,000 322,000 494,000 60.5 182,400 87,400 95,000 52.1
2016-173 1,025,000 392,000 633,000 61.8 1,886,000   806,000   1,080,000   57.3 836,000 328,000 508,000 60.8 185,200 88,100 97,000 52.4
2017-183 1,036,000 396,000 639,000 61.7 1,902,000   809,000   1,093,000   57.5 857,000 335,000 523,000 61.0 187,500 88,600 98,900 52.7
2018-193 1,048,000 400,000 648,000 61.8 1,922,000   815,000   1,107,000   57.6 879,000 342,000 538,000 61.2 190,000 89,200 100,800 53.1
2019-203 1,063,000 406,000 657,000 61.8 1,948,000   823,000   1,124,000   57.7 898,000 347,000 551,000 61.4 192,800 90,000 102,800 53.3
                                       
2020-213 1,077,000 411,000 666,000 61.8 1,976,000   833,000   1,142,000   57.8 915,000 351,000 564,000 61.6 195,500 90,900 104,500 53.5
2021-223 1,091,000 417,000 674,000 61.8 2,004,000   844,000   1,160,000   57.9 930,000 354,000 576,000 61.9 197,400 91,500 105,800 53.6
—Not available.
1 Includes Ph.D., Ed.D., and comparable degrees at the doctoral level. Includes most degrees formerly classified as first-professional, such as M.D., D.D.S., and law degrees.
2 Includes some degrees classified as master's or doctor's degrees in later years.
3 Projected.
NOTE: Data through 1994-95 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Earned Degrees Conferred, 1869-70 through 1964-65; Projections of Education Statistics to 2021, and unpublished projections; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, 1965-66 through 1985-86; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Completions Survey" (IPEDS-C:87-99); and IPEDS Fall 2000 through Fall 2011, Completions component. (This table was prepared June 2012.)

2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest