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Digest of Education Statistics
2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 104.50. Persons age 25 and over who hold a bachelor's or higher degree, by sex, race/ethnicity, age group, and field of bachelor's degree: 2015
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Field of bachelor's degree Total Sex Race/ethnicity Age
Males Females White Black Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native 25 to 29 years old 30 to 49 years old 50 years old and over
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Total population, 25 and over
      (in thousands)
216,531   (52.3) 104,467   (32.2) 112,063   (30.8) 142,721   (16.2) 25,063   (22.8) 31,658   (22.0) 12,291   (20.9) 1,294   (12.2) 22,239   (21.0) 83,407   (32.1) 110,884   (43.6)
Percent of population with
      bachelor's degree
30.7   (0.02) 30.4   (0.07) 30.9   (0.07) 34.2   (0.06) 20.2   (0.13) 15.0   (0.10) 51.7   (0.25) 14.6   (0.38) 33.3   (0.14) 34.0   (0.10) 27.6   (0.05)
Bachelor's degree holders Number (in thousands)
Total 66,375   (143.1) 31,713   (76.0) 34,662   (82.4) 48,859   (90.8) 5,063   (33.0) 4,743   (34.4) 6,354   (33.1) 189   (5.5) 7,417   (31.6) 28,339   (86.8) 30,619   (63.0)
Agriculture/forestry 701   (10.6) 471   (8.1) 230   (6.1) 589   (8.9) 24   (2.0) 35   (2.7) 43   (2.4) 2   (0.6) 73   (3.4) 253   (6.3) 376   (7.2)
Art/architecture 3,160   (23.6) 1,344   (15.4) 1,817   (16.4) 2,408   (16.9) 152   (5.5) 252   (6.5) 264   (6.3) 7   (0.9) 468   (8.0) 1,421   (15.7) 1,272   (12.1)
Business/management 13,599   (52.9) 7,599   (36.1) 6,000   (32.9) 9,793   (40.2) 1,243   (16.3) 1,101   (14.2) 1,225   (14.5) 33   (2.1) 1,384   (13.6) 6,203   (35.5) 6,012   (30.8)
Communications 2,464   (20.1) 1,018   (12.2) 1,445   (15.1) 1,915   (17.9) 204   (6.5) 176   (5.5) 113   (4.2) 6   (1.0) 398   (8.4) 1,308   (15.6) 757   (9.8)
Computer and information sciences 2,035   (19.2) 1,460   (16.4) 576   (9.5) 1,164   (13.3) 184   (6.4) 146   (5.6) 486   (8.7) 5   (0.8) 270   (7.9) 1,209   (13.7) 557   (9.8)
Education 8,640   (38.4) 2,096   (14.4) 6,544   (32.5) 7,052   (33.4) 614   (9.1) 537   (10.2) 308   (6.6) 33   (2.1) 548   (10.0) 2,642   (23.0) 5,451   (24.4)
Engineering 5,235   (30.4) 4,451   (27.1) 784   (10.4) 3,416   (21.9) 207   (6.5) 407   (10.6) 1,100   (13.3) 10   (1.2) 546   (10.0) 2,179   (18.6) 2,511   (18.0)
English/literature 2,157   (13.3) 724   (8.4) 1,433   (12.3) 1,753   (12.5) 110   (4.3) 101   (3.5) 149   (4.6) 3   (0.7) 219   (6.0) 902   (10.9) 1,037   (10.2)
Foreign languages 710   (10.4) 199   (5.8) 511   (8.3) 516   (8.8) 28   (2.3) 72   (3.3) 76   (3.4)   (†) 74   (3.4) 279   (6.2) 356   (7.1)
Health sciences 4,943   (29.1) 879   (13.1) 4,064   (23.9) 3,514   (21.3) 461   (10.1) 309   (7.8) 561   (11.0) 16   (1.7) 563   (8.4) 2,058   (19.5) 2,322   (20.0)
Liberal arts/humanities 941   (11.3) 385   (7.5) 556   (8.9) 679   (9.4) 72   (3.3) 88   (4.2) 80   (3.6) 3   (0.7) 89   (4.4) 406   (7.0) 446   (8.6)
Mathematics/statistics 1,005   (12.7) 588   (8.9) 417   (7.8) 746   (9.8) 61   (3.1) 44   (2.6) 138   (5.1)   (†) 92   (4.2) 340   (7.8) 573   (8.3)
Natural sciences (biological and
      physical)
5,121   (33.1) 2,890   (24.7) 2,232   (18.1) 3,635   (25.1) 311   (8.9) 300   (7.0) 764   (11.1) 12   (1.1) 685   (10.9) 2,168   (19.9) 2,268   (18.5)
Philosophy/religion/theology 879   (9.9) 610   (7.9) 269   (5.9) 687   (7.7) 73   (3.8) 48   (3.0) 55   (3.0) 3   (0.7) 87   (4.2) 317   (6.3) 475   (8.2)
Pre-professional 1,123   (13.9) 677   (11.7) 445   (9.5) 763   (10.8) 170   (6.0) 131   (5.7) 32   (2.3) 5   (0.9) 181   (6.2) 614   (10.1) 328   (6.2)
Psychology 3,116   (22.1) 966   (11.3) 2,150   (17.4) 2,318   (18.9) 277   (6.9) 256   (8.2) 176   (5.4) 12   (1.3) 415   (8.3) 1,478   (14.4) 1,223   (12.2)
Social sciences/history 6,363   (31.1) 3,563   (21.8) 2,800   (21.0) 4,856   (24.6) 461   (8.5) 428   (7.6) 480   (8.6) 17   (1.5) 725   (11.0) 2,643   (19.9) 2,996   (19.2)
Other fields 4,183   (29.5) 1,793   (17.9) 2,390   (18.6) 3,055   (22.9) 410   (9.4) 314   (7.1) 303   (6.6) 18   (1.4) 601   (11.8) 1,921   (16.9) 1,661   (13.4)
  Percentage distribution, by field
Total 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
Agriculture/forestry 1.1   (0.02) 1.5   (0.02) 0.7   (0.02) 1.2   (0.02) 0.5   (0.04) 0.7   (0.06) 0.7   (0.04) 1.2   (0.31) 1.0   (0.05) 0.9   (0.02) 1.2   (0.02)
Art/architecture 4.8   (0.03) 4.2   (0.05) 5.2   (0.05) 4.9   (0.03) 3.0   (0.11) 5.3   (0.13) 4.2   (0.10) 3.7   (0.46) 6.3   (0.10) 5.0   (0.05) 4.2   (0.04)
Business/management 20.5   (0.07) 24.0   (0.11) 17.3   (0.08) 20.0   (0.08) 24.6   (0.28) 23.2   (0.26) 19.3   (0.21) 17.4   (0.95) 18.7   (0.17) 21.9   (0.11) 19.6   (0.09)
Communications 3.7   (0.03) 3.2   (0.04) 4.2   (0.04) 3.9   (0.04) 4.0   (0.13) 3.7   (0.11) 1.8   (0.06) 2.9   (0.53) 5.4   (0.11) 4.6   (0.05) 2.5   (0.03)
Computer and information sciences 3.1   (0.03) 4.6   (0.05) 1.7   (0.03) 2.4   (0.03) 3.6   (0.12) 3.1   (0.12) 7.7   (0.13) 2.4   (0.40) 3.6   (0.10) 4.3   (0.05) 1.8   (0.03)
Education 13.0   (0.05) 6.6   (0.04) 18.9   (0.08) 14.4   (0.06) 12.1   (0.17) 11.3   (0.21) 4.8   (0.10) 17.6   (1.04) 7.4   (0.13) 9.3   (0.07) 17.8   (0.07)
Engineering 7.9   (0.04) 14.0   (0.07) 2.3   (0.03) 7.0   (0.04) 4.1   (0.12) 8.6   (0.21) 17.3   (0.19) 5.2   (0.59) 7.4   (0.13) 7.7   (0.06) 8.2   (0.06)
English/literature 3.2   (0.02) 2.3   (0.03) 4.1   (0.03) 3.6   (0.02) 2.2   (0.09) 2.1   (0.07) 2.4   (0.07) 1.8   (0.36) 2.9   (0.08) 3.2   (0.04) 3.4   (0.03)
Foreign languages 1.1   (0.02) 0.6   (0.02) 1.5   (0.02) 1.1   (0.02) 0.5   (0.05) 1.5   (0.07) 1.2   (0.05) 0.4 ! (0.14) 1.0   (0.05) 1.0   (0.02) 1.2   (0.02)
Health sciences 7.4   (0.04) 2.8   (0.04) 11.7   (0.07) 7.2   (0.04) 9.1   (0.18) 6.5   (0.16) 8.8   (0.17) 8.4   (0.83) 7.6   (0.12) 7.3   (0.07) 7.6   (0.06)
Liberal arts/humanities 1.4   (0.02) 1.2   (0.02) 1.6   (0.03) 1.4   (0.02) 1.4   (0.07) 1.9   (0.09) 1.3   (0.06) 1.5   (0.35) 1.2   (0.06) 1.4   (0.03) 1.5   (0.03)
Mathematics/statistics 1.5   (0.02) 1.9   (0.03) 1.2   (0.02) 1.5   (0.02) 1.2   (0.06) 0.9   (0.05) 2.2   (0.08) 1.2   (0.35) 1.2   (0.06) 1.2   (0.03) 1.9   (0.03)
Natural sciences (biological and
      physical)
7.7   (0.05) 9.1   (0.07) 6.4   (0.05) 7.4   (0.05) 6.1   (0.17) 6.3   (0.14) 12.0   (0.16) 6.5   (0.61) 9.2   (0.14) 7.7   (0.06) 7.4   (0.06)
Philosophy/religion/theology 1.3   (0.01) 1.9   (0.02) 0.8   (0.02) 1.4   (0.02) 1.4   (0.08) 1.0   (0.06) 0.9   (0.05) 1.4   (0.36) 1.2   (0.06) 1.1   (0.02) 1.6   (0.03)
Pre-professional 1.7   (0.02) 2.1   (0.04) 1.3   (0.03) 1.6   (0.02) 3.3   (0.11) 2.8   (0.11) 0.5   (0.04) 2.9   (0.45) 2.4   (0.08) 2.2   (0.04) 1.1   (0.02)
Psychology 4.7   (0.03) 3.0   (0.03) 6.2   (0.05) 4.7   (0.04) 5.5   (0.13) 5.4   (0.16) 2.8   (0.08) 6.6   (0.67) 5.6   (0.11) 5.2   (0.05) 4.0   (0.04)
Social sciences/history 9.6   (0.04) 11.2   (0.06) 8.1   (0.06) 9.9   (0.05) 9.1   (0.16) 9.0   (0.13) 7.5   (0.13) 9.2   (0.67) 9.8   (0.14) 9.3   (0.07) 9.8   (0.06)
Other fields 6.3   (0.04) 5.7   (0.06) 6.9   (0.05) 6.3   (0.05) 8.1   (0.18) 6.6   (0.14) 4.8   (0.10) 9.7   (0.70) 8.1   (0.15) 6.8   (0.05) 5.4   (0.04)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases for a reliable estimate).
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population age 25 and over residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). The first bachelor’s degree major reported by respondents was used to classify their field of study, even though they were able to report a second bachelor’s degree major and may possess advanced degrees in other fields. Totals include other racial/ethnic groups not separately shown. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2015. (This table was prepared December 2016.)

2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest