Digest of Education Statistics
2018 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: 2017
[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)
221,310   (21.0) 106,905   (24.7) 114,406   (21.0) 143,646   (27.3) 25,835   (9.8) 33,490   (8.9) 13,124   (9.2) 1,342   (1.3) 23,029   (10.1) 84,099   (23.7) 114,182   (19.8)
Percent of population with bachelor's
   degree
32.0   (0.07) 31.4   (0.08) 32.6   (0.07) 35.8   (0.08) 21.6   (0.12) 16.0   (0.11) 53.2   (0.20) 15.0   (0.36) 34.3   (0.18) 35.9   (0.10) 28.7   (0.06)
Bachelor's degree holders Number (in thousands)
Total 70,854   (164.9) 33,521   (87.4) 37,334   (87.7) 51,378   (110.8) 5,572   (31.1) 5,370   (39.3) 6,984   (27.5) 201   (5.5) 7,890   (42.2) 30,169   (84.5) 32,795   (76.3)
Agriculture 715   (9.7) 468   (7.5) 247   (5.1) 598   (8.7) 24   (2.0) 35   (2.5) 47   (2.8)   (†) 75   (3.5) 274   (6.3) 366   (6.0)
Architecture 507   (8.7) 340   (6.7) 167   (4.7) 339   (6.3) 26   (2.4) 63   (3.2) 68   (2.7)   (†) 54   (3.6) 218   (6.1) 235   (5.8)
Business/management 14,355   (50.2) 7,912   (39.1) 6,443   (30.9) 10,231   (38.5) 1,300   (16.1) 1,225   (16.6) 1,313   (13.3) 41   (3.0) 1,381   (17.4) 6,378   (35.8) 6,596   (26.8)
Communications and communications
   technologies
2,737   (19.5) 1,129   (12.9) 1,608   (15.2) 2,087   (16.8) 244   (6.6) 213   (6.8) 133   (4.1) 6   (0.9) 427   (7.8) 1,424   (15.6) 886   (9.6)
Computer and information sciences 2,276   (20.1) 1,626   (16.4) 650   (9.4) 1,238   (12.3) 224   (7.0) 165   (5.6) 584   (9.8) 3   (0.6) 318   (8.6) 1,302   (15.0) 656   (9.8)
Criminal justice and fire protection 1,262   (15.1) 745   (10.1) 517   (10.5) 843   (11.6) 203   (6.4) 144   (5.3) 38   (2.5) 6   (0.9) 209   (6.4) 693   (10.9) 361   (6.4)
Education 8,973   (39.1) 2,129   (17.6) 6,844   (30.2) 7,255   (31.7) 677   (11.2) 577   (9.8) 325   (7.1) 35   (2.2) 559   (10.0) 2,775   (22.8) 5,639   (27.1)
Engineering and engineering technologies 6,357   (35.0) 5,359   (30.3) 998   (12.0) 4,076   (26.2) 310   (7.4) 548   (10.7) 1,294   (13.5) 11   (1.2) 705   (10.1) 2,657   (23.7) 2,995   (19.8)
English language and literature 2,254   (17.9) 762   (11.2) 1,492   (12.6) 1,807   (15.1) 124   (4.5) 110   (5.1) 162   (4.5) 4   (0.6) 217   (6.2) 920   (11.3) 1,117   (12.6)
Foreign languages, literatures, and
   linguistics
736   (10.7) 200   (5.2) 536   (9.9) 535   (9.6) 31   (2.8) 77   (3.5) 75   (2.9)   (†) 75   (2.8) 291   (5.9) 369   (7.5)
Health sciences 5,365   (24.0) 954   (9.8) 4,411   (21.3) 3,792   (18.1) 482   (10.9) 356   (7.3) 622   (9.8) 18   (1.3) 618   (8.2) 2,252   (17.1) 2,496   (16.4)
Liberal arts and humanities 982   (12.7) 388   (7.9) 594   (9.3) 710   (10.1) 71   (3.4) 89   (3.6) 85   (3.7) 4   (0.9) 85   (3.6) 432   (7.8) 465   (7.1)
Mathematics/statistics 1,071   (12.2) 614   (8.3) 456   (8.1) 782   (10.0) 64   (3.1) 51   (3.1) 152   (4.6)   (†) 107   (3.9) 375   (7.5) 589   (9.3)
Natural sciences (biological,
   environmental, and physical)
5,974   (40.0) 3,339   (25.7) 2,635   (23.0) 4,258   (28.0) 361   (9.3) 369   (7.4) 843   (10.2) 16   (1.5) 791   (13.3) 2,552   (25.9) 2,632   (18.0)
Philosophy/religion/theology 941   (13.5) 646   (10.1) 295   (6.8) 721   (10.4) 80   (3.8) 59   (3.1) 60   (3.2) 3   (0.6) 82   (3.7) 353   (7.6) 506   (7.7)
Psychology 3,403   (22.5) 1,024   (12.3) 2,380   (17.9) 2,462   (17.8) 333   (7.0) 312   (7.5) 201   (5.0) 10   (1.3) 482   (8.9) 1,607   (14.6) 1,314   (13.2)
Social sciences and history 6,638   (35.1) 3,701   (24.7) 2,937   (21.0) 4,990   (27.3) 485   (9.8) 471   (8.9) 528   (9.2) 16   (1.3) 743   (11.6) 2,767   (22.9) 3,129   (20.5)
Social work and public administration 1,005   (11.8) 220   (5.7) 785   (10.1) 652   (8.9) 182   (6.4) 97   (4.0) 48   (2.7) 6   (0.9) 115   (4.3) 437   (8.6) 453   (7.4)
Visual and performing arts 2,914   (21.0) 1,104   (13.8) 1,810   (16.7) 2,239   (18.1) 154   (6.0) 204   (5.9) 243   (6.5) 7   (1.0) 444   (9.7) 1,324   (16.8) 1,146   (11.6)
Other fields1 2,389   (18.6) 861   (11.3) 1,528   (13.0) 1,761   (15.2) 196   (6.5) 205   (5.1) 165   (4.9) 9   (1.1) 404   (9.1) 1,139   (14.6) 846   (11.5)
  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 1.0   (0.01) 1.4   (0.02) 0.7   (0.01) 1.2   (0.02) 0.4   (0.04) 0.7   (0.05) 0.7   (0.04) 1.0   (0.25) 0.9   (0.04) 0.9   (0.02) 1.1   (0.02)
Architecture 0.7   (0.01) 1.0   (0.02) 0.4   (0.01) 0.7   (0.01) 0.5   (0.04) 1.2   (0.06) 1.0   (0.04) 0.4 ! (0.14) 0.7   (0.05) 0.7   (0.02) 0.7   (0.02)
Business/management 20.3   (0.06) 23.6   (0.10) 17.3   (0.08) 19.9   (0.06) 23.3   (0.26) 22.8   (0.28) 18.8   (0.17) 20.5   (1.30) 17.5   (0.19) 21.1   (0.12) 20.1   (0.07)
Communications and communications
   technologies
3.9   (0.03) 3.4   (0.04) 4.3   (0.04) 4.1   (0.03) 4.4   (0.12) 4.0   (0.12) 1.9   (0.06) 2.8   (0.45) 5.4   (0.10) 4.7   (0.05) 2.7   (0.03)
Computer and information sciences 3.2   (0.03) 4.9   (0.05) 1.7   (0.03) 2.4   (0.02) 4.0   (0.12) 3.1   (0.11) 8.4   (0.14) 1.7   (0.30) 4.0   (0.11) 4.3   (0.05) 2.0   (0.03)
Criminal justice and fire protection 1.8   (0.02) 2.2   (0.03) 1.4   (0.03) 1.6   (0.02) 3.7   (0.11) 2.7   (0.10) 0.5   (0.04) 3.2   (0.42) 2.6   (0.08) 2.3   (0.04) 1.1   (0.02)
Education 12.7   (0.04) 6.4   (0.05) 18.3   (0.06) 14.1   (0.05) 12.1   (0.20) 10.7   (0.17) 4.6   (0.10) 17.4   (0.97) 7.1   (0.12) 9.2   (0.07) 17.2   (0.06)
Engineering and engineering technologies 9.0   (0.04) 16.0   (0.08) 2.7   (0.03) 7.9   (0.05) 5.6   (0.13) 10.2   (0.18) 18.5   (0.18) 5.4   (0.60) 8.9   (0.12) 8.8   (0.07) 9.1   (0.05)
English language and literature 3.2   (0.02) 2.3   (0.03) 4.0   (0.03) 3.5   (0.03) 2.2   (0.08) 2.0   (0.09) 2.3   (0.06) 1.8   (0.28) 2.8   (0.08) 3.0   (0.04) 3.4   (0.04)
Foreign languages, literatures, and
   linguistics
1.0   (0.01) 0.6   (0.02) 1.4   (0.03) 1.0   (0.02) 0.6   (0.05) 1.4   (0.06) 1.1   (0.04) 0.7 ! (0.22) 1.0   (0.04) 1.0   (0.02) 1.1   (0.02)
Health sciences 7.6   (0.03) 2.8   (0.03) 11.8   (0.06) 7.4   (0.03) 8.7   (0.19) 6.6   (0.13) 8.9   (0.13) 9.2   (0.64) 7.8   (0.10) 7.5   (0.06) 7.6   (0.05)
Liberal arts and humanities 1.4   (0.02) 1.2   (0.02) 1.6   (0.02) 1.4   (0.02) 1.3   (0.06) 1.7   (0.07) 1.2   (0.05) 2.1   (0.46) 1.1   (0.05) 1.4   (0.03) 1.4   (0.02)
Mathematics/statistics 1.5   (0.02) 1.8   (0.02) 1.2   (0.02) 1.5   (0.02) 1.1   (0.05) 0.9   (0.06) 2.2   (0.07) 0.9 ! (0.27) 1.4   (0.05) 1.2   (0.02) 1.8   (0.03)
Natural sciences (biological,
   environmental, and physical)
8.4   (0.05) 10.0   (0.07) 7.1   (0.06) 8.3   (0.05) 6.5   (0.16) 6.9   (0.13) 12.1   (0.14) 8.0   (0.71) 10.0   (0.15) 8.5   (0.08) 8.0   (0.05)
Philosophy/religion/theology 1.3   (0.02) 1.9   (0.03) 0.8   (0.02) 1.4   (0.02) 1.4   (0.07) 1.1   (0.06) 0.9   (0.05) 1.4   (0.29) 1.0   (0.05) 1.2   (0.03) 1.5   (0.02)
Psychology 4.8   (0.03) 3.1   (0.04) 6.4   (0.04) 4.8   (0.03) 6.0   (0.12) 5.8   (0.13) 2.9   (0.07) 4.9   (0.63) 6.1   (0.11) 5.3   (0.05) 4.0   (0.04)
Social sciences and history 9.4   (0.04) 11.0   (0.07) 7.9   (0.05) 9.7   (0.05) 8.7   (0.17) 8.8   (0.15) 7.6   (0.13) 8.1   (0.64) 9.4   (0.13) 9.2   (0.07) 9.5   (0.06)
Social work and public administration 1.4   (0.02) 0.7   (0.02) 2.1   (0.03) 1.3   (0.02) 3.3   (0.11) 1.8   (0.07) 0.7   (0.04) 2.9   (0.43) 1.5   (0.06) 1.4   (0.03) 1.4   (0.02)
Visual and performing arts 4.1   (0.03) 3.3   (0.04) 4.8   (0.04) 4.4   (0.04) 2.8   (0.11) 3.8   (0.10) 3.5   (0.09) 3.4   (0.51) 5.6   (0.12) 4.4   (0.05) 3.5   (0.03)
Other fields1 3.4   (0.02) 2.6   (0.03) 4.1   (0.03) 3.4   (0.03) 3.5   (0.11) 3.8   (0.09) 2.4   (0.07) 4.3   (0.53) 5.1   (0.11) 3.8   (0.05) 2.6   (0.03)
†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).
1 Includes area, ethnic, and civilization studies; family and consumer sciences; library sciences; military sciences; multi/interdisciplinary studies; physical fitness, parks, recreation and leisure; precision production; transportation technologies; and other fields, not separately classified.
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), 2017. (This table was prepared May 2019.)

2018 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest