Table 325.50.

Degrees in English language and literature/letters conferred by postsecondary institutions, by level of degree and sex of student: Selected years, 1949-50 through 2017-18

Year	Bachelor's degrees					Master's degrees			Doctor's degrees
	Total		Males	Females	Females as a percent of total	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females
	Number	Annual percent change
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1949-50	17,240	†	8,221	9,019	52.3	2,259	1,320	939	230	181	49
1959-60	20,128	†	7,580	12,548	62.3	2,931	1,458	1,473	397	314	83
1967-68	47,977	†	15,700	32,277	67.3	7,916	3,434	4,482	977	717	260
1969-70	56,410	†	18,650	37,760	66.9	8,517	3,326	5,191	1,213	837	376
1970-71	63,914	13.3	22,005	41,909	65.6	10,441	4,126	6,315	1,554	1,107	447
1971-72	63,707	-0.3	22,580	41,127	64.6	10,412	4,066	6,346	1,734	1,173	561
1972-73	60,607	-4.9	22,022	38,585	63.7	10,035	3,988	6,047	1,817	1,189	628
1973-74	54,190	-10.6	20,082	34,108	62.9	9,573	3,824	5,749	1,755	1,142	613
1974-75	47,062	-13.2	17,689	29,373	62.4	9,178	3,463	5,715	1,595	974	621
1975-76	41,452	-11.9	15,898	25,554	61.6	8,599	3,290	5,309	1,514	895	619
1976-77	37,343	-9.9	14,135	23,208	62.1	7,824	2,907	4,917	1,373	768	605
1977-78	34,799	-6.8	12,972	21,827	62.7	7,444	2,623	4,821	1,272	698	574
1978-79	33,218	-4.5	12,085	21,133	63.6	6,503	2,307	4,196	1,186	639	547
1979-80	32,187	-3.1	11,237	20,950	65.1	6,026	2,181	3,845	1,196	635	561
1980-81	31,922	-0.8	11,082	20,840	65.3	5,742	2,026	3,716	1,040	497	543
1981-82	33,078	3.6	11,300	21,778	65.8	5,593	1,916	3,677	986	467	519
1982-83	31,327	-5.3	10,699	20,628	65.8	4,866	1,653	3,213	877	419	458
1983-84	32,296	3.1	11,007	21,289	65.9	4,814	1,681	3,133	899	413	486
1984-85	32,686	1.2	11,195	21,491	65.7	4,987	1,723	3,264	915	414	501
1985-86	34,083	4.3	11,657	22,426	65.8	5,335	1,811	3,524	895	390	505
1986-87	35,667	4.6	12,133	23,534	66.0	5,298	1,819	3,479	853	367	486
1987-88	38,106	6.8	12,687	25,419	66.7	5,366	1,796	3,570	858	380	478
1988-89	41,786	9.7	13,729	28,057	67.1	5,716	1,930	3,786	929	405	524
1989-90	46,803	12.0	15,437	31,366	67.0	6,317	2,125	4,192	986	444	542
1990-91	51,064	9.1	16,891	34,173	66.9	6,784	2,203	4,581	1,056	469	587
1991-92	54,250	6.2	18,314	35,936	66.2	7,215	2,441	4,774	1,142	484	658
1992-93	55,289	1.9	19,007	36,282	65.6	7,537	2,570	4,967	1,201	495	706
1993-94	53,150	-3.9	18,214	34,936	65.7	7,611	2,620	4,991	1,205	512	693
1994-95	51,170	-3.7	17,581	33,589	65.6	7,612	2,672	4,940	1,393	589	804
1995-96	49,928	-2.4	17,007	32,921	65.9	7,657	2,727	4,930	1,395	535	860
1996-97	48,641	-2.6	16,325	32,316	66.4	7,487	2,650	4,837	1,431	610	821
1997-98	49,016	0.8	16,280	32,736	66.8	7,587	2,568	5,019	1,489	611	878
1998-99	49,877	1.8	16,332	33,545	67.3	7,326	2,452	4,874	1,412	554	858
1999-2000	50,106	0.5	16,124	33,982	67.8	7,022	2,315	4,707	1,470	611	859
2000-01	50,569	0.9	15,997	34,572	68.4	6,763	2,160	4,603	1,330	533	797
2001-02	52,375	3.6	16,457	35,918	68.6	7,097	2,270	4,827	1,291	532	759
2002-03	53,699	2.5	16,738	36,961	68.8	7,428	2,433	4,995	1,246	492	754
2003-04	53,984	0.5	16,792	37,192	68.9	7,956	2,459	5,497	1,207	479	728
2004-05	54,379	0.7	17,154	37,225	68.5	8,468	2,615	5,853	1,212	494	718
2005-06	55,094	1.3	17,314	37,780	68.6	8,845	2,860	5,985	1,254	510	744
2006-07	55,125	0.1	17,476	37,649	68.3	8,745	2,868	5,877	1,178	478	700
2007-08	55,001	-0.2	17,675	37,326	67.9	9,142	3,017	6,125	1,262	453	809
2008-09	55,465	0.8	17,973	37,492	67.6	9,262	3,000	6,262	1,271	464	807
2009-10	53,229	-4.0	17,050	36,179	68.0	9,202	3,006	6,196	1,334	523	811
2010-11	52,754	-0.9	16,917	35,837	67.9	9,475	3,137	6,338	1,344	529	815
2011-12	53,765	1.9	16,976	36,789	68.4	9,938	3,403	6,535	1,427	548	879
2012-13	52,401	-2.5	16,508	35,893	68.5	9,755	3,213	6,542	1,377	554	823
2013-14	50,464	-3.7	15,831	34,633	68.6	9,294	3,115	6,179	1,393	557	836
2014-15	45,851	-9.1	14,055	31,796	69.3	8,928	3,052	5,876	1,418	554	864
2015-16	42,797	-6.7	12,777	30,020	70.1	8,581	2,884	5,697	1,402	522	880
2016-17	41,314	-3.5	12,243	29,071	70.4	8,244	2,738	5,506	1,347	519	828
2017-18	40,002	-3.2	11,680	28,322	70.8	8,300	2,640	5,660	1,295	512	783
Percent change
2007-08 to 2012-13	-4.7	†	-6.6	-3.8	†	6.7	6.5	6.8	9.1	22.3	1.7
2012-13 to 2017-18	-23.7	†	-29.2	-21.1	†	-14.9	-17.8	-13.5	-6.0	-7.6	-4.9

†Not applicable.

NOTE: Data are for postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Earned Degrees Conferred, 1949-50 and 1959-60; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, 1967-68 through 1985-86; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Completions Survey" (IPEDS-C:87-99); and IPEDS Fall 2000 through Fall 2018, Completions component. (This table was prepared September 2019.)