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Digest of Education Statistics
2022 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: 2021
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Field of bachelor's degreeTotal1SexRace/ethnicityAge
MaleFemaleAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeAsianBlackHispanicPacific IslanderWhiteTwo or more races25 to 29 years old30 to 49 years old50 years old and over
1234567891011121314
Total population, 25 and over 
   (in thousands) 

228,290


(52.8)

111,276


(31.5)

117,014


(31.9)

1,109


(8.4)

13,671


(17.6)

25,957


(36.3)

36,619


(20.1)

364


(6.6)

141,970


(29.3)

7,496


(41.3)

22,055


(25.8)

86,665


(31.9)

119,570


(32.8)
Percent of population with bachelor's
   degree 

35.0


(0.06)

33.9


(0.07)

36.1


(0.07)

16.4


(0.33)

56.7


(0.21)

24.9


(0.13)

19.8


(0.13)

18.7


(0.96)

38.9


(0.07)

35.6


(0.24)

37.9


(0.16)

39.4


(0.10)

31.4


(0.06)
Number (in thousands)
   Bachelor's degree holders, total 80,014(157.8)37,752(87.3)42,262(91.3)182(4.1)7,752(30.1)6,458(33.7)7,246(47.8)68(3.7)55,198(100.8)2,665(25.3)8,360(38.4)34,161(87.7)37,493(74.9)
Agriculture 789(10.7)502(8.6)287(5.6)(†)46(2.7)35(2.8)48(3.1)(†)632(9.8)21(1.7)94(4.1)296(7.6)400(7.2)
Architecture 564(9.5)362(7.4)202(5.5)(†)68(3.0)26(2.5)79(3.6)(†)366(7.3)21(1.9)48(2.9)242(6.2)274(6.3)
Business/management 16,099(47.6)8,833(34.1)7,267(32.7)36(2.0)1,434(15.2)1,504(18.2)1,586(18.5)17(1.9)10,933(35.4)505(9.5)1,466(17.4)6,917(35.9)7,716(28.3)
Communications and communications
   technologies 

3,234


(26.5)

1,316


(15.0)

1,918


(19.4)

6


(0.8)

166


(5.1)

304


(8.6)

304


(7.6)



(†)

2,315


(21.2)

120


(4.3)

455


(9.6)

1,648


(17.2)

1,131


(13.5)
Computer and information sciences 2,759(22.8)2,030(18.4)730(10.4)3(0.6)628(10.8)257(8.7)241(6.0)4(0.9)1,501(14.1)104(4.1)383(7.2)1,501(17.0)875(11.2)
Criminal justice and fire protection 1,470(15.8)866(11.4)604(9.6)5(0.7)45(2.5)215(7.8)206(6.5)(†)932(11.7)55(3.1)206(6.6)779(12.4)485(8.7)
Education 9,252(45.7)2,163(17.1)7,089(36.0)29(1.6)342(6.2)672(11.6)688(10.9)7(1.2)7,241(36.6)232(6.1)505(9.4)2,817(24.5)5,931(32.5)
Engineering and engineering technologies 7,152(33.1)5,972(29.5)1,180(14.2)13(1.4)1,435(15.5)363(9.8)693(11.9)5(0.8)4,387(24.7)215(5.3)811(13.3)2,974(23.8)3,367(20.9)
English language and literature 2,444(19.0)822(11.3)1,622(15.5)3(0.6)172(4.4)143(5.8)152(5.5)(†)1,872(15.5)82(3.3)201(5.5)1,004(9.8)1,239(12.5)
Foreign languages, literatures, and
   linguistics 

818


(12.5)

240


(6.1)

578


(9.7)



(†)

80


(3.5)

29


(2.4)

103


(4.9)



(†)

570


(9.5)

29


(1.9)

69


(3.8)

337


(6.8)

411


(8.1)
Health sciences 6,299(32.0)1,120(11.7)5,180(27.8)13(1.1)709(10.6)598(13.1)514(9.7)5(1.1)4,229(22.3)204(6.1)717(10.7)2,742(25.0)2,840(18.9)
Liberal arts and humanities 1,052(13.6)398(7.4)654(10.9)3(0.6)83(3.6)88(4.1)113(5.0)(†)722(12.1)36(2.7)77(3.9)433(9.7)542(8.3)
Mathematics/statistics 1,186(15.0)700(11.2)485(8.3)(†)173(5.6)79(4.1)68(3.1)(†)818(12.6)38(2.1)118(4.9)412(9.5)656(11.2)
Natural sciences (biological, 
   environmental, and physical) 

6,874


(35.2)

3,737


(22.5)

3,137


(22.8)

17


(1.5)

955


(10.8)

438


(8.8)

530


(9.7)

4


(0.8)

4,642


(26.1)

243


(5.5)

902


(12.8)

3,028


(23.1)

2,943


(19.2)
Philosophy/religion/theology 1,031(13.5)707(10.6)324(6.6)3(0.5)63(2.9)88(4.2)75(3.7)(†)757(11.2)37(1.9)74(3.4)409(8.8)548(9.6)
Psychology 4,042(23.4)1,188(14.7)2,854(19.5)11(1.0)239(5.2)381(7.7)442(9.6)2(0.4)2,779(18.7)165(5.1)510(8.8)1,895(15.6)1,638(13.2)
Social sciences and history 7,497(35.8)4,144(28.1)3,353(20.3)14(1.3)598(8.9)586(12.1)658(9.6)6(1.0)5,322(29.1)269(6.0)711(12.4)3,172(22.9)3,614(23.0)
Social work and public administration 1,185(12.1)256(5.9)928(11.8)6(0.9)55(3.1)204(5.8)131(5.0)(†)736(9.8)44(2.8)127(5.5)500(9.7)558(7.5)
Visual and performing arts 3,362(24.2)1,309(15.3)2,053(17.9)7(0.8)258(6.0)193(6.0)315(7.3)(†)2,434(22.0)134(4.0)416(8.2)1,613(15.8)1,333(13.5)
Other fields2 2,904(22.9)1,086(14.0)1,818(17.2)8(0.9)204(6.3)254(6.8)302(7.3)3(0.7)2,010(17.5)112(4.4)470(9.4)1,442(17.3)993(9.9)
Percentage distribution, by field
   Bachelor's degree holders, total 100.0(†)100.0(†)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)1.3(0.02)0.7(0.01)1.0(0.24)0.6(0.03)0.5(0.04)0.7(0.04)0.6!(0.32)1.1(0.02)0.8(0.07)1.1(0.05)0.9(0.02)1.1(0.02)
Architecture 0.7(0.01)1.0(0.02)0.5(0.01)0.4!(0.12)0.9(0.04)0.4(0.04)1.1(0.05)(†)0.7(0.01)0.8(0.07)0.6(0.03)0.7(0.02)0.7(0.02)
Business/management 20.1(0.05)23.4(0.09)17.2(0.06)19.6(1.04)18.5(0.17)23.3(0.25)21.9(0.22)24.4(2.28)19.8(0.05)18.9(0.30)17.5(0.20)20.2(0.09)20.6(0.06)
Communications and communications
   technologies 

4.0


(0.03)

3.5


(0.04)

4.5


(0.04)

3.1


(0.45)

2.1


(0.07)

4.7


(0.13)

4.2


(0.10)

4.1

!

(1.27)

4.2


(0.04)

4.5


(0.15)

5.4


(0.11)

4.8


(0.05)

3.0


(0.03)
Computer and information sciences 3.4(0.03)5.4(0.05)1.7(0.02)1.9(0.32)8.1(0.14)4.0(0.13)3.3(0.08)6.2(1.27)2.7(0.02)3.9(0.15)4.6(0.09)4.4(0.05)2.3(0.03)
Criminal justice and fire protection 1.8(0.02)2.3(0.03)1.4(0.02)2.7(0.37)0.6(0.03)3.3(0.12)2.8(0.08)3.3(0.80)1.7(0.02)2.1(0.12)2.5(0.08)2.3(0.04)1.3(0.02)
Education 11.6(0.05)5.7(0.04)16.8(0.07)16.1(0.85)4.4(0.08)10.4(0.17)9.5(0.13)10.0(1.62)13.1(0.06)8.7(0.20)6.0(0.11)8.2(0.07)15.8(0.08)
Engineering and engineering technologies 8.9(0.04)15.8(0.07)2.8(0.03)6.9(0.74)18.5(0.18)5.6(0.15)9.6(0.15)7.3(1.09)7.9(0.04)8.1(0.19)9.7(0.15)8.7(0.06)9.0(0.05)
English language and literature 3.1(0.02)2.2(0.03)3.8(0.04)1.6(0.33)2.2(0.06)2.2(0.09)2.1(0.07)2.4!(0.78)3.4(0.03)3.1(0.12)2.4(0.07)2.9(0.03)3.3(0.03)
Foreign languages, literatures, and
   linguistics 

1.0


(0.02)

0.6


(0.02)

1.4


(0.02)

0.4

!

(0.15)

1.0


(0.04)

0.5


(0.04)

1.4


(0.07)



(†)

1.0


(0.02)

1.1


(0.07)

0.8


(0.05)

1.0


(0.02)

1.1


(0.02)
Health sciences 7.9(0.04)3.0(0.03)12.3(0.07)7.4(0.57)9.1(0.12)9.3(0.19)7.1(0.13)8.0(1.51)7.7(0.04)7.7(0.23)8.6(0.12)8.0(0.07)7.6(0.05)
Liberal arts and humanities 1.3(0.02)1.1(0.02)1.5(0.03)1.6(0.33)1.1(0.05)1.4(0.06)1.6(0.07)0.9!(0.32)1.3(0.02)1.3(0.10)0.9(0.05)1.3(0.03)1.4(0.02)
Mathematics/statistics 1.5(0.02)1.9(0.03)1.1(0.02)1.0(0.24)2.2(0.07)1.2(0.06)0.9(0.04)0.7!(0.28)1.5(0.02)1.4(0.08)1.4(0.06)1.2(0.03)1.7(0.03)
Natural sciences (biological, 
   environmental, and physical) 

8.6


(0.04)

9.9


(0.06)

7.4


(0.05)

9.5


(0.81)

12.3


(0.14)

6.8


(0.13)

7.3


(0.13)

6.4


(1.20)

8.4


(0.05)

9.1


(0.19)

10.8


(0.15)

8.9


(0.06)

7.8


(0.05)
Philosophy/religion/theology 1.3(0.02)1.9(0.03)0.8(0.02)1.4(0.26)0.8(0.04)1.4(0.07)1.0(0.05)1.8!(0.61)1.4(0.02)1.4(0.07)0.9(0.04)1.2(0.03)1.5(0.03)
Psychology 5.1(0.03)3.1(0.04)6.8(0.04)5.8(0.50)3.1(0.07)5.9(0.12)6.1(0.12)3.5(0.61)5.0(0.03)6.2(0.18)6.1(0.10)5.5(0.04)4.4(0.03)
Social sciences and history 9.4(0.04)11.0(0.07)7.9(0.05)7.5(0.68)7.7(0.12)9.1(0.18)9.1(0.11)9.4(1.39)9.6(0.05)10.1(0.22)8.5(0.14)9.3(0.07)9.6(0.06)
Social work and public administration 1.5(0.01)0.7(0.02)2.2(0.03)3.5(0.50)0.7(0.04)3.2(0.09)1.8(0.07)3.0(0.78)1.3(0.02)1.7(0.11)1.5(0.07)1.5(0.03)1.5(0.02)
Visual and performing arts 4.2(0.03)3.5(0.04)4.9(0.04)4.0(0.45)3.3(0.08)3.0(0.09)4.3(0.10)2.3(0.67)4.4(0.04)5.0(0.14)5.0(0.10)4.7(0.04)3.6(0.04)
Other fields2 3.6(0.03)2.9(0.04)4.3(0.04)4.5(0.48)2.6(0.08)3.9(0.10)4.2(0.10)4.6(1.05)3.6(0.03)4.2(0.16)5.6(0.11)4.2(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).
1Total includes other racial/ethnic groups not separately shown.
2Includes area, ethnic, and civilization studies; family and consumer sciences; intercultural and international studies; interdisciplinary social sciences; multi/interdisciplinary studies; nutrition sciences; physical fitness, parks, recreation and leisure; pre-law and legal studies; transportation technologies; and other fields.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population 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. 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), 2021. (This table was prepared July 2023.)

2022 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest