Table 318.20.

Bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study: Selected academic years, 1970-71 through 2020-21

Degree and year	Number of degrees conferred											Percentage distribution of degrees conferred
	Total degrees	Humanities1	Psychology	Social sciences and history	Natural sciences and mathematics2	Computer sciences	Engineering3	Education	Business4	Health professions and related programs	Other fields5	Total degrees	Humanities1	Psychology	Social sciences and history	Natural sciences and mathematics2	Computer sciences	Engineering3	Education	Business4	Health professions and related programs	Other fields5
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
Bachelor's degrees
1970-71	839,730	143,549	38,187	155,324	81,916	2,388	50,182	176,307	115,396	25,221	51,260	100.0	17.1	4.5	18.5	9.8	0.3	6.0	21.0	13.7	3.0	6.1
1975-76	925,746	150,736	50,278	126,396	91,596	5,652	46,676	154,437	143,171	53,885	102,919	100.0	16.3	5.4	13.7	9.9	0.6	5.0	16.7	15.5	5.8	11.1
1980-81	935,140	134,139	41,068	100,513	78,092	15,121	75,355	108,074	200,521	63,665	118,592	100.0	14.3	4.4	10.7	8.4	1.6	8.1	11.6	21.4	6.8	12.7
1985-86	987,823	132,891	40,628	93,840	76,228	42,337	97,122	87,147	236,700	64,941	115,989	100.0	13.5	4.1	9.5	7.7	4.3	9.8	8.8	24.0	6.6	11.7
1990-91	1,094,538	172,485	58,655	125,107	70,209	25,159	79,751	110,807	249,165	59,636	143,564	100.0	15.8	5.4	11.4	6.4	2.3	7.3	10.1	22.8	5.4	13.1
1995-96	1,164,792	193,404	73,416	126,479	93,443	24,506	77,997	105,384	226,623	85,755	157,785	100.0	16.6	6.3	10.9	8.0	2.1	6.7	9.0	19.5	7.4	13.5
2000-01	1,244,171	214,107	73,645	128,036	89,772	44,142	72,869	105,458	263,515	75,537	177,090	100.0	17.2	5.9	10.3	7.2	3.5	5.9	8.5	21.2	6.1	14.2
2005-06	1,485,104	261,666	88,132	161,468	105,883	47,702	81,406	107,235	318,043	91,528	222,041	100.0	17.6	5.9	10.9	7.1	3.2	5.5	7.2	21.4	6.2	15.0
2010-11	1,716,053	288,446	100,906	177,169	131,871	43,066	93,097	104,008	365,133	142,890	269,467	100.0	16.8	5.9	10.3	7.7	2.5	5.4	6.1	21.3	8.3	15.7
2016-17	1,956,114	270,931	116,859	159,097	172,115	71,416	133,790	85,130	381,109	236,931	328,736	100.0	13.9	6.0	8.1	8.8	3.7	6.8	4.4	19.5	12.1	16.8
2017-18	1,980,665	268,551	116,436	159,962	175,456	79,597	140,681	82,599	386,240	243,876	327,267	100.0	13.6	5.9	8.1	8.9	4.0	7.1	4.2	19.5	12.3	16.5
2018-19	2,013,086	269,990	116,550	160,678	178,543	88,638	146,312	83,952	390,490	250,650	327,283	100.0	13.4	5.8	8.0	8.9	4.4	7.3	4.2	19.4	12.5	16.3
2019-20	2,038,682	271,140	119,989	161,219	184,586	97,054	148,125	85,052	387,881	257,327	326,309	100.0	13.3	5.9	7.9	9.1	4.8	7.3	4.2	19.0	12.6	16.0
2020-21	2,066,445	263,894	126,944	160,827	187,829	104,874	145,041	89,398	391,375	268,018	328,245	100.0	12.8	6.1	7.8	9.1	5.1	7.0	4.3	18.9	13.0	15.9
Master's degrees
1970-71	235,564	34,510	5,717	16,539	17,152	1,588	16,947	87,666	26,490	5,241	23,714	100.0	14.6	2.4	7.0	7.3	0.7	7.2	37.2	11.2	2.2	10.1
1975-76	317,477	37,079	10,167	15,953	15,742	2,603	16,800	126,061	42,592	12,051	38,429	100.0	11.7	3.2	5.0	5.0	0.8	5.3	39.7	13.4	3.8	12.1
1980-81	302,637	35,130	10,223	11,945	13,579	4,218	17,216	96,713	57,888	16,029	39,696	100.0	11.6	3.4	3.9	4.5	1.4	5.7	32.0	19.1	5.3	13.1
1985-86	295,850	34,834	9,845	10,564	14,055	8,070	22,146	74,816	66,676	18,496	36,348	100.0	11.8	3.3	3.6	4.8	2.7	7.5	25.3	22.5	6.3	12.3
1990-91	342,863	35,984	11,349	12,233	13,664	9,324	25,450	87,352	78,255	21,247	48,005	100.0	10.5	3.3	3.6	4.0	2.7	7.4	25.5	22.8	6.2	14.0
1995-96	412,180	40,795	15,152	15,012	16,154	10,579	28,843	104,936	93,554	33,780	53,375	100.0	9.9	3.7	3.6	3.9	2.6	7.0	25.5	22.7	8.2	12.9
2000-01	473,502	40,625	16,539	13,791	15,360	16,911	27,187	127,829	115,602	43,465	56,193	100.0	8.6	3.5	2.9	3.2	3.6	5.7	27.0	24.4	9.2	11.9
2005-06	599,862	49,590	19,775	17,368	19,575	17,195	33,386	174,622	146,396	51,046	70,909	100.0	8.3	3.3	2.9	3.3	2.9	5.6	29.1	24.4	8.5	11.8
2010-11	730,922	57,160	25,062	21,085	23,576	19,516	43,179	185,127	187,178	75,314	93,725	100.0	7.8	3.4	2.9	3.2	2.7	5.9	25.3	25.6	10.3	12.8
2016-17	804,542	57,895	27,539	20,004	32,500	46,553	60,229	145,624	187,412	118,712	108,074	100.0	7.2	3.4	2.5	4.0	5.8	7.5	18.1	23.3	14.8	13.4
2017-18	820,242	59,119	27,918	19,884	34,819	46,468	58,969	146,368	192,191	125,230	109,276	100.0	7.2	3.4	2.4	4.2	5.7	7.2	17.8	23.4	15.3	13.3
2018-19	833,792	57,962	29,136	20,303	36,595	45,671	55,933	146,429	197,074	131,391	113,298	100.0	7.0	3.5	2.4	4.4	5.5	6.7	17.6	23.6	15.8	13.6
2019-20	843,531	57,196	29,750	19,507	37,798	51,527	53,496	146,989	197,443	135,317	114,508	100.0	6.8	3.5	2.3	4.5	6.1	6.3	17.4	23.4	16.0	13.6
2020-21	866,894	57,633	31,776	19,845	38,794	54,174	53,632	153,756	202,334	142,025	112,925	100.0	6.6	3.7	2.3	4.5	6.2	6.2	17.7	23.3	16.4	13.0
Doctor's degrees6
1970-71	64,998	4,402	2,144	3,660	9,126	128	3,688	6,041	774	14,690	20,345	100.0	6.8	3.3	5.6	14.0	0.2	5.7	9.3	1.2	22.6	31.3
1975-76	91,007	5,461	3,157	4,157	7,591	244	2,874	7,202	906	23,694	35,721	100.0	6.0	3.5	4.6	8.3	0.3	3.2	7.9	1.0	26.0	39.3
1980-81	98,016	4,827	3,576	3,122	7,473	252	2,608	7,279	808	27,600	40,471	100.0	4.9	3.6	3.2	7.6	0.3	2.7	7.4	0.8	28.2	41.3
1985-86	100,280	4,648	3,593	2,955	7,668	344	3,456	6,610	923	29,551	40,532	100.0	4.6	3.6	2.9	7.6	0.3	3.4	6.6	0.9	29.5	40.4
1990-91	105,547	4,858	3,932	3,012	9,378	676	5,330	6,189	1,185	27,708	43,279	100.0	4.6	3.7	2.9	8.9	0.6	5.0	5.9	1.1	26.3	41.0
1995-96	115,507	6,356	4,141	3,760	10,997	869	6,354	6,246	1,366	30,437	44,981	100.0	5.5	3.6	3.3	9.5	0.8	5.5	5.4	1.2	26.4	38.9
2000-01	119,585	6,466	5,091	3,930	10,190	768	5,547	6,284	1,180	36,663	43,466	100.0	5.4	4.3	3.3	8.5	0.6	4.6	5.3	1.0	30.7	36.3
2005-06	138,056	6,628	4,921	3,914	12,097	1,416	7,318	7,584	1,711	43,071	49,396	100.0	4.8	3.6	2.8	8.8	1.0	5.3	5.5	1.2	31.2	35.8
2010-11	163,827	8,359	5,851	4,390	14,574	1,588	8,425	9,642	2,286	57,439	51,273	100.0	5.1	3.6	2.7	8.9	1.0	5.1	5.9	1.4	35.1	31.3
2016-17	181,357	8,120	6,702	4,706	16,039	1,982	10,523	12,692	3,328	74,454	42,811	100.0	4.5	3.7	2.6	8.8	1.1	5.8	7.0	1.8	41.1	23.6
2017-18	183,734	8,337	6,275	4,676	16,409	2,017	11,029	12,780	3,338	76,672	42,201	100.0	4.5	3.4	2.5	8.9	1.1	6.0	7.0	1.8	41.7	23.0
2018-19	187,577	8,359	6,215	4,544	16,279	2,224	11,351	13,020	3,640	79,556	42,389	100.0	4.5	3.3	2.4	8.7	1.2	6.1	6.9	1.9	42.4	22.6
2019-20	190,133	8,279	6,327	4,436	15,889	2,415	11,287	13,051	3,443	82,466	42,540	100.0	4.4	3.3	2.3	8.4	1.3	5.9	6.9	1.8	43.4	22.4
2020-21	194,059	7,872	6,363	4,160	15,153	2,572	11,095	13,655	3,711	85,581	43,897	100.0	4.1	3.3	2.1	7.8	1.3	5.7	7.0	1.9	44.1	22.6

1Includes degrees in Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies; English language and literature/letters; Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics; Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities; Multi/interdisciplinary studies; Philosophy and religious studies; Theology and religious vocations; and Visual and performing arts.

2Includes Biological and biomedical sciences; Mathematics and statistics; and Physical sciences and science technologies.

3Includes Engineering; Engineering technologies and engineering-related fields; Construction trades; and Mechanic and repair technologies/technicians.

4Includes Business, management, marketing, and related support services; and Personal and culinary services.

5Includes Agriculture, agriculture operations, and related sciences; Architecture and related services; Communication, journalism, and related programs; Communications technologies; Family and consumer sciences/human sciences; Homeland security, law enforcement, and firefighting; Legal professions and studies; Library science; Military technologies and applied sciences; Natural resources and conservation; Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies; Precision production; Public administration and social services; Transportation and materials moving; and Not classified by field of study.

6Includes Ph.D., Ed.D., and comparable degrees at the doctoral level. Includes most degrees that were classified as first-professional prior to 2010-11, such as M.D., D.D.S., and law degrees.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data in this table are based on the 2020 Classification of Instructional Programs. The figures for earlier years have been reclassified when necessary to make them conform to the new taxonomy. To facilitate trend comparisons, certain aggregations have been made of the degree fields as reported in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, 1970-71 through 1985-86; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Completions Survey" (IPEDS-C:91-96); and IPEDS Fall 2001 through Fall 2021, Completions component. (This table was prepared October 2022.)