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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 318.40. Degrees/certificates conferred by postsecondary institutions, by control of institution and level of degree/certificate: Academic years 1970-71 through 2020-21
Year Public institutions Private institutions
Certificates
below the
associate's
degree level
Associate's degrees Bachelor's degrees Master's degrees Doctor's degrees1 Total Nonprofit For-profit
Certificates
below the
associate's
degree level
Associate's degrees Bachelor's degrees Master's degrees Doctor's degrees1 Certificates
below the
associate's
degree level
Associate's degrees Bachelor's degrees Master's degrees Doctor's degrees1 Certificates
below the
associate's
degree level
Associate's degrees Bachelor's degrees Master's degrees Doctor's degrees1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
1970-71 --- 215,645 557,996 151,603 36,927 --- 36,666   281,734 83,961 28,071 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1971-72 --- 255,218 599,615 167,075 40,297 --- 36,796   287,658 90,126 30,909 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1972-73 --- 278,132 630,899 174,405 44,229 --- 38,042   291,463 94,249 35,283 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1973-74 --- 303,188 651,544 184,632 45,018 --- 40,736   294,232 97,442 37,573 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1974-75 --- 318,474 634,785 193,804 45,788 --- 41,697   288,148 103,741 39,116 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
                                           
1975-76 --- 345,006 635,161 206,298 47,517 --- 46,448   290,585 111,179 43,490 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1976-77 --- 355,650 630,463 208,901 47,573 --- 50,727   289,086 114,124 44,157 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1977-78 --- 358,874 627,903 202,099 47,553 --- 53,372   293,301 115,888 44,792 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1978-79 --- 346,808 621,666 192,016 48,602 --- 55,894   299,724 115,670 46,369 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1979-80 --- 344,536 624,084 187,499 48,550 --- 56,374   305,333 117,697 47,081 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
                                           
1980-81 --- 352,391 626,452 184,384 50,023 --- 63,986 2 308,688 118,253 47,993 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1981-82 --- 366,732 636,475 182,295 50,500 --- 67,794 2 316,523 120,152 47,338 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1982-83 --- 377,817 646,317 176,246 50,943 --- 71,803 2 323,193 120,169 48,392 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1983-84 --- 379,249 646,013 170,693 50,727 --- 72,991   328,296 120,448 50,072 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1984-85 --- 377,625 652,246 170,000 51,489 --- 77,087   327,231 123,472 49,296 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
                                           
1985-86 --- 369,052 658,586 169,903 51,001 --- 76,995   329,237 125,947 49,279 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1986-87 --- 358,811 659,260 167,797 51,216 --- 77,493   332,004 128,733 47,261 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1987-88 --- 354,180 658,491 173,778 51,641 --- 80,905   336,338 132,005 47,498 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1988-89 --- 357,001 675,675 179,109 51,963 --- 79,763   343,080 137,517 48,608 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
1989-90 --- 375,635 700,015 186,104 53,451 --- 79,467   351,329 144,048 50,057 --- 42,497 344,569 142,681 49,655 --- 36,970 6,760 1,367 402
                                           
1990-91 --- 398,055 724,062 193,057 55,235 --- 83,665   370,476 149,806 50,312 --- 45,821 360,634 146,161 49,841 --- 37,844 9,842 3,645 471
1991-92 --- 420,265 759,475 203,398 56,186 --- 83,966   377,078 154,691 53,368 --- 45,700 370,718 153,291 52,830 --- 38,266 6,360 1,400 538
1992-93 --- 430,321 785,112 213,843 57,020 --- 84,435   380,066 161,189 55,052 --- 47,713 373,346 159,562 54,399 --- 36,722 6,720 1,627 653
1993-94 --- 444,373 789,148 221,428 58,366 --- 86,259   380,127 171,609 54,270 --- 48,493 371,561 168,718 53,502 --- 37,766 8,566 2,891 768
1994-95 --- 451,539 776,670 224,152 58,788 --- 88,152   383,464 179,457 55,478 --- 48,643 373,454 176,485 54,675 --- 39,509 10,010 2,972 803
                                           
1995-96 307,358 454,291 774,070 227,179 59,398 313,311 100,925   390,722 185,001 56,109 34,259 50,678 379,916 181,142 55,506 279,052 50,247 10,806 3,859 603
1996-97 326,687 465,494 776,677 233,237 61,081 272,237 105,732   396,202 192,023 57,666 35,560 49,168 384,086 186,963 56,864 236,677 56,564 12,116 5,060 802
1997-98 305,910 455,084 784,296 235,922 60,948 246,571 103,471   400,110 200,115 57,787 32,166 47,625 386,455 194,048 57,089 214,405 55,846 13,655 6,067 698
1998-99 304,294 452,616 792,392 238,954 60,028 251,589 112,368   409,847 207,084 56,672 29,402 47,757 394,749 198,481 55,663 222,187 64,611 15,098 8,603 1,009
1999-2000 294,912 448,446 810,855 243,157 60,655 263,217 116,487   427,020 220,028 58,081 28,580 46,337 406,958 209,720 56,972 234,637 70,150 20,062 10,308 1,109
                                           
2000-01 309,624 456,487 812,438 246,054 60,820 242,879 122,378   431,733 227,448 58,765 29,336 45,711 408,701 215,815 57,722 213,543 76,667 23,032 11,633 1,043
2001-02 319,291 471,660 841,180 249,820 61,061 264,957 123,473   450,720 237,493 58,602 32,904 45,761 424,322 223,229 57,707 232,053 77,712 26,398 14,264 895
2002-03 355,727 498,279 875,596 265,643 61,611 290,698 135,737   473,215 253,056 59,968 36,926 46,183 442,060 238,069 58,894 253,772 89,554 31,155 14,987 1,074
2003-04 363,563 525,656 905,818 285,180 64,208 323,566 140,289   493,942 279,426 62,117 35,316 45,724 451,721 251,186 60,682 288,250 94,565 42,221 28,240 1,435
2004-05 370,770 547,576 932,951 291,683 67,517 339,577 149,510   506,897 288,879 66,754 36,075 45,346 458,039 253,797 65,156 303,502 104,164 48,858 35,082 1,598
                                           
2005-06 370,570 557,366 955,370 293,535 70,036 344,220 155,949   529,734 306,327 68,020 35,909 46,459 467,697 261,203 66,066 308,311 109,490 62,037 45,124 1,954
2006-07 389,244 566,219 975,903 292,073 73,087 339,071 161,397   548,826 318,630 71,607 34,195 43,790 478,053 267,694 69,241 304,876 117,607 70,773 50,936 2,366
2007-08 399,741 578,661 996,769 300,019 75,551 348,613 171,505   566,965 330,825 73,639 33,915 45,014 491,016 275,971 70,473 314,698 126,491 75,949 54,854 3,166
2008-09 428,849 596,391 1,020,521 308,215 77,270 375,771 190,852   580,878 353,867 77,294 31,939 46,930 496,353 290,401 73,583 343,832 143,922 84,525 63,466 3,711
2009-10 472,428 640,265 1,049,179 322,389 78,805 463,291 208,591   600,740 370,924 79,785 35,652 46,673 503,264 300,053 75,172 427,639 161,918 97,476 70,871 4,613
                                           
2010-11 519,711 696,884 1,088,722 339,420 82,013 510,766 246,622   627,331 391,502 81,814 36,534 51,967 512,821 313,317 76,595 474,232 194,655 114,510 78,185 5,219
2011-12 525,264 756,484 1,131,885 349,349 84,730 463,797 265,234   660,278 406,618 85,487 32,856 54,347 526,022 325,175 79,498 430,941 210,887 134,256 81,443 5,989
2012-13 545,446 772,978 1,163,616 346,751 86,411 421,768 234,449   676,765 404,967 88,615 30,913 55,651 535,958 327,013 81,543 390,855 178,798 140,807 77,954 7,072
2013-14 576,468 794,925 1,186,742 346,238 88,911 392,810 210,230   683,408 408,344 88,676 30,738 53,127 544,253 333,539 80,894 362,072 157,103 139,155 74,805 7,782
2014-15 602,904 822,218 1,209,464 351,216 90,252 358,242 192,123   685,505 407,588 88,296 46,090 58,613 553,543 336,181 80,093 312,152 133,510 131,962 71,407 8,203
                                           
2015-16 615,137 848,081 1,240,423 364,619 90,030 324,154 160,147   680,327 421,138 88,104 40,010 56,595 560,834 350,790 80,067 284,144 103,552 119,493 70,348 8,037
2016-17 631,076 861,970 1,275,610 374,160 91,532 314,947 143,717   680,504 430,382 89,825 35,281 56,487 566,607 360,437 81,550 279,666 87,230 113,897 69,945 8,275
2017-18 671,851 885,962 1,310,980 383,964 92,689 283,662 125,734   669,685 436,278 91,045 25,844 56,236 571,105 372,178 83,714 257,818 69,498 98,580 64,100 7,331
2018-19 716,357 915,013 1,340,302 386,202 94,565 286,170 121,627   672,784 447,590 93,012 25,858 54,432 575,776 380,962 85,713 260,312 67,195 97,008 66,628 7,299
2019-20 701,164 903,578 1,362,941 392,810 95,498 265,467 115,460   675,741 450,721 94,635 24,893 51,695 578,984 383,941 86,178 240,574 63,765 96,757 66,780 8,457
2020-21 696,220 918,657 1,385,237 405,209 95,816 295,161 117,774   681,208 461,685 98,243 27,159 50,880 579,167 391,235 89,133 268,002 66,894 102,041 70,450 9,110
---Not available.
1Includes 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.
2Part of the increase is due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
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. Degree counts are limited to degree-granting institutions; certificate counts include both degree- and non-degree-granting institutions. 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:87-99); and IPEDS Fall 2000 through Fall 2021, Completions component. (This table was prepared September 2022.)

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