Table E-42-2. Number and percentage distribution of degrees overall and number and percentage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees conferred by postsecondary degree-granting institutions, by degree level, sex, and race/ethnicity: Academic year 2009-10

NCES 2012-046
August 2012

Higher Education: Gaps in Access and Persistence Study

(40 KB)

Sex and race/ethnicity	Total number	Associate's				Bachelor's				Master's				Doctor's
Sex and race/ethnicity	Total number	Number	Percent of total	Number of STEM	Percent STEM	Number	Percent of total	Number of STEM	Percent STEM	Number	Percent of total	Number of STEM	Percent STEM	Number	Percent of total	Number of STEM	Percent STEM
Total¹	3,351,049	849,452	25	258,259	30	1,650,014	49	409,618	25	693,025	21	154,016	22	158,558	5	82,584	52
Sex
Male	1,381,351	322,916	23	88,232	27	706,633	51	197,423	28	275,197	20	70,557	26	76,605	6	39,925	52
Female	1,969,698	526,536	27	170,027	32	943,381	48	212,195	22	417,828	21	83,459	20	81,953	4	42,659	52

Race/ethnicity
White	2,269,826	552,863	24	179,132	32	1,167,499	51	288,974	25	445,038	20	86,129	19	104,426	5	51,200	49
Black	365,624	113,905	31	34,107	30	164,844	45	33,986	21	76,458	21	11,693	15	10,417	3	4,053	39
Hispanic	304,147	112,211	37	25,756	23	140,316	46	27,791	20	43,535	14	7,304	17	8,085	3	3,412	42
Asian/Pacific Islander	220,770	44,021	20	13,355	30	117,422	53	42,429	36	42,702	19	13,874	32	16,625	8	11,247	68
American Indian/Alaska Native	27,648	10,337	37	2,739	26	12,399	45	2,845	23	3,960	14	753	19	952	3	397	42

Race/ethnicity by sex
Male
White	950,697	216,072	23	60,251	28	513,717	54	141,227	27	170,203	18	33,999	20	50,705	5	23,839	47
Black	118,049	36,136	31	10,193	28	56,171	48	12,127	22	22,120	19	3,438	16	3,622	3	1,394	38
Hispanic	116,490	42,232	36	10,009	24	55,092	47	13,344	24	15,525	13	3,059	20	3,641	3	1,524	42
Asian/Pacific Islander	98,406	18,264	19	5,494	30	53,377	54	21,318	40	19,535	20	6,891	35	7,230	7	4,930	68
American Indian/Alaska Native	10,344	3,624	35	905	25	4,875	47	1,293	27	1,415	14	268	19	430	4	174	40

Female
White	1,319,129	336,791	26	118,881	35	653,782	50	147,747	23	274,835	21	52,130	19	53,721	4	27,361	51
Black	247,575	77,769	31	23,914	31	108,673	44	21,859	20	54,338	22	8,255	15	6,795	3	2,659	39
Hispanic	187,657	69,979	37	15,747	23	85,224	45	14,447	17	28,010	15	4,245	15	4,444	2	1,888	42
Asian/Pacific Islander	122,364	25,757	21	7,861	31	64,045	52	21,111	33	23,167	19	6,983	30	9,395	8	6,317	67
American Indian/Alaska Native	17,304	6,713	39	1,834	27	7,524	43	1,552	21	2,545	15	485	19	522	3	223	43

¹Includes other racial/ethnic groups not shown separately in the table.

NOTE: STEM degrees, as defined here, include mathematics; natural sciences (including physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences); engineering/engineering technologies; health professions and related clinical sciences; and computer/information sciences. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Reported racial/ethnic distributions of students by level of degree, field of degree, and sex were used to estimate race/ethnicity for students whose race/ethnicity was not reported. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2010, Completions component.