Table 318.20.

Bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study: Selected years, 1970-71 through 2018-19

Degree and year	Number of degrees conferred											Percentage distribution of degrees conferred
	Total degrees	Humani-ties1	Psy-chology	Social sciences and history	Natural sciences and mathe-matics 2	Computer sciences	Engi- neering3	Educa-tion	Busi-ness4	Health profess-ions and related programs	Other fields 5	Total degrees	Humani-ties1	Psy-chology	Social sciences and history	Natural sciences and mathe-matics 2	Computer sciences	Engi- neering3	Educa-tion	Busi-ness4	Health profess-ions 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	25,223	51,258	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	65,309	115,621	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	59,875	143,325	100.0	15.8	5.4	11.4	6.4	2.3	7.3	10.1	22.8	5.5	13.1
1995-96	1,164,792	193,404	73,416	126,479	93,443	24,506	77,997	105,384	226,623	86,087	157,453	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	75,933	176,694	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	91,973	221,596	100.0	17.6	5.9	10.9	7.1	3.2	5.5	7.2	21.4	6.2	14.9
2010-11	1,716,053	288,446	100,906	177,169	131,871	43,066	93,097	104,008	365,133	143,463	268,894	100.0	16.8	5.9	10.3	7.7	2.5	5.4	6.1	21.3	8.4	15.7
2015-16	1,920,750	274,513	117,447	161,211	167,055	64,402	123,948	87,221	371,690	228,907	324,356	100.0	14.3	6.1	8.4	8.7	3.4	6.5	4.5	19.4	11.9	16.9
2016-17	1,956,114	270,931	116,859	159,097	172,115	71,416	133,790	85,130	381,109	237,979	327,688	100.0	13.9	6.0	8.1	8.8	3.7	6.8	4.4	19.5	12.2	16.8
2017-18	1,980,665	268,551	116,436	159,962	175,456	79,597	140,681	82,599	386,240	244,893	326,250	100.0	13.6	5.9	8.1	8.9	4.0	7.1	4.2	19.5	12.4	16.5
2018-19	2,012,854	269,934	116,536	160,628	178,485	88,633	146,307	83,946	390,564	251,355	326,466	100.0	13.4	5.8	8.0	8.9	4.4	7.3	4.2	19.4	12.5	16.2
Master's     degrees
1970-71	235,564	34,510	5,717	16,539	17,152	1,588	16,947	87,666	26,490	5,330	23,625	100.0	14.6	2.4	7.0	7.3	0.7	7.2	37.2	11.2	2.3	10.0
1975-76	317,477	37,079	10,167	15,953	15,742	2,603	16,800	126,061	42,592	12,164	38,316	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	16,176	39,549	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	18,603	36,241	100.0	11.8	3.3	3.6	4.8	2.7	7.5	25.3	22.5	6.3	12.2
1990-91	342,863	35,984	11,349	12,233	13,664	9,324	25,450	87,352	78,255	21,354	47,898	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	33,920	53,235	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	43,623	56,035	100.0	8.6	3.5	2.9	3.2	3.6	5.7	27.0	24.4	9.2	11.8
2005-06	599,862	49,590	19,775	17,368	19,575	17,195	33,386	174,622	146,396	51,492	70,463	100.0	8.3	3.3	2.9	3.3	2.9	5.6	29.1	24.4	8.6	11.7
2010-11	730,922	57,160	25,062	21,085	23,576	19,516	43,179	185,127	187,178	75,571	93,468	100.0	7.8	3.4	2.9	3.2	2.7	5.9	25.3	25.6	10.3	12.8
2015-16	785,757	59,067	27,645	19,861	31,299	40,130	57,713	145,792	186,835	110,350	107,065	100.0	7.5	3.5	2.5	4.0	5.1	7.3	18.6	23.8	14.0	13.6
2016-17	804,542	57,895	27,539	20,004	32,500	46,553	60,229	145,624	187,412	119,242	107,544	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	833,706	57,952	29,135	20,301	36,591	45,667	55,922	146,432	197,089	131,569	113,048	100.0	7.0	3.5	2.4	4.4	5.5	6.7	17.6	23.6	15.8	13.6
Doctor's     degrees6
1970-71	64,998	4,402	2,144	3,660	9,126	128	3,688	6,041	774	15,988	19,047	100.0	6.8	3.3	5.6	14.0	0.2	5.7	9.3	1.2	24.6	29.3
1975-76	91,007	5,461	3,157	4,157	7,591	244	2,874	7,202	906	25,267	34,148	100.0	6.0	3.5	4.6	8.3	0.3	3.2	7.9	1.0	27.8	37.5
1980-81	98,016	4,827	3,576	3,122	7,473	252	2,608	7,279	808	29,595	38,476	100.0	4.9	3.6	3.2	7.6	0.3	2.7	7.4	0.8	30.2	39.3
1985-86	100,280	4,648	3,593	2,955	7,668	344	3,456	6,610	923	31,922	38,161	100.0	4.6	3.6	2.9	7.6	0.3	3.4	6.6	0.9	31.8	38.1
1990-91	105,547	4,858	3,932	3,012	9,378	676	5,330	6,189	1,185	29,842	41,145	100.0	4.6	3.7	2.9	8.9	0.6	5.0	5.9	1.1	28.3	39.0
1995-96	115,507	6,356	4,141	3,760	10,997	869	6,354	6,246	1,366	32,678	42,740	100.0	5.5	3.6	3.3	9.5	0.8	5.5	5.4	1.2	28.3	37.0
2000-01	119,585	6,466	5,091	3,930	10,190	768	5,547	6,284	1,180	39,019	41,110	100.0	5.4	4.3	3.3	8.5	0.6	4.6	5.3	1.0	32.6	34.4
2005-06	138,056	6,628	4,921	3,914	12,097	1,416	7,318	7,584	1,711	45,677	46,790	100.0	4.8	3.6	2.8	8.8	1.0	5.3	5.5	1.2	33.1	33.9
2010-11	163,827	8,359	5,851	4,390	14,574	1,588	8,425	9,642	2,286	60,221	48,491	100.0	5.1	3.6	2.7	8.9	1.0	5.1	5.9	1.4	36.8	29.6
2015-16	178,134	8,324	6,540	4,706	15,851	1,989	10,398	11,838	3,325	73,687	41,476	100.0	4.7	3.7	2.6	8.9	1.1	5.8	6.6	1.9	41.4	23.3
2016-17	181,357	8,120	6,702	4,706	16,039	1,982	10,523	12,692	3,328	77,693	39,572	100.0	4.5	3.7	2.6	8.8	1.1	5.8	7.0	1.8	42.8	21.8
2017-18	183,734	8,337	6,275	4,676	16,409	2,017	11,029	12,780	3,338	80,139	38,734	100.0	4.5	3.4	2.5	8.9	1.1	6.0	7.0	1.8	43.6	21.1
2018-19	187,568	8,358	6,214	4,544	16,279	2,224	11,350	13,020	3,636	82,895	39,048	100.0	4.5	3.3	2.4	8.7	1.2	6.1	6.9	1.9	44.2	20.8

1 Includes 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.

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

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

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

5 Includes 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.

6 Includes 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 2010 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 2019, Completions component. (This table was prepared July 2020.)