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Postsecondary Education

Characteristics of Postsecondary Faculty

Last Updated: May 2024
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The total number of faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions was 1.5 million in both fall 2011 and fall 2022. From fall 2011 to fall 2022, the number of full-time faculty increased by 11 percent (from 762,100 to 842,400) while the number of part-time faculty decreased by 13 percent (from 762,400 to 665,200).
Postsecondary faculty include professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, lecturers, assisting professors, adjunct professors, and interim professors. Between fall 2011 and fall 2022, the total annual number of faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions ranged from 1.5 to 1.6 million.1 There were 1.5 million faculty in both 2011 and 2022, with a peak at 1.6 million in 2015. Over this period, changes in the number of faculty differed by employment status (part time or full time), by sex, and by control of institution (public, private nonprofit, or private for-profit).

Select a subgroup characteristic from the drop-down menu below to view relevant text and figures.

All available findings Control of institution Full-time/Part-time Level of institution Other individual characteristic Race/ethnicity Sex or gender Time series
Number of Faculty in Postsecondary Institutions
Figure 1. Number of faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by employment status: Selected years, fall 2011 through fall 2022
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NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data include faculty members with the title of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, lecturer, assisting professor, adjunct professor, or interim professor (or the equivalent). Data exclude graduate students with titles such as graduate or teaching fellow who assist senior faculty. Data are for degree-granting institutions and U.S. service academies. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Some data have been revised from previous published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Winter 2011–12 and Spring 2014 through Spring 2022 (final data) and Spring 2023 (provisional data), Human Resources component, Fall Staff section. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 315.10.

In fall 2022, of the 1.5 million faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, 56 percent were full time and 44 percent were part time. Between fall 2011 and fall 2022, the number of
  • full-time faculty increased by 11 percent (from 762,100 to 842,400); and
  • part-time faculty decreased by 13 percent (from 762,400 to 665,200).
About half of the decline in part-time faculty occurred between fall 2019 and fall 2020, which coincided with the beginning of the first full academic year of the coronavirus pandemic. The number of part-time faculty in fall 2022 was higher than in fall 2020 but lower than in fall 2019, before the pandemic. With these changes in the number of faculty, the percentage of all faculty who were part time decreased from 50 to 44 percent between 2011 and 2022. [Time series ] [Full-time/Part-time ]
Between fall 2011 and fall 2022, changes in the number of faculty at degree-granting institutions differed by sex. Specifically, the number of
  • female faculty increased by 6 percent (from 734,900 to 776,500); and
  • male faculty decreased by 7 percent (from 789,600 to 731,100).
With these changes between fall 2011 and fall 2022 in the number of faculty by sex, the percentage of faculty who were female increased from 48 to 52 percent. [Time series ] [Sex or gender]
Figure 2. Number of faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control of institution: Selected years, fall 2011 through fall 2022
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NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data include faculty members with the title of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, lecturer, assisting professor, adjunct professor, or interim professor (or the equivalent). Data exclude graduate students with titles such as graduate or teaching fellow who assist senior faculty. Data are for degree-granting institutions and U.S. service academies. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Some data have been revised from previous published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Winter 2011–12 and Spring 2014 through Spring 2022 (final data) and Spring 2023 (provisional data), Human Resources component, Fall Staff section. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 315.10.

Between fall 2011 and fall 2022, changes in the number of faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions varied by control of institution. Among faculty in fall 2022,
  • 63 percent were employed at public institutions;
  • 33 percent were employed at private nonprofit institutions; and
  • 4 percent were employed at private for-profit institutions.
Between fall 2011 and fall 2022, the number of faculty
  • was 1 percent higher in 2011 than in 2022 at public institutions (954,200 vs. 946,800);
  • increased by 15 percent at private nonprofit institutions (from 432,600 to 495,800); and
  • decreased by 53 percent at private for-profit institutions (from 137,700 to 65,000).
[Time series ] [Control of institution]
The ratio of full-time-equivalent (FTE) students to FTE faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions was lower in fall 2022 than in fall 2011 (13:1 vs. 16:1).2 By control and level (i.e., 2-year or 4-year) of institution, the FTE student-to-faculty ratio in fall 2022 was
  • 23:1 at private for-profit institutions;3
  • 17:1 at public 2-year institutions;
  • 14:1 at private nonprofit 2-year institutions;
  • 14:1 at public 4-year institutions; and
  • 10:1 at private nonprofit 4-year institutions.
For more information about how student enrollments have changed over time, see the indicators Undergraduate Enrollment and Postbaccalaureate Enrollment. [Time series ] [Level of institution ] [Control of institution]
Figure 3. Percentage distribution of full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity and sex: Fall 2022
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# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Sex breakouts are excluded for faculty who are American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and of Two or more races because the percentages are 1 percent or less. Data are for degree-granting institutions and U.S. service academies. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Percentages are based on full-time faculty whose race/ethnicity was known. Race/ethnicity was not collected for faculty who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to 100 percent because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Spring 2023 (provisional data), Human Resources component, Fall Staff section. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 315.20.

Considering full-time faculty only,4 in fall 2022,
  • 72 percent of faculty were White, specifically 35 percent White female and 37 percent White male;
  • 13 percent of faculty were Asian, specifically 6 percent Asian female and 7 percent Asian male;
  • 7 percent of faculty were Black, specifically 4 percent Black female and 3 percent Black male;
  • 6 percent of faculty were Hispanic, specifically 3 percent each Hispanic female and Hispanic male;
  • 1 percent were of Two or more races;
  • less than one-half of 1 percent were American Indian/Alaska Native; and
  • less than one-half of 1 percent were Pacific Islander.
[Race/ethnicity ] [Sex or gender]
Figure 4. Percentage distributions of professor- and nonprofessor-rank full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity and sex: Fall 2022
Figure 4. Percentage distributions of professor- and nonprofessor-rank full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity and sex: Fall 2022

# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Professor ranks include professors, associate professors, and assistant professors. Nonprofessor ranks include instructors, lecturers, and other faculty. Sex breakouts are excluded for faculty who were American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and of Two or more races because the percentages were 1 percent or less. Data are for degree-granting institutions and U.S. service academies. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Percentages are based on full-time faculty whose race/ethnicity was known. Race/ethnicity was not collected for faculty who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to 100 percent because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Spring 2023 (provisional data), Human Resources component, Fall Staff section. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 315.20.

The racial/ethnic and sex distribution of full-time faculty varied by academic rank at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in fall 2022. For example, White males and Asian males made up higher percentages of faculty in the professor ranks than they did in the nonprofessor ranks.5 Specifically, 39 percent of professor-rank faculty were White males and 8 percent were Asian males. Meanwhile, 33 percent of nonprofessor-rank faculty were White males and 5 percent were Asian males. Other demographic groups made up similar or lower percentages of faculty in the professor ranks compared with the nonprofessor ranks.6 For example, Hispanic females made up 3 percent of faculty in professor ranks and 4 percent in nonprofessor ranks. [Race/ethnicity ] [Sex or gender] [Other individual characteristic]
Salary and Tenure for Postsecondary Faculty.
Figure 5. Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by academic rank: Academic years, 2012–13 through 2022–23
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[In constant 2022–23 dollars]
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NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions and U.S. service academies. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data exclude instructional faculty at medical schools. Data include imputations for nonrespondent institutions. Salaries are reported in constant 2022–23 dollars, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to an academic year basis. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Spring 2013 through Spring 2022 (final data) and Spring 2023 (provisional data), Human Resources component, Salaries section. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 316.10.

In academic year 2022–23, the overall average salary for full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts at degree-granting postsecondary institutions was $97,700. By faculty rank, the average salary was
  • $135,300 for professors;
  • $95,900 for associate professors;
  • $82,500 for assistant professors;
  • $75,300 for instructors; and
  • $71,200 for lecturers.
[Other individual characteristic]
For each faculty rank, the average salary in academic year 2022–23 differed from that in 2012–13 by less than 5 percent in constant 2022–23 dollars. However, salaries for professor ranks were lower in 2022–23 than in 2012–13 while salaries for nonprofessor ranks were higher.7 Over this period, average salaries first increased by 5 to 9 percent from 2012–13 to 2019–20, but they were lower in 2022–23 than in 2019–20 by 5 to 9 percent. Average salaries followed this pattern for all academic ranks. [Time series ] [Other individual characteristic]
Figure 6. Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by academic rank and sex: Academic year 2022–23
Figure 6. Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by academic rank and sex: Academic year 2022–23

NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions and U.S. service academies. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data exclude instructional faculty at medical schools. Data include imputations for nonrespondent institutions. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Spring 2023 (provisional data), Human Resources component, Salaries section. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 316.10.

Between academic years 2012–13 and 2022–23, average salaries for full-time instructional faculty also varied by sex. The average salary (in constant 2022–23 dollars) for all full-time instructional faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions was higher for males than for females in every academic year from 2012–13 to 2022–23. In 2022–23, the average salary was $105,800 for males and $89,000 for females. In addition, the male-female salary gap for each academic rank in 2022–23 was
  • $20,400 for professors, which was 6 percent smaller than the gap in 2012–13;
  • $7,200 for assistant professors, which was 17 percent larger than the gap in 2012–13;
  • $7,100 for associate professors, which was less than one-half of 1 percent larger than the gap in 2012–13;
  • $5,200 for lecturers, which was 17 percent smaller than the gap in 2012–13; and
  • $3,300 for instructors, which was 15 percent smaller than the gap in 2012–13.
[Time series ] [Sex or gender] [Other individual characteristic]
Figure 7. Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution: Academic year 2022–23
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NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Doctoral institutions include institutions that awarded 20 or more doctor’s degrees during the previous academic year. Master’s institutions include institutions that awarded 20 or more master’s degrees, but less than 20 doctor’s degrees, during the previous academic year. Data exclude instructional faculty at medical schools. Data include imputations for nonrespondent institutions. Data are for degree-granting institutions and U.S. service academies. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), IPEDS Spring 2023 (provisional data), Human Resources component, Salaries section. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 316.20.

In academic year 2022–23, faculty salaries also varied by control and level of institution. The average salary (in constant 2022–23 dollars) for full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts was
  • $107,000 at private nonprofit institutions, which was 3 percent lower than in 2012–13;
  • $94,000 at public institutions, which was 2 percent lower than in 2012–13; and
  • $63,500 at private for-profit institutions, which was 7 percent higher than in 2012–13.
Among the specific types of private nonprofit and public institutions, average salaries for full-time instructional faculty were highest at doctoral institutions8 and lowest at private nonprofit 2-year institutions. Specifically, average salaries were
  • $122,500 at private nonprofit 4-year doctoral institutions;
  • $105,300 at public 4-year doctoral institutions;
  • $83,800 at private nonprofit 4-year institutions other than doctoral and master’s degree-granting institutions;
  • $82,200 at public 4-year master’s institutions;9
  • $79,200 at private nonprofit 4-year master’s institutions;
  • $77,900 at public 2-year institutions;
  • $76,100 at public 4-year institutions other than doctoral and master’s degree-granting institutions; and
  • $69,100 at private nonprofit 2-year institutions.
[Time series ] [Level of institution ] [Control of institution]
In academic year 2022–23, approximately 57 percent of degree-granting postsecondary institutions had tenure systems. A tenure system guarantees that, after completing a probationary period, a professor will not be terminated without just cause. The percentage of institutions with tenure systems ranged from 1 percent at private for-profit institutions to 99 percent at public doctoral institutions. Of full-time faculty at institutions with tenure systems, 44 percent had tenure in 2022–23, down from 49 percent in 2011–12. Between 2011–12 and 2022–23, the percentage of full-time faculty with tenure decreased for all types of institutional control. Specifically, the decrease was
  • 22 percentage points (from 31 to 9 percent) at private for-profit institutions;
  • 4 percentage points (from 51 to 46 percent) at public institutions; and
  • 4 percentage points (from 44 to 39 percent) at private nonprofit institutions.
At institutions with tenure systems, the percentage of full-time faculty with tenure in 2022–23 was higher for males than for females (53 vs. 40 percent). [Time series ] [Control of institution]

1 For general technical notes related to data analysis, data interpretations, rounding, and other considerations, please refer to the Reader’s Guide.

2 The ratios are calculated by dividing the number of FTE undergraduate and graduate students by the number of FTE faculty (full-time faculty plus the full-time equivalent of the part-time faculty, including instructional, research, and public service faculty).

3 Data are not presented separately by level for private for-profit institutions.

4 Percentages are based on full-time faculty whose race/ethnicity was known (90 percent of total). Race/ethnicity was not collected for faculty who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

5 Professor-rank faculty include professors, associate professors, and assistant professors. Nonprofessor-rank faculty include instructors, lecturers, and those who were primarily research or public service faculty, as well as faculty without ranks.

6 Asian females and Black males also made up higher percentages of faculty in the professor ranks than they did in the nonprofessor ranks. However, the differences in these percentages were less than one-half of 1 percentage point.

7 Constant 2022–23 dollars are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to an academic year basis.

8 Doctoral institutions include institutions that awarded 20 or more doctor’s degrees during the previous academic year.

9 Master’s institutions include institutions that awarded 20 or more master’s degrees but less than 20 doctor’s degrees during the previous academic year.

Supplemental Information

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Table 314.10 (Digest 2013): Total and full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff and FTE student/FTE staff ratios in postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV programs, by degree-granting status, control of institution, and primary occupation: Fall 1991, fall 2001, and fall 2011;
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Table 314.10 (Digest 2023): Total and full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff and FTE student/FTE staff ratios in postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV aid programs, by degree-granting status, control of institution, and primary occupation: Fall 1999, fall 2009, and fall 2022;
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Table 314.50 (Digest 2023): Full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff, FTE faculty, and ratios of FTE students to FTE staff and FTE faculty in public degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by level of institution and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2022;
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Table 314.60 (Digest 2023): Full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff, FTE faculty, and ratios of FTE students to FTE staff and FTE faculty in private degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by level of institution and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2022;
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Table 315.10 (Digest 2023): Number of faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by employment status, sex, control, and level of institution: Selected years, fall 1970 through fall 2022;
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Table 315.20 (Digest 2023): Full-time faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity, sex, and academic rank: Fall 2020, fall 2021, and fall 2022;
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Table 316.10 (Digest 2023): Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by academic rank, control and level of institution, and sex: Selected years, 1970–71 through 2022–23;
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Table 316.20 (Digest 2014): Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by academic rank, sex, and control and level of institution: Selected years, 1999–2000 through 2013–14;
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Table 316.20 (Digest 2023): Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by academic rank, sex, and control and level of institution: Selected academic years, 1999–2000 through 2022–23;
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Table 316.80 (Digest 2023): Percentage of degree-granting postsecondary institutions with a tenure system and percentage of full-time faculty with tenure at these institutions, by control and level of institution and selected characteristics of faculty: Selected academic years, 1993–94 through 2022–23
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Constant dollars Control of institutions Degree-granting institutions Doctor’s degree Gap Postsecondary education Postsecondary institutions (basic classification by level) Private institution Public school or institution Racial/ethnic group Salary
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Suggested Citation

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Characteristics of Postsecondary Faculty. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/csc.
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