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Digest of Education Statistics
2020 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 318.10. Degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by level of degree and sex of student: Selected years, 1869-70 through 2029-30
Year Associate's degrees Bachelor's degrees Master's degrees Doctor's degrees1
Total Males Females Percent female Total Males Females Percent female Total Males Females Percent female Total Males Females Percent female
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
1869-70 --- --- --- --- 9,371 2 7,993 2 1,378 2 14.7 0 0 0 --- 1 1 0 0.0
1879-80 --- --- --- --- 12,896 2 10,411 2 2,485 2 19.3 879 868 11 1.3 54 51 3 5.6
1889-90 --- --- --- --- 15,539 2 12,857 2 2,682 2 17.3 1,015 821 194 19.1 149 147 2 1.3
1899-1900 --- --- --- --- 27,410 2 22,173 2 5,237 2 19.1 1,583 1,280 303 19.1 382 359 23 6.0
1909-10 --- --- --- --- 37,199 2 28,762 2 8,437 2 22.7 2,113 1,555 558 26.4 443 399 44 9.9

1919-20
--- --- --- --- 48,622 2 31,980 2 16,642 2 34.2 4,279 2,985 1,294 30.2 615 522 93 15.1
1929-30 --- --- --- --- 122,484 2 73,615 2 48,869 2 39.9 14,969 8,925 6,044 40.4 2,299 1,946 353 15.4
1939-40 --- --- --- --- 186,500 2 109,546 2 76,954 2 41.3 26,731 16,508 10,223 38.2 3,290 2,861 429 13.0
1949-50 --- --- --- --- 432,058 2 328,841 2 103,217 2 23.9 58,183 41,220 16,963 29.2 6,420 5,804 616 9.6
1959-60 --- --- --- --- 392,440 2 254,063 2 138,377 2 35.3 74,435 50,898 23,537 31.6 9,829 8,801 1,028 10.5
1969-70 206,023 117,432 88,591 43.0 792,316   451,097   341,219   43.1 213,589 130,799 82,790 38.8 59,486 53,792 5,694 9.6
1979-80 400,910 183,737 217,173 54.2 929,417   473,611   455,806   49.0 305,196 156,882 148,314 48.6 95,631 69,526 26,105 27.3

1980-81
416,377 188,638 227,739 54.7 935,140   469,883   465,257   49.8 302,637 152,979 149,658 49.5 98,016 69,567 28,449 29.0
1981-82 434,526 196,944 237,582 54.7 952,998   473,364   479,634   50.3 302,447 151,349 151,098 50.0 97,838 68,630 29,208 29.9
1982-83 449,620 203,991 245,629 54.6 969,510   479,140   490,370   50.6 296,415 150,092 146,323 49.4 99,335 67,757 31,578 31.8
1983-84 452,240 202,704 249,536 55.2 974,309   482,319   491,990   50.5 291,141 149,268 141,873 48.7 100,799 67,769 33,030 32.8
1984-85 454,712 202,932 251,780 55.4 979,477   482,528   496,949   50.7 293,472 149,276 144,196 49.1 100,785 66,269 34,516 34.2

1985-86
446,047 196,166 249,881 56.0 987,823   485,923   501,900   50.8 295,850 149,373 146,477 49.5 100,280 65,215 35,065 35.0
1986-87 436,304 190,839 245,465 56.3 991,264   480,782   510,482   51.5 296,530 147,063 149,467 50.4 98,477 62,790 35,687 36.2
1987-88 435,085 190,047 245,038 56.3 994,829   477,203   517,626   52.0 305,783 150,243 155,540 50.9 99,139 63,019 36,120 36.4
1988-89 436,764 186,316 250,448 57.3 1,018,755   483,346   535,409   52.6 316,626 153,993 162,633 51.4 100,571 63,055 37,516 37.3
1989-90 455,102 191,195 263,907 58.0 1,051,344   491,696   559,648   53.2 330,152 158,052 172,100 52.1 103,508 63,963 39,545 38.2

1990-91
481,720 198,634 283,086 58.8 1,094,538   504,045   590,493   53.9 342,863 160,842 182,021 53.1 105,547 64,242 41,305 39.1
1991-92 504,231 207,481 296,750 58.9 1,136,553   520,811   615,742   54.2 358,089 165,867 192,222 53.7 109,554 66,603 42,951 39.2
1992-93 514,756 211,964 302,792 58.8 1,165,178   532,881   632,297   54.3 375,032 173,354 201,678 53.8 112,072 67,130 44,942 40.1
1993-94 530,632 215,261 315,371 59.4 1,169,275   532,422   636,853   54.5 393,037 180,571 212,466 54.1 112,636 66,773 45,863 40.7
1994-95 539,691 218,352 321,339 59.5 1,160,134   526,131   634,003   54.6 403,609 183,043 220,566 54.6 114,266 67,324 46,942 41.1

1995-96
555,216 219,514 335,702 60.5 1,164,792   522,454   642,338   55.1 412,180 183,481 228,699 55.5 115,507 67,189 48,318 41.8
1996-97 571,226 223,948 347,278 60.8 1,172,879   520,515   652,364   55.6 425,260 185,270 239,990 56.4 118,747 68,387 50,360 42.4
1997-98 558,555 217,613 340,942 61.0 1,184,406   519,956   664,450   56.1 436,037 188,718 247,319 56.7 118,735 67,232 51,503 43.4
1998-99 564,984 220,508 344,476 61.0 1,202,239   519,961   682,278   56.8 446,038 190,230 255,808 57.4 116,700 65,340 51,360 44.0
1999-2000 564,933 224,721 340,212 60.2 1,237,875   530,367   707,508   57.2 463,185 196,129 267,056 57.7 118,736 64,930 53,806 45.3

2000-01
578,865 231,645 347,220 60.0 1,244,171   531,840   712,331   57.3 473,502 197,770 275,732 58.2 119,585 64,171 55,414 46.3
2001-02 595,133 238,109 357,024 60.0 1,291,900   549,816   742,084   57.4 487,313 202,604 284,709 58.4 119,663 62,731 56,932 47.6
2002-03 634,016 253,451 380,565 60.0 1,348,811   573,258   775,553   57.5 518,699 215,172 303,527 58.5 121,579 62,730 58,849 48.4
2003-04 665,945 260,400 405,545 60.9 1,399,760   595,568   804,192   57.5 564,606 233,170 331,436 58.7 126,325 64,045 62,280 49.3
2004-05 697,086 267,759 429,327 61.6 1,439,848   613,183   826,665   57.4 580,562 237,356 343,206 59.1 134,271 67,231 67,040 49.9

2005-06
713,315 270,139 443,176 62.1 1,485,104   630,502   854,602   57.5 599,862 241,701 358,161 59.7 138,056 68,912 69,144 50.1
2006-07 727,616 275,034 452,582 62.2 1,524,729   649,816   874,913   57.4 610,703 242,213 368,490 60.3 144,694 71,311 73,383 50.7
2007-08 750,166 282,695 467,471 62.3 1,563,734   668,184   895,550   57.3 630,844 250,203 380,641 60.3 149,190 73,340 75,850 50.8
2008-09 787,243 298,066 489,177 62.1 1,601,399   685,422   915,977   57.2 662,082 263,515 398,567 60.2 154,564 75,674 78,890 51.0
2009-10 848,856 322,747 526,109 62.0 1,649,919   706,660   943,259   57.2 693,313 275,317 417,996 60.3 158,590 76,610 81,980 51.7

2010-11
943,506 361,408 582,098 61.7 1,716,053   734,159   981,894   57.2 730,922 291,680 439,242 60.1 163,827 79,672 84,155 51.4
2011-12 1,021,718 393,479 628,239 61.5 1,792,163   765,772   1,026,391   57.3 755,967 302,484 453,483 60.0 170,217 82,670 87,547 51.4
2012-13 1,007,427 389,195 618,232 61.4 1,840,381   787,408   1,052,973   57.2 751,718 301,552 450,166 59.9 175,026 85,080 89,946 51.4
2013-14 1,005,155 391,474 613,681 61.1 1,870,150   801,905   1,068,245   57.1 754,582 302,846 451,736 59.9 177,587 85,585 92,002 51.8
2014-15 1,014,341 396,782 617,559 60.9 1,894,969   812,693   1,082,276   57.1 758,804 306,615 452,189 59.6 178,548 84,922 93,626 52.4

2015-16
1,008,228 392,084 616,144 61.1 1,920,750   821,746   1,099,004   57.2 785,757 320,574 465,183 59.2 178,134 84,240 93,894 52.7
2016-17 1,005,687 394,147 611,540 60.8 1,956,114   836,021   1,120,093   57.3 804,542 326,857 477,685 59.4 181,357 84,649 96,708 53.3
2017-18 1,011,696 398,692 613,004 60.6 1,980,665   844,979   1,135,686   57.3 820,242 326,907 493,335 60.1 183,734 85,389 98,345 53.5
2018-19 1,036,662 407,219 629,443 60.7 2,012,854   857,545   1,155,309   57.4 833,706 326,186 507,520 60.9 187,568 85,769 101,799 54.3
2019-203 981,000 382,000 599,000 61.0 1,996,000   846,000   1,151,000   57.6 832,000 327,000 505,000 60.7 186,000 86,000 101,000 54.1

2020-213
983,000 383,000 600,000 61.1 1,998,000   846,000   1,152,000   57.7 833,000 327,000 506,000 60.7 187,000 86,000 101,000 54.1
2021-223 986,000 384,000 602,000 61.1 2,000,000   846,000   1,154,000   57.7 835,000 328,000 507,000 60.7 187,000 86,000 101,000 54.1
2022-233 989,000 385,000 604,000 61.1 2,002,000   847,000   1,156,000   57.7 836,000 328,000 508,000 60.7 187,000 86,000 101,000 54.2
2023-243 992,000 386,000 606,000 61.1 2,007,000   848,000   1,158,000   57.7 838,000 329,000 509,000 60.7 188,000 86,000 102,000 54.2
2024-253 995,000 387,000 608,000 61.1 2,013,000   851,000   1,162,000   57.7 841,000 330,000 511,000 60.7 188,000 86,000 102,000 54.2

2025-263
998,000 389,000 610,000 61.1 2,020,000   854,000   1,166,000   57.7 844,000 331,000 513,000 60.7 189,000 87,000 102,000 54.2
2026-273 1,002,000 390,000 612,000 61.1 2,027,000   857,000   1,170,000   57.7 847,000 333,000 514,000 60.7 190,000 87,000 103,000 54.2
2027-283 1,005,000 391,000 613,000 61.1 2,030,000   858,000   1,171,000   57.7 849,000 333,000 515,000 60.7 190,000 87,000 103,000 54.2
2028-293 1,006,000 392,000 614,000 61.1 2,030,000   858,000   1,171,000   57.7 849,000 333,000 516,000 60.7 190,000 87,000 103,000 54.2
2029-303 1,007,000 392,000 615,000 61.1 2,029,000   858,000   1,171,000   57.7 849,000 334,000 516,000 60.7 190,000 87,000 103,000 54.2
---Not available.
1 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.
2 Includes some degrees classified as master's or doctor's degrees in later years.
3 Projected.
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data through 1994-95 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate's or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Projections in this table were calculated prior to the coronavirus pandemic and therefore do not take into account the actual or potential impacts of the pandemic. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Earned Degrees Conferred, 1869-70 through 1964-65; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, 1965-66 through 1985-86; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Completions Survey" (IPEDS-C:87-99); IPEDS Fall 2000 through Fall 2019, Completions component; and Degrees Conferred Projection Model, 1980-81 through 2029-30. (This table was prepared July 2020.)

2020 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest