Figure F
Interest in majoring in education has dropped by half since the 1970s: Percent of incoming college freshmen intending on studying in various fields, 1971–2018
| Education | Business | Health professions | Social sciences | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 10.8% | 10.7% | 14.0% | 15.5% |
| 1972 | 8.5% | 10.7% | 16.3% | 14.0% |
| 1973 | 13.2% | 13.3% | 9.2% | 14.3% |
| 1974 | 11.6% | 14.0% | 10.4% | 12.9% |
| 1975 | 11.2% | 14.8% | 10.6% | 12.0% |
| 1976 | 10.7% | 16.5% | 10.8% | 11.2% |
| 1977 | 9.9% | 18.5% | 12.5% | 10.6% |
| 1978 | 8.9% | 20.4% | 12.3% | 10.4% |
| 1979 | 9.3% | 21.2% | 11.8% | 9.8% |
| 1980 | 8.3% | 21.0% | 12.2% | 9.2% |
| 1981 | 7.7% | 21.9% | 11.5% | 8.6% |
| 1982 | 6.5% | 21.9% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 1983 | 6.5% | 22.2% | 12.6% | 8.3% |
| 1984 | 6.5% | 24.7% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 1985 | 6.8% | 24.6% | 10.6% | 10.5% |
| 1986 | 8.4% | 25.3% | 9.2% | 10.5% |
| 1987 | 8.8% | 25.7% | 8.4% | 11.1% |
| 1988 | 8.6% | 24.9% | 9.1% | 12.5% |
| 1989 | 8.7% | 23.5% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 1990 | 10.3% | 21.0% | 10.3% | 12.2% |
| 1991 | 10.3% | 17.8% | 12.4% | 11.4% |
| 1992 | 9.8% | 15.8% | 14.5% | 11.7% |
| 1993 | 9.9% | 14.8% | 15.3% | 11.7% |
| 1994 | 10.3% | 15.3% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| 1995 | 10.0% | 15.5% | 14.3% | 11.1% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | 15.6% | 13.0% | 11.0% |
| 1997 | 10.2% | 15.6% | 12.9% | 10.6% |
| 1998 | 11.1% | 16.5% | 12.2% | 10.7% |
| 1999 | 10.6% | 16.6% | 10.8% | 10.8% |
| 2000 | 11.0% | 16.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2001 | 10.0% | 16.6% | 10.3% | 11.5% |
| 2002 | 10.6% | 16.2% | 10.6% | 11.8% |
| 2003 | 10.1% | 15.8% | 12.3% | 12.1% |
| 2004 | 9.7% | 16.1% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 2005 | 9.9% | 17.4% | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| 2006 | 9.5% | 18.0% | 12.1% | 12.9% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | 17.8% | 12.8% | 12.6% |
| 2008 | 8.2% | 16.8% | 12.2% | 12.8% |
| 2009 | 8.2% | 14.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 2010 | 7.2% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 13.5% |
| 2011 | 5.9% | 14.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 2012 | 5.7% | 14.4% | 14.1% | 12.2% |
| 2013 | 5.2% | 14.5% | 12.8% | 10.1% |
| 2014 | 5.0% | 14.6% | 11.9% | 10.2% |
| 2015 | 4.2% | 13.4% | 11.3% | 10.8% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 10.7% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | 13.8% | 12.3% | 11.0% |
| 2018 | 4.3% | 14.5% | 13.1% | 11.1% |
Source: Cooperative Institutional Research Program, Higher Education Research Institute, U. of California at Los Angeles (Brian O’Leary, “Backgrounds and Beliefs of College Freshman,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 12, 2020).
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