Table 6A
Bachelor's degrees conferred by U.S. postsecondary institutions, by field of study: selected years, 1970-71 to 2014-15
| 1970—71 | 1975—76 | 1980—81 | 1985—86 | 1990—91 | 1995—96 | 2000—01 | 2005—06 | 2010—11 | 2014—15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field of study | ||||||||||
| Total | 839,730 | 925,746 | 935,140 | 987,823 | 1,094,538 | 1,164,792 | 1,244,171 | 1,485,242 | 1,715,913 | 1,894,934 |
| Biological & biomedical sciences | 35,705 | 54,154 | 43,078 | 38,395 | 39,482 | 61,014 | 60,576 | 70,607 | 90,003 | 109,896 |
| Business | 115,396 | 143,171 | 200,521 | 236,700 | 249,165 | 226,623 | 263,515 | 318,042 | 365,093 | 363,799 |
| Computer & information sciences | 2,388 | 5,652 | 15,121 | 42,337 | 25,159 | 24,506 | 44,142 | 47,480 | 43,072 | 59,581 |
| Engineering | 45,034 | 38,733 | 63,642 | 77,391 | 62,448 | 62,168 | 58,209 | 66,841 | 76,376 | 97,858 |
| Mathematics & statistics | 24,801 | 15,984 | 11,078 | 16,122 | 14,393 | 12,713 | 11,171 | 14,770 | 17,182 | 21,853 |
| Physical sciences & science technologies | 21,410 | 21,458 | 23,936 | 21,711 | 16,334 | 19,716 | 18,025 | 20,522 | 24,712 | 30,038 |
Notes: Data through 1990-91 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for postsecondary institutions that participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. "Business" includes Business, management, marketing, and related support services and Personal and culinary services.
Source: Author’s calculations; IPEDS Fall 2000 through Fall 2015; Completions component, The Condition of Education, 2015.
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