The share of bachelor's degrees conferred in education is low and falling: Bachelor’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by selected field of study, academic years beginning 1970–2010 (five-year intervals) and 2010–2018
Year | Education | Business | Health professions and related | Social sciences and history |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | 176,307 | 115,396 | 25,223 | 155,324 |
1975 | 154,437 | 143,171 | 53,885 | 126,396 |
1980 | 108,074 | 200,521 | 63,665 | 100,513 |
1985 | 87,147 | 236,700 | 65,309 | 93,840 |
1990 | 110,807 | 249,165 | 59,875 | 125,107 |
1995 | 105,384 | 226,623 | 86,087 | 126,479 |
2000 | 105,458 | 263,515 | 75,933 | 128,036 |
2005 | 107,235 | 318,043 | 91,973 | 161,468 |
2010 | 104,008 | 365,133 | 143,463 | 177,169 |
2011 | 105,656 | 367,235 | 163,675 | 178,534 |
2012 | 104,698 | 360,887 | 181,149 | 177,767 |
2013 | 98,838 | 358,132 | 198,777 | 173,132 |
2014 | 91,596 | 363,741 | 216,228 | 166,971 |
2015 | 87,221 | 371,690 | 228,907 | 161,211 |
2016 | 85,130 | 381,109 | 237,979 | 159,097 |
2017 | 82,599 | 386,240 | 244,893 | 159,962 |
2018 | 83,946 | 390,564 | 251,355 | 160,628 |
Source: Authors’ analysis of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data (National Center for Education Statistics, “DES Table 322.10: Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred by Postsecondary Institutions, by Field of Study,” Digest of Education Statistics, November 2019).