Degrees in higher education in the U.S. 1950-2029

Published by Erin Duffin, May 20, 2019
This statistic shows the number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1949/50 to 2016/17. Projected numbers are displayed from 2017/18 to 2028/29. In the 2016/17 academic year, about 3.94 million degrees were earned in the United States.

Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2029 (in 1,000s)

Number of degrees in thousands
2028-29*4,048
2027-28*4,046
2026-27*4,039
2025-26*4,022
2024-25*4,008
2023-24*3,996
2022-23*3,985
2021-22*3,979
2020-21*3,973
2019-20*3,968
2018-19*3,953
2017-18*3,941
2016-173,947.72
2015-163,892.87
2014-153,846.66
2013-143,807.47
2012-13 3,774.55
2011-12 3,740.07
2010-11 3,554.31
2009-10 3,350.68
2008-09 3,205.29
2007-08 3,093.93
2006-07 3,007.74
2005-06 2,936.34
2004-05 2,850.46
2003-04 2,755.2
2002-03 2,623.11
2001-02 2,494.01
2000-01 2,416.12
1999-00 2,384.73
1998-99 2,329.96
1997-98 2,297.73
1996-97 2,288.11
1995-96 2,247.7
1994-95 2,217.7
1993-94 2,205.58
1992-93 2,167.04
1991-92 2,108.43
1990-91 2,024.67
1989-90 1,940.11
1988-89 1,872.72
1987-88 1,834.84
1986-87 1,822.58
1985-86 1,830
1984-85 1,828.45
1983-84 1,818.49
1982-83 1,814.88
1981-82 1,787.81
1980-81 1,752.17
1979-80 1,731.15
1978-79 1,726.75
1977-78 1,743.78
1976-77 1,740.68
1975-76 1,725.68
1974-75 1,665.55
1973-74 1,654.37
1972-73 1,586.7
1971-72 1,507.69
1970-71 1,392.6
1969-70 1,271.41
1959-60**476.7
1949-50**496.66
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Release date

March 2019

Region

United States

Survey time period

1950 to 2017

Supplementary notes

The numbers presented here are total Associate's degrees granted + total Bachelor's degrees granted + total Master's degrees granted + total Doctor's degrees granted.
*Projection
**Does not include Associate's degrees.

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