A bachelor’s degree remains highly valuable in many sectors of the US corporate market.
College graduates tend to earn higher salaries than those without degrees and have better chances of finding employment.
Historical Graduation Statistics (US)
College graduation statistics indicate that the current national population is the most educated in United States history, with an increasing rate of college graduates among citizens.
- In 1900, there were 27,410 bachelor’s degrees conferred nationwide.
- By 1910, 2.7% of adults over 25 years old had a postsecondary degree.
- Over the subsequent 30 years, the number of college graduates increased by approximately 70%.
- By 1940, 3.4 million adults over 25 years old, or 4.6% of the population, held 4-year college degrees.
- Over the next 80 years, the rate of 4-year college graduates among adults increased by 715.2%, at an average rate of 8.9% per year.
- The rate of college graduates with associate’s degrees or higher increased by 30.2% from 2000 to 2022.
- The number of 4-year college graduates over the age of 25 increased by 40 million, or 90%, from 2000 to 2022.
- In 1971, 30% of bachelor’s program graduates majored in education, compared to 13.7% in business. In 2021, 18.9% graduated in business, while 4.3% graduated in education.
- In 1971, 37.2% of master’s program graduates majored in education, compared to 11.2% in business. In 2021, 23.3% graduated in business, while 17.7% graduated in education.
- In 1971, 26.8% of doctorate and professional degree holders majored in legal studies, compared to 22.6% in healthcare. In 2021, 44.1% graduated in healthcare, while 18.5% graduated in legal studies.
National College Completion Rate by School Type, 2023
| Institution Type | Six-Year Completion Rate | Eight-Year Completion Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Public, Four-Year | 67.4% | 71.6% |
| Private Nonprofit, Four-Year | 77.5% | 80.1% |
| Private For-Profit, Four-Year | 46% | 49.3% |
| Public, Two-Year | 43.4% | 44.7% |
| All Schools | 62.2% | 64.7% |
U.S. College Graduates & Graduation Rates
- In 2021, 1,036,430 college graduates earned associate’s degrees, marking a 1.79% year-over-year increase from 2020.
- 2,066,450 graduates earned bachelor’s degrees in 2021, showing a 1.37% year-over-year increase.
- 866,890 or 20.8% of all graduates earned master’s degrees, with a 2.78% year-over-year increase.
- 194,060, or 4.7% of all graduates earned doctorates or professional degrees, with a 2.04% year-over-year increase.
- The number of bachelor’s degrees conferred in 2021 was 20.4% higher than in 2011 and 66.1% higher than in 2001.
- 2-year institutions have an average graduation rate of 30.3%, while 4-year institutions have a graduation rate of 52.0%.
- Graduation rates at public institutions have increased by 13.1% since 2010.
Graduation Rate at Two-Year Colleges, 2021 (2018 Entry Class)
| Institution Type | Three-Year Completion Rate |
|---|---|
| Public | 30.2% |
| Private Nonprofit | 59.6% |
| Private For-Profit | 59.9% |
| All School Types | 34.6% |
10 Facts About Today’s College Graduates
- Nearly four-in-ten Americans ages 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, a share that has grown over the last decade.
- In a reversal, women are now more likely than men to graduate from college.
- There are racial and ethnic differences in college graduation patterns, as well as in the reasons for not completing a degree.
- Only 62% of students who start a degree or certificate program finish their program within six years.
- Business is the most commonly held bachelor’s degree, followed by health professions.
- There is a growing earnings gap between young college graduates and their counterparts without degrees.
- The unemployment rate is lower for college graduates than for workers without a bachelor’s degree, and that gap widened as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Recent college graduates are more likely than graduates overall to be underemployed – that is, working in jobs that typically do not require a college degree.
- When it comes to income and wealth accumulation, first-generation college graduates lag substantially behind those with college-educated parents.
- Most Americans with college degrees see value in their experience.
(Source: NCES)
College Graduate Demographics
College graduation rates have improved for minority groups over time, but there are still gaps in attainment. Some terms used in this report, like “Asian and Pacific Islander,” are combined in official data despite being considered separate groups by many.
- American Indian/Alaska Native males are the least likely demographic to graduate with any degree.
- White females are the most likely demographic to graduate with any degree.
- A significant majority, 78.2%, of graduates from computer and information sciences and support services associate’s programs are male.
- Similarly, 77.6% of graduates from engineering bachelor’s programs are male.
- Asians are the most likely demographic to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in one or more STEM fields.
- College graduation statistics suggest a decline in graduation rates among older students, while students who enroll as teenagers are most likely to graduate within five years.
Percent Of Graduates By Race
| Race/Ethnicity | Associate Degree | Bachelor’s degree | Master’s degree | Doctorate/ Professional degree |
| White or Caucasian | 7% | 51% | 7% | 6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40.1% | 45.3% | 12.3% | 2.3% |
| Black or African American | 3% | 2% | 5% | 1% |
| Non-resident | 7.8% | 32% | 52.1% | 8.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 21.7% | 53.1% | 17.7% | 7.5% |
| Multiracial | 27.4% | 54.5% | 14.8% | 3.3% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 9% | 9% | 5% | 7% |
College Graduates by Sex or Gender
More women than men tend to attend postsecondary education. Official data on nonbinary genders is limited, with most sources using “sex” and “gender” interchangeably.
- In the 2020-2021 academic year, women earned the majority of associate’s degrees, comprising 63.0% of all associate’s degrees conferred.
- Similarly, women earned 58.3% of all bachelor’s degrees, 61.9% of all master’s degrees, and 56.0% of all doctorates or professional degrees conferred that year.
- In 1900, 80.9% of bachelor’s degree recipients were male, compared to 19.1% female recipients.
- Since 2015, female graduates have outnumbered male graduates among bachelor’s degree holders.
- Female students have a higher college graduation rate of 67% compared to 60.5% for male students.
- Women have a 66% college graduation rate at public institutions, while the rate is 71.1% at private, nonprofit institutions.
- The college graduation rate for men at public institutions is 59.7%, while at private, nonprofit institutions, it is 64.1%.
- Graduation rates are lower at private, for-profit institutions, with 30.6% of men and 27.9% of women graduating.
College Graduates by Age
While many college students are typically aged between 18 and 24, there’s a growing trend of enrollment among older adults.
- Among college students who enroll in bachelor’s programs at age 18 years or younger, 66.9% graduate within 5 years.
- For those who enroll at age 19 years, the graduation rate within 5 years is slightly lower at 62.2%.
- The graduation rate within 5 years drops significantly for students aged 20 to 23 years, with only 22.0% of them graduating.
- Even fewer, 8.4%, of students aged 24 to 29 years who enroll in bachelor’s programs graduate within 5 years.
- Students aged 30 years and older have the lowest college graduation rate of 14.2%.
- The majority, 76.2%, of college students enroll as teenagers, with 66.5% of 18- and 19-year-olds being enrolled.
- Enrollment among teenagers has increased significantly since 1980, with a 43.3% increase among 18- and 19-year-olds.
- Among 20- and 21-year-olds, 52.8% are enrolled as college students, marking a 70.3% increase in enrollment since 1980.
- Enrollment among 22- to 24-year-olds has increased by 63.2% over 40 years.
- However, enrollment among adults aged 25 to 34 years has seen fluctuations, with a decrease of 9.4% among 30- to 34-year-olds, and a slight increase among 25- to 29-year-olds.
