In the 2021/22 academic year, about 4.1 million higher education degrees were earned in the United States. By the 2031/32 academic year, this figure is projected to increase to about 4.83 million degrees.
Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2032
(in 1,000s)
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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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NCES. (October 31, 2023). Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2032 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/185153/degrees-in-higher-education-earned-in-the-united-states/
NCES. "Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2032 (in 1,000s)." Chart. October 31, 2023. Statista. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/185153/degrees-in-higher-education-earned-in-the-united-states/
NCES. (2023). Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2032 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/185153/degrees-in-higher-education-earned-in-the-united-states/
NCES. "Number of Higher Education Degrees Earned in The United States from 1950 to 2032 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Oct 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/185153/degrees-in-higher-education-earned-in-the-united-states/
NCES, Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2032 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/185153/degrees-in-higher-education-earned-in-the-united-states/ (last visited May 11, 2025)
Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2032 (in 1,000s) [Graph], NCES, October 31, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/185153/degrees-in-higher-education-earned-in-the-united-states/
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