See the tables below for the most popular programs by degree level.
Bachelor’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study 2017-2018
Field of study | Degrees |
Business | 386,201 |
Health professions and related programs | 244,909 |
Social sciences and history | 159,967 |
Engineering | 121,956 |
Biological and biomedical sciences | 118,663 |
Psychology | 116,432 |
Communication, journalism, and related programs | 92,290 |
Visual and performing arts | 88,582 |
Education | 82,621 |
Computer and information sciences | 79,598 |
Homeland security, law enforcement, and firefighting | 58,114 |
Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies | 53,883 |
Multi/interdisciplinary studies | 51,909 |
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities | 44,262 |
English language and literature/letters | 40,002 |
Agriculture and natural resources | 39,314 |
Public administration and social services | 35,629 |
Physical sciences and science technologies | 31,542 |
Mathematics and statistics | 25,256 |
Family and consumer sciences/human sciences | 24,349 |
Engineering technologies | 18,727 |
Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics | 16,958 |
Philosophy and religious studies | 9,603 |
Theology and religious vocations | 9,521 |
Architecture and related services | 8,464 |
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies | 7,717 |
Transportation and materials moving | 4,924 |
Legal professions and studies | 4,239 |
Communications technologies | 4,231 |
Military technologies and applied sciences | 655 |
Library science | 81 |
Precision production | 45 |
Not classified by field of study | 0 |
Total | 1,980,644 |
Master’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study 2017-2018
Field of study | Degrees |
Business | 192,184 |
Education | 146,367 |
Health professions and related programs | 125,216 |
Engineering | 51,721 |
Computer and information sciences | 46,468 |
Public administration and social services | 46,294 |
Psychology | 27,841 |
Social sciences and history | 19,884 |
Visual and performing arts | 17,686 |
Biological and biomedical sciences | 17,180 |
Theology and religious vocations | 13,828 |
Mathematics and statistics | 10,443 |
Homeland security, law enforcement, and firefighting | 10,293 |
Communication, journalism, and related programs | 10,243 |
Multi/interdisciplinary studies | 10,175 |
Legal professions and studies | 9,177 |
Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies | 9,005 |
English language and literature/letters | 8,300 |
Architecture and related services | 7,317 |
Engineering technologies | 7,247 |
Physical sciences and science technologies | 7,196 |
Agriculture and natural resources | 6,967 |
Library science | 4,953 |
Family and consumer sciences/human sciences | 3,308 |
Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics | 3,261 |
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities | 2,473 |
Philosophy and religious studies | 1,692 |
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies | 1,673 |
Transportation and materials moving | 815 |
Communications technologies | 529 |
Military technologies and applied sciences | 355 |
Precision production | 11 |
Not classified by field of study | 0 |
Total | 820,102 |
Doctor degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study 2017-2018
Field of study | 2017-18 |
Health professions and related programs | 80,305 |
Legal professions and studies | 34,544 |
Education | 12,780 |
Engineering | 10,817 |
Biological and biomedical sciences | 8,222 |
Psychology | 6,275 |
Physical sciences and science technologies | 6,181 |
Social sciences and history | 4,676 |
Business | 3,338 |
Theology and religious vocations | 2,023 |
Computer and information sciences | 2,017 |
Mathematics and statistics | 2,010 |
Visual and performing arts | 1,759 |
Agriculture and natural resources | 1,496 |
English language and literature/letters | 1,295 |
Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics | 1,213 |
Public administration and social services | 1,157 |
Multi/interdisciplinary studies | 850 |
Philosophy and religious studies | 768 |
Communication, journalism, and related programs | 666 |
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies | 335 |
Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies | 298 |
Family and consumer sciences/human sciences | 274 |
Architecture and related services | 250 |
Engineering technologies | 212 |
Homeland security, law enforcement, and firefighting | 150 |
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities | 93 |
Library science | 54 |
Transportation and materials moving | 16 |
Communications technologies | 0 |
Not classified by field of study | 0 |
Total | 184,074 |
US Department of Education