Growth in Number of Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded, by Field of Study, 1981-2010
Computer science was the only major in the area of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that made it into the top 10 for growth.
| Number of degrees awarded, 1980-81 | Number of degrees awarded, 2009-10 | 30-year change |
Transportation and materials moving | 263 | 4,998 | 1,800% |
Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies | 5,729 | 33,318 | 482% |
Legal professions and studies | 776 | 3,886 | 401% |
Security and protective services | 13,707 | 43,667 | 219% |
Area, ethnic, cultural, and gender studies | 2,887 | 8,621 | 199% |
Multi/interdisciplinary studies | 12,986 | 37,648 | 190% |
Communication and journalism | 29,428 | 81,266 | 176% |
Computer and information sciences | 15,121 | 39,589 | 162% |
Communications technologies | 1,854 | 4,782 | 158% |
Psychology | 41,068 | 97,216 | 137% |
Visual and performing arts | 40,479 | 91,802 | 127% |
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities | 21,643 | 46,953 | 117% |
Health professions and related clinical sciences | 63,665 | 129,634 | 104% |
Biological and biomedical sciences | 43,078 | 86,400 | 101% |
Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics | 11,638 | 21,516 | 85% |
Philosophy and religious studies | 6,776 | 12,504 | 85% |
Business | 200,521 | 358,293 | 79% |
Social sciences and history | 100,513 | 172,780 | 72% |
English language and literature/letters | 31,922 | 53,231 | 67% |
Public administration and social services | 16,707 | 25,414 | 52% |
Theology and religious vocations | 5,808 | 8,718 | 50% |
Mathematics and statistics | 11,078 | 16,030 | 45% |
Engineering technologies | 11,713 | 16,075 | 37% |
Military technologies | 42 | 56 | 33% |
Agriculture and natural resources | 21,886 | 26,336 | 20% |
Family and consumer sciences/human sciences | 18,370 | 21,818 | 19% |
Engineering | 63,642 | 72,654 | 14% |
Architecture | 9,455 | 10,051 | 6% |
Physical sciences and science technologies | 23,936 | 23,379 | -2% |
Education | 108,074 | 101,265 | -6% |
Library science | 375 | 85 | -77% |
Precision production | 0 | 29 | n/a |
Note: Percentages are rounded, but fields are ranked by unrounded percentages.
Source: U.S. Education Department