In the academic year of 2020/21, about 860,760 male and 1.2 million female students earned a Bachelor's degree in the United States. By the academic year of 2031/32, the number of male Bachelor's degree recipients is expected to reach 975,020.

Bachelor’s degrees in the United States

American students typically earn a Bachelor’s degree for an undergraduate course of study and it is normally completed in four years. Depending on the major, students receive a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or another type of certificate.

In 2021, about 1.17 million white students earned a Bachelor's degree, followed by 324,848 Hispanic students.

Bachelor's degrees and earnings

When looking at the mean income of Bachelor’s degree holders in 2021, there are marked differences between the female and male Bachelor’s degree holders. Men with a Bachelor’s degree earned about 107,315 U.S. dollars per year, compared to women, who earned 77,099 U.S. dollars per year. In addition, salaries tended to increase the more educated a person was.

In 2021, there were a total of 391,375 Bachelor's degrees earned in business studies across the United States, making it the most common field of study. In that same year, a further 126,944 Bachelor's degrees were earned in the field of psychology.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 years and over (CGBD25O) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

In an impressive increase from years past, 39 percent of women in the United States had completed four years or more of college in 2022. This figure is up from 3.8 percent of women in 1940. A significant increase can also be seen in males, with 36.2 percent of the U.S. male population having completed four years or more of college in 2022, up from 5.5 percent in 1940.

4- and 2-year colleges

In the United States, college students are able to choose between attending a 2-year postsecondary program and a 4-year postsecondary program. Generally, attending a 2-year program results in an Associate’s Degree, and 4-year programs result in a Bachelor’s Degree.

Many 2-year programs are designed so that attendees can transfer to a college or university offering a 4-year program upon completing their Associate’s. Completion of a 4-year program is the generally accepted standard for entry-level positions when looking for a job.

Earnings after college

Factors such as gender, degree achieved, and the level of postsecondary education can have an impact on employment and earnings later in life. Some Bachelor’s degrees continue to attract more male students than female, particularly in STEM fields, while liberal arts degrees such as education, languages and literatures, and communication tend to see higher female attendance.

All of these factors have an impact on earnings after college, and despite nearly the same rate of attendance within the American population between males and females, men with a Bachelor’s Degree continue to have higher weekly earnings on average than their female counterparts.

Graph and download economic data for Employment Level - Bachelor's Degree and Higher, 25 Yrs. & over (LNU02027662) from Jan 1992 to Feb 2025 about 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, employment, and USA.

In the academic year of 2021/22, almost 2.02 million students were awarded a Bachelor's degree in the United States. This figure is expected to increase to the academic year of 2031/32, when about 2.46 million students are forecasted to be awarded a Bachelor's degree.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Level - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 years and over, Women (CGBDUW25O) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about females, 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Level - Bachelor's Degree and Higher, 25 Yrs. & over (LNS13027662) from Jan 1992 to Feb 2025 about 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, and USA.

Vietnam VN: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: % Cumulative data was reported at 11.524 % in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.270 % for 2021. Vietnam VN: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 10.314 % from Dec 2019 (Median) to 2022, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.524 % in 2022 and a record low of 10.248 % in 2019. Vietnam VN: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Bachelor's or equivalent.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed April 24, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;;

This view filters on US Census variables for field of bachelor degree reported for Mesa and other local comparison city's and Maricopa County. The American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year Estimates are source of information. For grouping of Majors Into Broad and Detailed Fields, see Appendix A at https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2012/acs/acs-18.pdf

Science and Engineering include: Computers, mathematics, and statistics Biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences Physical and related science Psychology Social sciences Engineering Multidisciplinary studies

Science and engineering related includes nursing, architecture, math teacher

Arts, Humanities and other include: Literature and languages Liberal arts and history Visual and performing arts Communications

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 55 to 64 years, Men (CGBD5564M) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about 55 to 64 years, males, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

The percentage of persons that have completed, graduated, or received a Bachelor’s or an advanced degree. This is an indicator used to measure the portion of the population having an advanced level of skills needed for the workplace. Persons under the age of 25 are not included in this analysis since many of these persons are still attending various levels of schooling. Source: American Community Survey Years Available: 2007-2011, 2008-2012, 2009-2013, 2010-2014, 2011-2015, 2012-2016, 2013-2017, 2014-2018, 2015-2019, 2016-2020, 2017-2021

United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 to 34 years, Women was 3.10% in February of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 to 34 years, Women reached a record high of 11.00 in July of 2020 and a record low of 1.30 in September of 2019. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 to 34 years, Women - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Germany DE: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Female: % Cumulative data was reported at 25.306 % in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 24.831 % for 2021. Germany DE: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Female: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 20.690 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2022, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.306 % in 2022 and a record low of 0.730 % in 2011. Germany DE: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Female: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Bachelor's or equivalent.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;;

In 2021, the District of Columbia had the most highly educated population in the United States, with 61.4 percent of residents over the age of 25 having a Bachelor's degree or higher. Massachusetts followed closely behind, with 45.2 percent of residents having completed a Bachelor's degree or higher. For the United States as a whole, this figure stood at 33.7 percent of the population.

Thailand TH: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Female: % Cumulative data was reported at 16.268 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 14.133 % for 2013. Thailand TH: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Female: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 15.201 % from Dec 2013 (Median) to 2016, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.268 % in 2016 and a record low of 14.133 % in 2013. Thailand TH: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Female: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Thailand – Table TH.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Bachelor's or equivalent.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

United States Employment: sa: Age 25 & Over: Bachelor's Degree & Higher data was reported at 56,700.000 Person th in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 56,124.000 Person th for Sep 2018. United States Employment: sa: Age 25 & Over: Bachelor's Degree & Higher data is updated monthly, averaging 40,029.000 Person th from Jan 1992 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 322 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56,700.000 Person th in Oct 2018 and a record low of 26,776.000 Person th in Jan 1992. United States Employment: sa: Age 25 & Over: Bachelor's Degree & Higher data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G014: Current Population Survey: Employment: Seasonally Adjusted.

France FR: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Male: % Cumulative data was reported at 18.240 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 17.196 % for 2014. France FR: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Male: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 17.718 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2015, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.240 % in 2015 and a record low of 17.196 % in 2014. France FR: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Male: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Bachelor's or equivalent.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

The National Survey of College Graduates is a repeated cross-sectional biennial survey that provides data on the nation's college graduates, with a focus on those in the science and engineering workforce. This survey is a unique source for examining the relationship of degree field and occupation in addition to other characteristics of college-educated individuals, including work activities, salary, and demographic information.

Aruba AW: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 12.820 % in 2010. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16.400 % for 2000. Aruba AW: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 12.820 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.400 % in 2000 and a record low of 7.190 % in 1991. Aruba AW: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Aruba – Table AW.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Bachelor's or equivalent.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;;