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.

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, about 37.7 percent of the U.S. population who were aged 25 and above had graduated from college or another higher education institution, a slight decline from 37.9 the previous year. However, this is a significant increase from 1960, when only 7.7 percent of the U.S. population had graduated from college.

Demographics

Educational attainment varies by gender, location, race, and age throughout the United States. Asian-American and Pacific Islanders had the highest level of education, on average, while Massachusetts and the District of Colombia are areas home to the highest rates of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, education levels are correlated with wealth. While public education is free up until the 12th grade, the cost of university is out of reach for many Americans, making social mobility increasingly difficult.

Earnings

White Americans with a professional degree earned the most money on average, compared to other educational levels and races. However, regardless of educational attainment, males typically earned far more on average compared to females. Despite the decreasing wage gap over the years in the country, it remains an issue to this day. Not only is there a large wage gap between males and females, but there is also a large income gap linked to race as well.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 25 to 34 years, Men (CGMD2534M) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about master's degree, 25 to 34 years, males, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Doctoral Degree, 55 to 64 years, Men (CGDD5564M) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about doctoral degree, 55 to 64 years, males, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This statistic shows the percentage of the White, non-Hispanic population aged between 25 and 29 with a bachelor's or a higher level degree in the United States from 1975 to 2021, by gender. In 2021, about 50 percent of white, non-Hispanic females had attained at least a bachelor's degree in the United States.

United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 35 to 44 years, Men was 2.40% in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 35 to 44 years, Men reached a record high of 5.90 in February of 2011 and a record low of 0.10 in June of 2006. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 35 to 44 years, Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 25 years and over, Men (CGMD25OM) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about master's degree, males, 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 18 to 19 years, Men (CGBD1819M) from Feb 2004 to Feb 2025 about 18 to 19 years, males, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This statistic shows the percentage of the Black, non-Hispanic population aged between 25 and 29 years with a bachelor's degree or a higher level degree in the United States from 1975 to 2021, by gender. In 2021, about 32 percent of Black, non-Hispanic females had attained at least a bachelor's degree in the United States.

United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 20 to 24 years, Men was 7.60% in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 20 to 24 years, Men reached a record high of 18.60 in June of 2020 and a record low of 2.10 in March of 2007. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 20 to 24 years, Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Level: College Graduates: Advanced Degree: Master's Degree and Higher, 20 to 24 years, Men (CGADUM2024) from Dec 2014 to Feb 2025 about master's degree, 20 to 24 years, males, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, and USA.

United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 35 to 44 years, Men was 1.50% in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 35 to 44 years, Men reached a record high of 7.30 in April of 2020 and a record low of 0.90 in March of 2022. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 35 to 44 years, Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

In the academic year of 2021/2022, there were 223,909 Bachelor's degrees in health professions and related programs awarded to women in the United States. This is compared to 39,856 degrees in the same field awarded to men.

United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 to 64 years, Men was 2.10% in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 to 64 years, Men reached a record high of 8.10 in April of 2020 and a record low of 1.30 in December of 2000. 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 64 years, Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 16 to 17 years, Men was 22.40% in June of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 16 to 17 years, Men reached a record high of 100.00 in July of 2007 and a record low of 2.30 in December of 2021. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 16 to 17 years, Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

United States - Unemployment Rate: College Graduates: Advanced Degree: Master's Degree and Higher, 55 to 64 years, Men was 1.60% in February of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate: College Graduates: Advanced Degree: Master's Degree and Higher, 55 to 64 years, Men reached a record high of 6.50 in April of 2020 and a record low of 0.70 in December of 2019. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate: College Graduates: Advanced Degree: Master's Degree and Higher, 55 to 64 years, Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Doctoral Degree, 25 years and over, Men was 1.10% in February of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Doctoral Degree, 25 years and over, Men reached a record high of 5.30 in June of 2020 and a record low of 0.20 in September of 2000. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Doctoral Degree, 25 years and over, Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

In 2022, around 91.8 percent of women had graduated high school or had obtained a higher educational degree in the United States. This is an increase from 1960, when 42.5 percent of women in the U.S. had graduated from high school or above.

In the academic year of 2022, it is expected that 551,460 female and 331,530 male students will earn a Master’s degree in the United States. These figures are a significant increase from the academic year of 1950, when 16,980 female students and 41,220 male students earned a Master’s degree.

What is a Master’s degree?

A Master’s degree is an academic degree granted by universities after finishing a Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degrees focus in on a specific field and are more specialized than a Bachelor’s. A typical Master’s program is about two years long, with the final semester focusing on the thesis. Master’s degree programs are usually harder to get into than Bachelor’s degree programs, due to the rigor of the program. Because these programs are so competitive, those with a Master’s degree are typically paid more than those with a Bachelor’s degree.

Master’s degrees in the United States

The number of master’s degrees granted in the United States has steadily increased since the 1970s and is expected to continue to increase. In 2021, the Master’s degree program with the worst job prospects in the United States by mid-career median pay was counseling, while the program with the best job prospects was a physician's assistant.