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Degrees Awarded in Minnesota
Degrees and other awards conferred by Minnesota's postsecondary institutions
During 2009-2010, Minnesota postsecondary institutions conferred degrees and other academic certificates at the undergraduate and graduate level to 93,595 students.
Number of Academic Credentials Awarded by Minnesota Postsecondary Institutions, 2000 to 2010
| Acad. Year End | Certificates/ Diplomas below Bachelor's | Assoc. | Bachelor's | Master's | Doctorate (research and professional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 12,702 | 11,045 | 23,181 | 7,797 | 2,402 |
| 2001 | 12,128 | 10,910 | 23,261 | 8,096 | 2,543 |
| 2002 | 12,396 | 11,860 | 24,554 | 8,518 | 2,394 |
| 2003 | 13,107 | 13,320 | 25,789 | 9,323 | 2,537 |
| 2004 | 14,896 | 14,209 | 27,337 | 11,433 | 2,691 |
| 2005 | 14,094 | 15,469 | 28,275 | 13,052 | 2,998 |
| 2006 | 15,086 | 15,125 | 28,911 | 15,188 | 3,357 |
| 2007 | 14,695 | 15,825 | 29,633 | 16,387 | 3,887 |
| 2008 | 13,713 | 16,601 | 30,388 | 18,012 | 3,886 |
| 2009 | 14,630 | 17,100 | 31,278 | 19,186 | 3,874 |
| 2010 | 15,938 | 18,468 | 31,963 | 21,015 | 4,173 |
Note: a large number of master's degrees are conferred by Capella and Walden Universities. These two online institutions headquartered in Minnesota report their nationwide enrollment.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completion Surveys
More information on awards conferred.
At the bachelor's degree level, the top 10 programs accounted for 73 percent of bachelor's degrees awarded.
| Field of Study | Number of Bachelor's Degrees |
|---|---|
| Business, management, and marketing | 7,746 |
| Social sciences | 2,944 |
| Education | 2,578 |
| Biological and biomedical sciences | 2,175 |
| Health professions and clinical sciences | 2,143 |
| Visual and performing arts (humanities) | 2,056 |
| Psychology | 1,952 |
| Communication and journalism (other technical) | 1,596 |
| English language and literature/letters (humanities) | 1,364 |
| Engineering | 1,046 |
Bachelor's Degrees Awarded by Program of Study at Minnesota Postsecondary Institutions from 1999-00 to 2009-10
More trends in bachelor's degrees.
STEM discipline trends are of interest. There is on-going interest in encouraging students to major in the various science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Specifically, these are programs in agricultural science, biological sciences, computer science, engineering, engineering-technology, mathematics and physical sciences (such as, geology, chemistry, physics). These programs are deemed important to keeping Minnesota and the nation competitive with global workforce changes. Academic disciplines included in the STEM acronym vary between organizations as there is no national standard definition.
Number of Awards in the STEM Disciplines Conferred by Minnesota Postsecondary Institutions, 1999-00 to 2009-10
| Academic Year | Certificates below Bachelor's | Associate | Bachelor's | Master's | Doctorate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | 1,936 | 793 | 4,275 | 759 | 284 |
| 2000-01 | 1,975 | 889 | 4,216 | 777 | 317 |
| 2001-02 | 2,006 | 956 | 4,443 | 1,036 | 263 |
| 2002-03 | 1,535 | 2,160 | 4,608 | 1,039 | 253 |
| 2003-04 | 1,392 | 2,048 | 4,615 | 1,153 | 253 |
| 2004-05 | 1,042 | 1,832 | 5,106 | 1,158 | 321 |
| 2005-06 | 973 | 1,458 | 5,183 | 1,120 | 344 |
| 2006-07 | 921 | 1,471 | 5,489 | 1,134 | 425 |
| 2007-08 | 889 | 1,571 | 5,781 | 1,243 | 341 |
| 2008-09 | 937 | 1,713 | 5,733 | 1,236 | 320 |
| 2009-10 | 1,081 | 1,847 | 6,198 | 1,305 | 366 |
STEM award increases in recent years have been in biological science at the bachelor's degree level and in engineering, and computer and information sciences at the master's degree level. Decreases have been in computer science programs, at the bachelor's degree and below, in conjunction with the so-called "dot-com bust".
STEM disciplines accounted for 18 percent of all bachelor's degrees. In 2010, bachelor's degrees were awarded as follows:
- 2,175 in biological and biomedical science
- 1,138 in engineering
- 832 in computer and information science
- 742 in physical science
- 490 in mathematics and statistics
- 379 in natural resources and conservation
- 227 in agriculture, agricultural operations, and related sciences
- 215 in engineering related technologies
20-Year Trend in Number of Bachelor's Degrees Awarded in STEM and Health Science Disciplines by Minnesota Postsecondary Institutions, 1989-90 to 2009-10
Students of color earned 13 percent of all awards at Minnesota postsecondary institutions in 2009-10. Students of color earned 20 percent of certificates and diplomas below the baccalaureate level, 13 percent of associate degrees, 11 percent of bachelor's degrees, 19 percent of master's degrees and 19 percent of doctorate degrees (research and professional).
Undergraduate Awards by Race/Ethnicity as a Percent of Award Level, 2009-10
More information on awards by race/ethnicity.
The percentage of degrees earned by women at Minnesota's institutions continues to increase and mirrors national trends. Women dominate programs in education and health sciences at all award levels; as well as, awards below the bachelor's degree in culinary arts and personal arts (cosmetology).
Women earned a vast majority of bachelor's degrees in education and health sciences. In addition, degrees in biological sciences, communication and journalism, English, foreign languages, psychology, public administration, and visual and performing arts were earned by a larger percentage of women than men. During 2000 to 2010, bachelor's degrees earned by women increased 35 percent, from 13,441 to 18,088.
Men dominate the computer technology, engineering, mathematics and physical science fields. Men also earn more bachelor's degrees than women in architecture, history, security and protective services, social science, philosophy and religious studies. During 2000 to 2010, bachelor's degrees earned by men increased 42 percent, from 9,740 to 13,875.
Awards Earned by Gender as a Percent of Award Level, 2009-10
More information on awards by gender.
Data Source
Degrees and other awards conferred data are gathered and compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education. Data are from the annual Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions Surveys.
Data are from both public and private postsecondary institutions located in Minnesota and include graduates in programs from less than one year in length through the doctorate. For more information see descriptions of program length and program categories.
More Information:
- Glossary of Degree Levels
- CIP Program Codes
- What is a Career Cluster?
- Certificates & Diplomas
- Associate Degrees
- Bachelor's Degrees
- Master's Degrees
- Doctorate Degrees
- Annual Degrees Awarded Tables
Related Pages
- Graduation Rates
- Women Continue to Outnumber Men in College at All Levels
- Facts About the Income of Graduates
