Number of College Degrees Conferred in Pennsylvania Continues to Climb

May 20, 1999

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. Over the 10-year period from 1986-87 to 1996-97, the number

of graduates from Pennsylvania colleges and universities increased by 14.6 percent. The

Pennsylvania State Data Center at Penn State Harrisburg reports that master's degrees conferred

increased the most significantly (45.1 percent) in this time period, while doctoral degrees

increased by 29 percent, associate degrees by 15.1 percent, first-professional degrees by 10.6

percent and bachelor's degrees by 7.1 percent.

College degrees conferred in Pennsylvania in 1996-97 totaled 103,656. In that school

year, 14,638 associate degrees, 62,445 bachelor's degrees, 4,115 first-professional degrees,

20,025 master's degrees and 2,433 doctoral degrees were conferred in the Commonwealth.

Total degrees conferred in Pennsylvania increased in 1996-97 by 1.2 percent over the

previous school year. All levels of degrees conferred increased in 1996-97 except associate,

which dropped 1.8 percent. Bachelor's degrees increased 1.1 percent, first-professional degrees

increased 4.5 percent, master's degrees 2.2 percent, and doctoral degrees 7.8 percent in that time

period.

Of the total degrees conferred in 1996-97 in Pennsylvania, 56.1 percent were earned by

women. In that school year, the majority of graduates at the associate (65.6 percent), bachelor's

(55.6 percent), and master's (55.4 percent) degree levels were female. The largest growth in

female graduates over the last 10 years has been at the graduate level with increases of 62.4

percent at the master's level and 44.1 percent at the doctoral level.

Minorities earning degrees across the Commonwealth was up from 7.1 percent in 1986-87

to 11.2 percent in 1996-97. The number of Black (Non-Hispanic) graduates increased over the

decade from 4,011 in 1986-87 to 5,916 in 1996-97. In the same time period, Hispanic graduates

increased from 729 to 1,579, American Indian/Alaskan Native graduates increased 106 to 202 and

Asian/Pacific Islander graduates rose from 1,492 to 3,878.

In 1996-97, private colleges and universities conferred the most degrees with 37,861.

State-related universities were second with 26,670 degrees conferred, followed by state

universities (17,807), private state-aided institutions (10,215), community colleges (9,363),

private two-year colleges (1,098), theological seminaries (543) and colleges of technology (99).

The Pennsylvania State Data Center is the Commonwealth's official source of population

and economic statistics and services. It is based at Penn State Harrisburg's Institute of State and

Regional Affairs. The Pennsylvania State Data Center is part of the U.S. Census Bureau's

National State Data Center Program.

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Editors: For more information, contact Amy Jonas at the Pennsylvania State Data Center, (717)

772-2710 or Penn State Harrisburg's Public Information Office, (717) 948-6029.

Source of Information: Pennsylvania State Data Center

Accompany Table: Degrees Conferred by Race 1986-87 And 1996-97

Accompany Chart: Percentage Change in Total Degrees Conferred from 1986-87 to 1996-97

Accompany Chart: Percentage of Total Degrees Conferred by Level of Program:1996-97