Undergraduate Completions by Award Level
In 2021, undergraduate students earned nearly 3.9 million certificates and degrees. Bachelor’s degrees represented over half of the undergraduate completions (53.5 percent) and associate degrees represented 26.9 percent. Short-term and long-term certificates made up 19.3 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively.
Over 2 million students earned a bachelor’s degree and over 1 million earned an associate degree in 2021. Of the bachelor’s degree recipients, 54.7 percent were White students and 37.0 percent were students of color. Of the associate degree recipients, 47.3 percent were White students and 47.1 percent were students of color.[1]
Also, 744,850 and 10,013 students earned short-term and long-term certificates in 2021, respectively. Of the short-term certificate recipients, 49.6 percent were White students and 45.0 percent were students of color. Of the long-term certificate recipients, 53.1 percent were White students and 40.6 percent were students of color.
Report Links
Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: 2024 Status Report
Chapter Four: Undergraduate Completion
Chapter Four Report Download (PDF) 1.9 MB
Chapter Four Data Tables Download (XLSX) 144 KB
Source
U.S. Department of Education, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, 2021
Data Notes
Data reflect undergraduate certificates and degrees earned at all Title IV eligible, degree-granting institutions.
Short-term certificates include those that are less than two academic years in length.
Long-term certificates include those that are at least two, but less than four, academic years in length.
[1] The group students of color includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and multiracial students.
