Undergraduate Completion

Of nearly 3.9 million undergraduate degrees and certificates awarded in 2021, still over half were bachelor’s degrees (53.5 percent), a slight decrease from 58.9 percent in 2001. Associate degrees represented 26.9 percent of undergraduate degrees and certificates awarded in 2021, a slight decline from 27.5 percent in 2001. Short-term certificates represented 19.3 percent with the largest growth from 13.1 percent in 2001. Only 0.3 percent of all undergraduate degrees and certificates awarded were long-term certificates in 2021, a decline from 0.6 percent in 2001. 

• By race and ethnicity, more than three-quarters of international students earned a bachelor’s degree (75.9 percent)—the highest share of any group, followed by Asian (61.8 percent) and White (55.7 percent) students. In contrast, fewer than half of American Indian or Alaska Native (39.6 percent), Hispanic or Latino (42.4 percent), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (46.1 percent), and Black or African American (47.2 percent) students who earned a credential earned a bachelor’s degree in 2021.  
• About one-third of all undergraduate degrees and certificates earned by Hispanic or Latino (34.8 percent), American Indian or Alaska Native (33.9 percent), and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (32.0 percent) students were associate degrees. These were the highest shares across all racial and ethnic groups.