Where Are They Now?

A Description of 1992–93

Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 

10 Years Later

Statistical Analysis Report

U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2007-159
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
U.S. Department of Education 

NCES 2007–159 

Where Are They Now? 

A Description of 1992–93 

Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 

10 Years Later 

Statistical Analysis Report 

October 2006 

Ellen M. Bradburn 

Stephanie Nevill 

Emily Forrest Cataldi 

MPR Associates, Inc. 

Kristin Perry 

Project Officer 

National Center for 

Education Statistics 
U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings 

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences 

Grover J. Whitehurst 

Director

National Center for Education Statistics

Mark Schneider 

Commissioner

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, 

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Suggested Citation

Bradburn, E.M., Nevill, S., and Cataldi, E.F. (2006). Where Are They Now? A Description of 1992–93 Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 10 Years Later (NCES 2007–159). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: 

National Center for Education Statistics. 

For ordering information on this report, write to 

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ED Pubs 

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Content Contact 

Aurora D’Amico 

(202) 502-7334 

aurora.d’amico@ed.gov
iii 

Executive Summary 

In the 1992–93 academic year, the National 

Center for Education Statistics embarked on its 

first long-term longitudinal study of bachelor’s 

degree recipients. Students who had completed or 

expected to complete a bachelor’s degree between 

July 1992 and June 1993 were selected from a 

cross-section of students in all levels and sectors 

of postsecondary education1 to participate in the 

first Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B). These graduates were located and 

surveyed again in 1994 and 1997. 

In 2003, 10 years after they had completed a 

bachelor’s degree, the final follow-up of this cohort took place. Using data from the 2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

(B&B:93/03), this report provides an overview of 

the status of 1992–93 college graduates 10 years 

after graduation. The estimates in this report are 

based on the results of surveys with approximately 

9,000 bachelor’s degree recipients, representing 

about 1.2 million bachelor’s degree completers 

from 1992–93. This report presents the concluding 

data that were collected in the B&B series, completing the picture of various outcomes for these 

graduates 10 years after they completed a bachelor’s degree. 

In the 2003 survey, 1992–93 college graduates 

were asked about many aspects of their lives, including their education, employment, family, civic 

participation, and opinions. This report presents a 

general overview of the graduates’ responses to 

 

1 Students were sampled in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 

selected items in these five areas. Specifically, the 

overview addresses the following questions: 

• How much education beyond a bachelor’s 

degree had 1992–93 graduates completed by 

2003? 

• What were graduates’ patterns of labor force 

participation in 2003? 

• How satisfied were they with their college 

education, and how did they evaluate it 10 

years later? 

• What percentage of cohort members in 2003 

were married or had children? 

• What was their level of civic participation 

10 years after college? 

This report also contains a table compendium. 

The compendium is organized into sections that 

correspond to the major sections of the overview: 

Education, Employment, Opinions About Education, Family Status, and Civic Participation. In 

each section, the table compendium presents further detail about the characteristics of the graduates, as well as additional information about other 

outcomes in each topic area. For information about 

the variables used in this report, the reader should 

consult the glossary in appendix A. More information about the data collection and the statistical 

tests used in this report is available in appendix B. 
Executive Summary

iv 

Graduate Education 

By 2003, 10 years after bachelor’s degree completion, 40 percent of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

recipients had enrolled in a master’s, firstprofessional, or doctoral degree program. This included 25 percent who had completed such a degree, 6 percent who were currently enrolled, and 9 

percent who had enrolled in a graduate program 

but left without completing one (table 1). 

Specifically, about one-fourth of 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients earned an advanced 

degree (master’s, doctoral, or first-professional 

degree) during the past 10 years (figure A). 

Twenty percent of students earned a master’s degree, 4 percent earned a first-professional degree, 

and 2 percent earned a doctoral degree. Men were 

more likely than women to earn a doctoral or firstprofessional degree, while women were more 

likely than men to earn a master’s degree (table 2). 

These patterns were consistent with those observed for the same cohort of graduates in 1997 

(Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). 

Graduates’ baccalaureate major was associated 

with their likelihood of entering and completing an 

advanced degree. For example, graduates who 

earned a bachelor’s degree in education were more 

likely than those who majored in other subjects 

(except in arts and humanities) to have earned a 

master’s degree by 2003 (table 2). Graduates’ field 

of employment was also related to their likelihood 

of completing an advanced degree. Consistent with 

the results for undergraduate major, those working 

in education were more likely than those working 

in any other occupation to hold a master’s degree 

(38 vs. 9–20 percent). Reflecting the fact that the 

M.D. and D.D.S. are first-professional degrees, 

health professionals were more likely to hold a 

first-professional degree than graduates working in 

other occupations. 

Employment 

In 2003, 10 years after earning a bachelor’s degree, most college graduates (87 percent) were 

employed, primarily in one full-time job (70 perFigure A.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by highest degree attained: 2003

1

Includes postbaccalaureate certificates.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

Bachelor’s degree1

(73%)

Master’s degree

(20%)

Doctoral degree

(2%)

First-professional 

degree

(4%)
 Executive Summary 

v 

cent; table 3). Nine percent were employed in multiple jobs, and 8 percent had one part-time job. 

Another 4 percent were unemployed (not working, 

but looking for work), and the remaining 9 percent 

were out of the labor force (not working and not 

looking for work). 

Graduates’ educational attainment after earning 

the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree was related to their 

chances of working full time, part time, or in multiple jobs. For example, about 80 percent of graduates with first-professional or doctoral degrees 

worked at one full-time job, compared with 71 

percent of those with master’s degrees and 69 percent with bachelor’s degrees. 

Among 1992–93 college graduates who were 

employed in 2003, salaries varied widely by levels 

of education and employment and by occupation 

(table 4). The average salary for full-time workers 

was $60,700, and the median salary was $52,000. 

Consistent with earlier results for this cohort 

(Bradburn and Berger 2002), men earned more 

than women among those working full time or in 

multiple jobs (figure B). Higher degrees were also 

associated with higher salaries, and full-time 

workers in business and management and in engineering, architecture, or computer science earned 

more than their counterparts in many other occupations (table 4). 

Looking Back: Opinions About 

Education 

Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, 

about three-fifths reported that the quality of instruction they received as undergraduates (61 percent) and their undergraduate major field (58 

percent) remained very important to their lives 10 

years later (figure C). Smaller percentages of 

graduates reported this lasting influence of the liberal arts courses they took (36 percent), the undergraduate professional courses they took (50 

percent), or any internship or work opportunities 

they had as undergraduates (42 percent). A number of characteristics of their undergraduate education were related to these assessments. For 

example, in 2003,graduates of public institutions 

were more likely than graduates of private not-forprofit institutions to report that their major field, 

Figure B.—Median annual salary of employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by employment level and gender:

Figure C.—2003

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

$60,000

$38,000 $45,000 $46,000

$31,000 $37,500

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

Full time, one job Part time, one job Multiple jobs

Salary

Male Female

$
Executive Summary

vi 

the professional classes they took, and their internship or other work opportunities as undergraduates 

were very important 10 years after graduation, 

(table 6). On the other hand, a larger percentage of 

graduates of private not-for-profit institutions than 

graduates of public institutions said that liberal arts 

courses and the quality of instruction they received 

were very important. 

The graduates were also asked whether they 

considered their undergraduate education (as a 

whole) to be very important preparation for their 

work and career, further education, and financial 

security (table 7). Nearly four out of five graduates 

(78 percent) reported that their undergraduate education was very important in preparing them for 

their work and career; a majority also indicated 

that their college years prepared them for further 

education (56 percent) and achieving financial security (57 percent). Yet 8 percent did not feel that 

their undergraduate education was very important 

preparation for any of these areas. 

Finally, the graduates evaluated their undergraduate education favorably. At least 9 out of 10 

felt that obtaining a bachelor’s degree was worth 

the financial cost, time, and effort that had been 

required (90, 93, and 96 percent, respectively; table 8). 

Family Status 

Among 1992–93 college graduates, about onethird of women (34 percent) and one-fourth of 

men (26 percent) had married before earning a 

bachelor’s degree (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). 

In 2003, about two-thirds (68 percent) of 1992–93 

graduates were married, and 20 percent were single and had never been married (table 9). Smaller 

percentages reported that they were divorced (6 

percent), cohabiting (4 percent), separated (1 percent), or widowed (0.4 percent). 

Pursuit of a graduate education and employment were associated with a lower likelihood of 

marriage. Those 1992–93 graduates who had completed a doctoral or first-professional degree were 

more likely than other graduates to be single in 

2003 (29 vs. 19–20 percent), and they were less 

likely to be married (61 vs. 68–69 percent). Those 

who had received a doctoral or first-professional 

degree were also less likely than others to be diFigure C.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that various characteristics of their

Figure C.—undergraduate education were very important to their lives now: 2003

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

50

61

42

9

36

58

0

20

40

60

80

100

Baccalaureate

major

Liberal arts

courses

Undergraduate

professional

courses

Quality of

instruction

Internship and

other work

opportunities

None

Percent
 Executive Summary 

vii 

vorced (3 vs. 6 percent). Graduates who worked 

part time or were out of the labor force were less 

likely than other graduates to be single and never 

married. Conversely, graduates who worked part 

time and those who were out of the labor force 

were more likely than other graduates to be married (78 and 87 percent, respectively, vs. 54–66 

percent). 

When they completed college in 1992–93, 14 

percent of this cohort already had children, and 13 

percent of the other graduates had become parents 

within 4 years (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). 

Ten years after college completion, about one-half 

(51 percent) of graduates had children under age 

18 (table 10): 21 percent had one child, 22 percent 

had two children, and 9 percent had three or more 

children. As with marriage, graduate education 

was associated with a lower likelihood of having 

children. 

Civic Participation 

The college graduates described in this report 

had 10 years to complete additional education, 

enter careers, and pursue other interests. Many of 

them had established ties to the community, which 

were reflected in their volunteer work. Overall, 

nearly one-half (47 percent) of the 1992–93 graduate cohort reported in 2003 that they had participated in community service in the past year (table 

11). Of those who had volunteered, 44 percent reported that they had provided service to a religious 

institution, 39 percent had worked on fundraising, 

and 32 percent had participated in educationrelated activities (figure D). 

As of 2003, female college graduates were 

more likely than their male counterparts to have 

volunteered in the past year (50 vs. 43 percent) 

(table 11). Among those who had volunteered, 

women were more likely than men to have served 

in educational or religious institutions, while men 

were more likely than women to have done other 

volunteer work with children or to have participated in poverty or neighborhood improvement 

projects. These patterns are consistent with those 

found among 1999–2000 bachelor’s degree recipients in 2001 (Bradburn et al. 2003). 

Figure D.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who participated in community service in the past year,

Figure D.—percentage doing various types of service: 2003

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

39

26

44

32 30

0

20

40

60

80

100

EducationrelatedOther work

with kids

Fundraising Poverty/

neighborhood

improvement

Service

to religious

institution

Percent
Executive Summary

viii 

 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

who had volunteered in the past year, as of 2003, 

27 percent reported that they had done so less than 

once a month, 29 percent had done so monthly, 

and 34 percent had done so weekly (table 12). On 

average, the total number of volunteer hours they 

had logged in that period was 148 hours. 

About 9 out of 10 (93 percent) of 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients who were U.S. citizens or nationals were registered to vote in 2003, 

and a majority (76 percent) had voted in the 2002 

election (table 13). Smaller percentages of graduates had contacted a public official by letter, 

e-mail, or telephone in the past 2 years (36 percent) or had attended some sort of political event, 

such as a dinner or a rally, in the past year (15 percent). Older college graduates were more likely 

than younger ones to have voted in the 2002 elections or to have contacted a public official in the 

past 2 years. 
ix 

Foreword 

This report profiles 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 10 years after receiving a bachelor’s degree, in 2003, using data from the final follow-up of the first long-term longitudinal study 

of degree holders conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the 

U.S. Department of Education. The sample was obtained by identifying eligible graduates from 

the 1993 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:93), a nationally representative 

cross-section of all students in postsecondary education institutions in the 50 states, the District 

of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As part of NPSAS:93, information was obtained from postsecondary institutions and through telephone interviews with students. Those members of the 

NPSAS:93 sample who completed a bachelor’s degree between July 1, 1992 and June 30, 1993, 

were identified and contacted for a 1-year follow-up interview in 1994 and for a second followup in 1997. The final follow-up, conducted 10 years later (B&B:93/03), is the focus of this report. 

This report provides an introduction to the 2003 data, offering a snapshot of activities in 

five areas by the 1992–93 cohort 10 years after they had graduated: subsequent education, employment, opinions about education, family status, and civic participation. The body of the report 

provides a descriptive summary of the distribution of graduates for key items in these five areas, 

highlighting selected relationships to graduate demographic and educational characteristics. This 

report also contains a table compendium, organized into sections that correspond to the major 

sections of the overview: Education, Employment, Opinions About Education, Family Status, 

and Civic Participation. The tables in each section provide further detail about the questions discussed in the overview, as well as additional information about other outcomes in each topic 

area. 

The estimates presented in the report were produced using the NCES Data Analysis System 

(DAS) Online, a web-based table-generating application that provides the public with direct, free 

access to the wealth of data contained in the B&B:93/03 study as well as other postsecondary 

datasets collected by NCES. The DAS produces the design-adjusted standard errors necessary 

for testing the statistical significance of differences in the estimates. For more information about 

the DAS, readers should consult appendix B of this report. 
x 

Acknowledgments 

The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of many individuals to the production of 

this report. At MPR Associates, Francesca Tussing provided considerable production assistance 

editing, proofing, and formatting the report; Barbara Kridl, Andrea Livingston, Patti Gildersleeve, Wes Nations, and Annabelle Yang also contributed to all of these tasks. Stephen Lew 

conducted extensive programming, testing, and evaluation of the data files, and his technical assistance with the data is greatly appreciated. Vicky Dingler and Joanna Wu also participated in 

the creation of data files and derived variables, and Martha Alt provided helpful research assistance. 

The contribution of the data collection team at RTI International, the primary contractor for 

this study, cannot be overstated. Without their hard work, this dataset would not even exist. Although the personnel from RTI who worked on this project are too numerous to mention, special 

thanks are due to Jennifer Wine, the project director at RTI. In addition, Kimberly Ault and Sara 

Wheeless contributed sections to the technical appendix regarding bias analysis and imputation 

procedures and provided helpful consultations on these topics throughout the process. 

At NCES, Kristin Perry oversaw the report through the review process and Paula Knepper 

served as technical advisor. Other reviewers at NCES included Dennis Carroll, James Griffith, 

Tracy Hunt-White, and Ralph Lee. We appreciate their input, as well as the comments and suggestions of external reviewers Dawn Terkla at Tufts University, Alisa Cunningham of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, Duc-Le To of the Institute of Education Sciences was 

instrumental in the final review and publication process, and Joan Burrelli from the National Science Foundation. 
xi 

Contents 

Page 

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. iii 

Foreword.................................................................................................................................... ix

Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................... x 

List of Tables.............................................................................................................................. xiii 

List of Figures.......................................................................................................................... xviii 

Introduction............................................................................................................................... 1 

Data and Methods..................................................................................................................... 3 

Graduate Education.................................................................................................................. 5 

Participation in Graduate Programs ...................................................................................... 5 

Highest Degree Attained ....................................................................................................... 7 

Employment............................................................................................................................... 11 

Labor Force Participation...................................................................................................... 11 

Salary..................................................................................................................................... 14 

Looking Back: Opinions About Education............................................................................. 19 

Importance of Specific Undergraduate Experiences............................................................. 19 

Influence of College on Work, Education, and Financial Security....................................... 22 

Value of Undergraduate Education....................................................................................... 24 

Family Status............................................................................................................................. 27 

Marital Status ........................................................................................................................ 27 

Parenthood............................................................................................................................. 29 

Civic Participation..................................................................................................................... 33 

Community Service............................................................................................................... 33 

Political Participation ............................................................................................................ 37 

Summary and Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 41 

References.................................................................................................................................. 43 
Contents

xii 

Page 

Table Compendium................................................................................................................... 45 

Section I: Education .............................................................................................................. 47 

Section II: Employment ........................................................................................................ 69 

Section III: Opinions About Education................................................................................. 93 

Section IV: Family Status ..................................................................................................... 113 

Section V: Civic Participation............................................................................................... 135 

Appendix A—Glossary ............................................................................................................. A-1 

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology .................................................................. B-1 

The 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study.......................................... B-1 

Weighting.............................................................................................................................. B-3 

Quality of Estimates.............................................................................................................. B-3 

Imputation ............................................................................................................................. B-7 

Data Analysis System.......................................................................................................... B-10 

Statistical Procedures .......................................................................................................... B-13 
xiii 

List of Tables 

Table Page 

TEXT 

1 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an advanced 

degree program, by demographic and educational characteristics: 2003........................ 7 

2 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ highest degree 

attained, by demographic, educational, and employment characteristics: 2003 ............. 8

3 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ current labor force 

participation, by demographic, educational, and employment characteristics: 2003...... 12

4 Average annual salary of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, 

by employment level, gender, highest degree, and occupation: 2003............................. 15

5 Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had one 

full-time job and, of those, average hours worked per week and salary, by occupation, 

gender, and highest degree: 2003.................................................................................... 17

6 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that various 

characteristics of their undergraduate education were very important to their lives 

now, by baccalaureate major, institution type, and occupation: 2003 ............................ 20

7 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their 

undergraduate education was very important preparation for various areas of their 

lives now, by baccalaureate major, type of employer, and occupation: 2003................. 22

8 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their 

undergraduate education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by 

baccalaureate major: 2003............................................................................................... 25

9 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ marital status, by 

demographic, educational, and employment characteristics: 2003................................. 28

10 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ number of 

dependents younger than age 18, by education, employment, and family 

characteristics: 2003........................................................................................................ 30 
List of Tables

xiv 

Table Page 

11 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had participated in 

community service in the past year, and of those, percentage doing various types of 

service, by demographic, employment, and family characteristics: 2003 ...................... 34

12 Level of participation in community service for 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

who had volunteered in the past year, by demographic, employment, and family 

characteristics: 2003........................................................................................................ 36

13 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported participating in 

various political activities, by demographic and educational characteristics: 2003 ....... 38

COMPENDIUM 

Section I: Education 

I.1 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an advanced 

degree program, by selected characteristics: 2003.......................................................... 53 

I.2 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an 

advanced degree program, by persistence and completion and selected characteristics: 

2003................................................................................................................................. 55

I.3 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ highest degree 

attained, by selected characteristics: 2003 ...................................................................... 57

I.4 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees earned since 

1997, percentage distribution across detailed degree program, by selected 

characteristics: 2003........................................................................................................ 59

I.5 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage 

distribution across advanced degree fields of study, by selected characteristics: 2003.. 61

I.6 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees who 

received various types of aid for graduate study, by selected characteristics: 2003....... 63

I.7 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in subsequent 

undergraduate degree programs, and of those, percentage who completed such a 

program, by selected characteristics: 2003 ..................................................................... 65

I.8 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in other types of 

education, by selected characteristics: 2003 ................................................................... 67
List of Tables 

xv 

Table Page 

Section II : Employment 

II.1 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ current labor force 

participation, by selected characteristics: 2003............................................................... 76

II.2 Percentage distribution and average hours worked per week for currently employed 

1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by employment level and selected 

characteristics: 2003........................................................................................................ 78

II.3 Percentage distribution of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ 

occupation, by selected characteristics: 2003 ................................................................. 80

II.4 Percentage distribution of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ 

type of employer, by selected characteristics: 2003........................................................ 82

II.5 Average annual salary of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, 

by employment level and selected characteristics: 2003 ................................................ 84

II.6 Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with various 

job characteristics, and percentage who considered their job a part of their career, by 

selected characteristics: 2003.......................................................................................... 86

II.7 Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with various 

job benefits, by selected characteristics: 2003 ................................................................ 88

II.8 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were currently unemployed, 

percentage receiving unemployment compensation, and average total months spent 

unemployed, by selected characteristics: 2003 ............................................................... 90

Section III: Opinions About Education 

III.1 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that various 

characteristics of their undergraduate education were very important to their lives 

now, by selected characteristics: 2003 ............................................................................ 97

III.2 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their 

undergraduate education was very important preparation for various areas of their 

lives now, by selected characteristics: 2003.................................................................... 99

III.3 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their 

undergraduate education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by selected 

characteristics: 2003........................................................................................................ 101

III.4 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by the highest level 

of education they expect to complete as of 2003, by selected characteristics ................ 103
List of Tables

xvi 

Table Page 

III.5 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who 

reported being very satisfied with various characteristics of their graduate education,

by selected characteristics: 2003..................................................................................... 105

III.6 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who 

reported that various characteristics of their graduate education were very important

to their lives now, by selected characteristics: 2003 ....................................................... 107

III.7 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who 

reported that their graduate education was very important preparation for various

areas of their lives now, by selected characteristics: 2003.............................................. 109

III.8 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who 

reported that their graduate education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by 

selected characteristics: 2003.......................................................................................... 111 

Section IV: Family Status 

IV.1 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ marital status, by 

selected characteristics: 2003.......................................................................................... 119

IV.2 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ number of 

dependents younger than age 18, by selected characteristics: 2003 ............................... 121

IV.3 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents of various ages, 

and of those, average number of dependents, by selected characteristics: 2003 ............ 123

IV.4 Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than age 18, 

percentage with dependents in various childcare and educational arrangements, by 

selected characteristics: 2003.......................................................................................... 125

IV.5 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than 

age 18 who had taken leave from work for childrearing, by selected characteristics: 

2003................................................................................................................................. 127

IV.6 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than 

age 18 who are saving for their children’s education, by selected characteristics: 

2003................................................................................................................................. 129

IV.7 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ home ownership, by 

selected characteristics: 2003.......................................................................................... 131

IV.8 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ region of current 

residence and percentage living in same state as bachelor’s degree-granting institution 

and home state, by selected characteristics: 2003........................................................... 133
List of Tables 

xvii 

Table Page 

Section V: Civic Participation 

V.1 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who participated in community 

service in the past year, and of those, percentage doing various types of service, by 

selected characteristics: 2003.......................................................................................... 138

V.2 Level of participation in community service for 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

who volunteered in the past year, by selected characteristics: 2003............................... 140

V.3 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported participating in 

various political activities, by selected characteristics: 2003.......................................... 142

V.4 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported expressing an 

opinion to a public official in the last 2 years, by selected characteristics: 2003 ........... 144

APPENDIX 

B1 Variables used in this report with weighted response rates below 90 percent................ B-6 

B2 B&B:93/03 interview variables used in this report that were imputed, with percentage 

of cases imputed.............................................................................................................. B-7 

B3 B&B:93/03 derived variables used in this report that were imputed, with percentage 

of cases imputed.............................................................................................................. B-8 

B4 Standard errors for table 1: Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who 

enrolled in an advanced degree program, by demographic and educational 

characteristics: 2003........................................................................................................ B-11 

B5 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by selected 

demographic and educational characteristics: 2003........................................................ B-12 
xviii 

List of Figures 

Figure Page 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

A Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by highest degree 

attained: 2003 .................................................................................................................. iv 

B Median annual salary of employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by 

employment level and gender: 2003 ............................................................................... v 

C Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that various 

characteristics of their undergraduate education were very important to their lives 

now: 2003........................................................................................................................ vi 

D Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who participated in community service 

in the past year, percentage doing various types of service: 2003 .................................. vii 

TEXT 

1 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ advanced degree 

enrollment and completion: 2003.................................................................................... 6 

2 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ highest degree 

attained: 2003 .................................................................................................................. 9 

3 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with an advanced degree who 

worked in one full-time job in 2003, by field of advanced degree ................................. 13 

4 Median annual salary of employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by 

employment level and gender: 2003 ............................................................................... 16 

5 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who participated in community service 

in the past year, percentage doing various types of service: 2003 .................................. 35 
1 

Introduction 

In the 1992–93 academic year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) embarked on its first long-term longitudinal study of bachelor’s degree recipients, the Baccalaureate 

and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B). Students who had completed or expected to complete a 

bachelor’s degree between July 1992 and June 1993 were selected from a cross-section of students in all levels and sectors of postsecondary education in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These graduates were interviewed in 1993, then located and surveyed again 

in 1994 and 1997. In 2003, 10 years after they had completed a bachelor’s degree, the final follow-up of this cohort took place. This report provides a descriptive summary of the activities of 

this cohort of college graduates at the time of their interviews in 2003. Where similar information is available for the graduates when they were last interviewed in 1997, it is provided for context. However, this report does not test for changes over time within this cohort of bachelor’s 

degree recipients. 

The 2003 survey, like the previous follow-ups, asked bachelor’s degree recipients about 

many aspects of their lives, including their education, employment, family, civic participation, 

and finances, as well as their attitudes and opinions about many of their experiences. The wealth 

of information available in the 2003 survey—not to mention the combined information of four 

separate waves of data—is vast, and no single report can begin to do justice to the complexity of 

the data. Instead, this report provides an introduction to the 2003 data, offering a snapshot of 

activities in five areas by the 1992–93 cohort 10 years after they had graduated: subsequent education, employment, opinions about education, family status, and civic participation. Following a 

description of the data and methods, the body of the report provides a general overview of the 

graduates’ responses to selected items in these five areas, addressing the following questions:

• How much education beyond a bachelor’s degree had 1992–93 graduates completed by 2003? 

• What were the patterns of labor force participation in 2003? 

• How satisfied were they with their college education, and how did they evaluate it 

10 years later? 

• What percentage of cohort members in 2003 were married or had children? 

• What was their level of civic participation 10 years after college? 
Introduction

2 

This report also contains a table compendium as a reference to the wider range of information collected in this study. The compendium is organized into sections that correspond to the 

major sections of the overview: Education, Employment, Opinions About Education, Family 

Status, and Civic Participation. In each section, selected statistically significant findings are presented at the beginning, followed by the tables for that section. The tables provide further detail 

about the questions discussed in the overview, as well as additional information about other outcomes in each topic area. The variables used in this report are defined in appendix A. More information about the B&B:93/03 data is available in appendix B, and the standard errors for all 

the estimates presented in this report are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp. 
3 

Data and Methods 

The 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03) sample was 

obtained by identifying eligible bachelor’s degree recipients from the 1993 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:93), a nationally representative cross-section of all students in 

postsecondary education institutions in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.1

For NPSAS:93, information was obtained from more than 1,000 postsecondary institutions on 

approximately 50,000 undergraduate students and more than 13,000 graduate students.2 Those 

members of the NPSAS:93 sample who completed a bachelor’s degree between July 1, 1992 and 

June 30, 1993, were identified and contacted for a 1-year follow-up interview in 1994 and for a 

second follow-up in 1997. The final follow-up, conducted 10 years later in 2003, is the focus of 

this report. The estimates in this report are based on the results of surveys with approximately 

9,000 bachelor’s degree recipients, representing about 1.2 million people who completed a 

bachelor’s degree in 1992–93. The Internet-based survey could be self-administered or completed over the telephone with a trained interviewer. The weighted overall response rate for the 

B&B:93/03 interview was 74 percent, reflecting a base-year institution response rate of 88 percent and a 2003 follow-up student response rate of 83 percent. For more information about the 

B&B:93/03 data collection, see appendix B of this report. 

While information about this cohort from the 1997 data collection is used to provide context for the relationships presented in the analysis here, no longitudinal analysis of change in the 

graduates’ roles over time is conducted. In addition, the analysis conducted for this report generally does not control for the interrelationships among the variables considered; rather, it is designed to provide a descriptive overview of the activities of the 1992–93 college graduates 10 

years later. Thus, one should use caution in drawing conclusions based solely on the results presented here. Future NCES reports will explore selected topics in much greater depth, and researchers are invited to conduct their own analyses of the B&B:93/03 data. 

To avoid confounding influences of previous undergraduate experience, all analyses in this 

report are restricted to those for whom the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree was the first bachelor’s 

degree received (about 93 percent of the sample). Information about the operational definitions 

of this and other variables used in this report can be found in appendix A. Many results in this 

 

1 All tables in this report show totals for college graduates both with and without Puerto Rico. Breakouts by other variables include college graduates from Puerto Rico. 

2 Sample sizes have been rounded throughout to protect confidentiality. 
Data and Methods

4 

report are presented by demographic or undergraduate educational characteristics. The distribution of the group of first-time bachelor’s degree recipients analyzed in this report is available in 

appendix B. Demographic characteristics considered included gender, race/ethnicity, parents’ 

highest level of education, and age at bachelor’s completion. Distributions by baccalaureate degree major and the sector of the degree-granting institution are also shown. 

All comparisons made in the text were tested using Student’s t statistic for comparing two 

numbers or F-tests for overall significance and linear trends for comparisons across ordered 

categories. All differences cited were statistically significant at the .05 level. The formulas used 

and more detail on significance levels are provided in appendix B. 
5 

Graduate Education 

Graduate enrollments have increased since the early 1970s, with particularly high growth 

earlier in the period (U.S. Department of Education 2002). Among 1992–93 college graduates, 

29 percent had enrolled in a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree program when interviewed in 1997, within 4 years of completing college, with enrollment the highest during the first 

year after receiving a bachelor’s degree (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). Of those who had enrolled, about three-fourths (76 percent) were in a master’s degree program, 14 percent in a firstprofessional program, and 10 percent in a doctoral program (McCormick et al. 1999). In fact, by 

1997, 15 percent had attained a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree (Clune, Nuñez, 

and Choy 2001). This section describes the extent to which the 1992–93 graduates had enrolled 

in and completed graduate programs3 by 2003, 10 years after they obtained a bachelor’s degree. 

Participation in Graduate Programs 

By 2003, 40 percent of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients had enrolled in a master’s, 

doctoral, or first-professional degree program. This included 25 percent who completed a graduate degree, 6 percent who were enrolled in graduate education as of 2003, and 9 percent who had 

enrolled but left without completing a program (figure 1). Among those who had enrolled in a 

graduate program, about three-fifths (62 percent) had completed a degree, 15 percent were enrolled, and 23 percent left without a degree. 

Parents’ education was associated with the cohort’s graduate enrollment: as of the 1997 interview, graduates whose parents had advanced degrees were more likely than others to be enrolled in an advanced degree program (McCormick et al. 1999). This pattern was observed in 

2003 as well (table 1). Those bachelor’s degree recipients who had parents with advanced degrees were more likely to enroll in a graduate program than those who had parents with bachelor’s degrees, some postsecondary education, or a high school diploma or less. Graduates whose 

parents had more education were also more likely to have completed a graduate degree by 2003. 

For example, while one-third (33 percent) of college graduates whose parents had advanced degrees completed such a degree themselves within 10 years, 19–25 percent of other graduates 

completed an advanced degree. 

 

3 Throughout the text, the terms “graduate program” and “advanced degree program” are used interchangeably to refer to master’s, first-professional, and doctoral degree programs combined. Postbaccalaureate certificates are not included. 
Graduate Education

6 

Both undergraduate major and grade point average (GPA) were related to pursuing graduate education among the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients. Approximately one-half of those 

graduates who had a bachelor’s degree major in natural sciences and mathematics, education, 

and social and behavioral sciences (57, 50, and 50 percent, respectively) enrolled in an advanced 

degree program; more than those in all other fields. Business majors were less likely than other 

majors to have enrolled in a graduate program (25 vs. 34–57 percent). Natural sciences and 

mathematics majors were also more likely than others to have completed a graduate program in 

the 10 years since bachelor’s degree completion (39 vs. 17–30 percent). Undergraduate GPA was 

also associated with enrollment in a graduate program. A greater proportion of students with an 

undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher enrolled in and completed such a program than those with 

lower GPAs. 

Graduates’ patterns of enrollment in and completion of graduate programs 10 years after 

college were consistent with their plans at the time of graduation. About two-thirds (65 percent) 

of those who aspired to earn a doctoral or first-professional degree enrolled in a graduate program after bachelor’s degree completion. These graduates were more likely than those who expected to complete less education to have enrolled. Furthermore, those who expected to earn a 

master’s degree were more likely than those who expected to earn a bachelor’s degree to have 

enrolled. Higher degree expectations were also associated with a higher likelihood of completing 

a graduate degree within 10 years of college graduation. 

Figure 1.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ advanced degree enrollment and

Figure 1.—completion: 2003

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

25

62

15

9

23

60

6

0

20

40

60

80

100

All graduates Graduates who enrolled in

advanced degree programs

Percent

Never enrolled

Left without completing

Currently enrolled

Completed
 Graduate Education 

7 

Highest Degree Attained 

About one-fourth of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients earned an advanced degree during the past 10 years (table 2). Twenty percent of students earned a master’s degree, 4 percent 

earned a first-professional degree, and 2 percent earned a doctoral degree (figure 2). Men were 

more likely than women to earn a doctoral or first-professional degree, while women were more 

Table 1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an advanced degree program,

Table 1.—by demographic and educational characteristics: 2003

Total ever Currently Left without

Selected characteristics enrolled Completed enrolled completing

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 40.2 24.9 5.9 9.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 40.1 24.8 5.9 9.4

Gender

 Male 38.7 24.8 5.7 8.3

 Female 41.3 24.9 6.1 10.3

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 33.8 18.7 5.7 9.4

 Some postsecondary education 39.1 23.8 6.0 9.4

 Bachelor’s degree 39.9 24.6 6.6 8.7

 Advanced degree 48.7 32.8 5.7 10.3

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 25.4 16.6 3.2 5.6

 Education 50.3 28.3 8.1 13.9

 Engineering 39.2 24.5 5.4 9.3

 Health 36.5 22.0 6.5 8.0

 Public affairs/social services 36.3 20.6 6.2 9.5

 Humanities 42.6 25.5 7.1 10.1

 Social and behavioral sciences 49.8 30.3 8.7 10.8

 Natural sciences and mathematics 56.7 38.6 6.4 11.7

 Other 34.4 21.7 4.2 8.6

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 33.9 19.7 5.6 8.6

 2.75–3.74 46.4 29.7 6.7 9.9

 3.75 or higher 54.7 37.9 5.0 11.8

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 16.7 8.9 3.9 4.0

 Master’s degree 35.5 21.5 5.5 8.5

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 64.7 42.2 8.0 14.6

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

All graduates
Graduate Education

8 

likely than men to earn a master’s degree (table 2). These patterns were consistent with those observed for the same cohort of graduates in 1997 (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). 

Table 2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ highest degree attained,

Table 2.—by demographic, educational, and employment characteristics: 2003

FirstDemographic, educational, and Bachelor’s Master’s professional Doctoral

employment characteristics degree1 Total degree degree degree

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 74.4 25.6 19.7 4.0 1.9

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 74.4 25.6 19.7 4.0 1.9

Gender

 Male 74.4 25.6 18.0 4.9 2.7

 Female 74.5 25.5 21.1 3.2 1.3

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 83.3 16.7 14.7 1.8 0.2

 Education 71.1 28.9 26.3 1.5 1.1

 Engineering 74.2 25.9 22.2 0.9 2.7

 Health 77.9 22.1 19.4 2.1 0.6

 Public affairs/social services 79.4 20.6 18.2 1.8 0.6

 Humanities 73.0 27.1 21.5 4.3 1.2

 Social and behavioral sciences 68.6 31.4 21.8 7.2 2.3

 Natural sciences and mathematics 60.3 39.7 18.7 12.0 9.0

 Other 77.6 22.4 18.0 3.4 1.0

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 79.7 20.4 16.8 2.2 1.3

 2.75–3.74 69.4 30.6 21.3 7.1 2.3

 3.75 or higher 61.6 38.4 30.1 4.3 4.1

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 90.9 9.1 7.7 1.0 0.4

 Master’s degree 78.0 22.0 20.9 0.9 0.3

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 56.2 43.8 24.6 12.6 6.7

Occupation2

 Business and management 82.0 18.0 17.1 0.7 0.3

 Education 58.5 41.5 37.9 0.8 2.9

 Health professions 61.8 38.2 16.4 16.6 5.3

 Service industries 89.1 10.9 9.4 1.3 0.1

 Research, other professional/technical 66.3 33.7 19.7 10.1 3.8

 Engineering/architecture/computer science 82.2 17.8 15.9 0.2 1.7

 Other 87.9 12.1 9.0 3.1 #

#Rounds to zero.

1

Includes postbaccalaureate certificates.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Advanced degree
 Graduate Education 

9 

Graduates’ baccalaureate major was associated with advanced degree completion. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences and mathematics were more likely than those 

who majored in other subjects to earn a doctoral degree (9 percent vs. up to 3 percent). Graduates 

with majors in natural sciences and mathematics or in social and behavioral sciences were also 

more likely than those with other majors to earn a first-professional degree. About one-fourth (26 

percent) of graduates who earned a bachelor’s degree in education had a master’s degree by 

2003, a higher percentage than graduates with majors in business, health, public affairs/social 

services, natural sciences and mathematics, or “other” unspecified fields. 

Students who expected, at the time they graduated from college, to earn a master’s degree 

were more likely than those who expected to earn a bachelor’s degree to attain a master’s degree 

by 2003 (21 vs. 8 percent). Students with master’s degree expectations were, however, less likely 

than those with doctoral or first-professional degree expectations to earn a master’s degree (21 

vs. 25 percent), perhaps because graduates who expected a doctoral degree may have earned a 

master’s degree en route to a doctorate. A greater proportion of college graduates who expected 

to earn a doctoral or first-professional degree than those who expected to earn a bachelor’s or 

master’s degree attained a first-professional degree. Finally, 7 percent of those college graduates 

who expected to earn a doctoral or first-professional degree completed a doctorate within 10 

years of college graduation, compared with less than 1 percent of those who expected to earn a 

bachelor’s or master’s degree. 

Figure 2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ highest degree attained: 2003

1

Includes postbaccalaureate certificates.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Bachelor’s degree1

(73%)

Master’s degree

(20%)

Doctoral degree

(2%)

First-professional 

degree

(4%)
Graduate Education

10 

Similar to the results related to bachelor’s degree major, college graduates working in the 

education field were more likely than those working in any other occupation to hold a master’s 

degree (38 vs. 9–20 percent). Reflecting the fact that the M.D. and D.D.S. are first-professional 

degrees, health professionals were more likely to hold a first-professional degree than bachelor’s 

degree recipients working in other occupations. Those working in research or other professional 

or technical occupations were generally more likely than those working in other occupations (excluding health) to hold a first-professional degree. Additionally, those in the health field were 

more likely than those in most other occupations to hold a doctoral degree, except for those in 

the education and research fields. 
11 

Employment 

Using previous rounds of B&B data for the 1992–93 cohort of college graduates, NCES 

has produced a number of descriptive reports that examine various aspects of graduates’ employment after leaving college. These topics include the relationship of undergraduate major to 

employment outcomes (Horn and Zahn 2001), the prevalence of alternative employment such as 

part-time work, self-employment, and employment in multiple jobs (Bradburn and Berger 2002), 

and occupational attrition or stability over time (Henke and Zahn 2001). This section provides 

the latest look at the employment characteristics of this cohort of graduates, describing their labor force participation and salaries in 2003.4

Labor Force Participation 

In 2003, 10 years after earning a bachelor’s degree, most bachelor’s degree recipients (87 

percent) were employed, primarily in one full-time job (70 percent; table 3). Nine percent were 

employed in multiple jobs, and 8 percent had one part-time job.5 Another 4 percent were unemployed (not working, but looking for work), and the remaining 9 percent were out of the labor 

force (not working and not looking for work). Consistent with findings from the 1994 and 1997 

waves of this study (Horn and Zahn 2001; Bradburn and Berger 2002), gender differences in the 

likelihood of being employed part time or being out of the labor force were found. In 2003, men 

were more likely than women to work full time (81 vs. 61 percent), while women were more 

likely than men to work part time (12 vs. 3 percent) or to be out of the labor force (15 vs. 2 percent). 

Educational attainment after earning the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree was also related to the 

likelihood of working full time, part time, or in multiple jobs (table 3). College graduates who 

had attained doctoral or first-professional degrees before 2003 were more likely to be employed 

full time than those who had earned master’s degrees or bachelor’s degrees. About 80 percent of 

bachelor’s degree recipients with first-professional or doctoral degrees worked at one full-time 

 

4 When interviewed in 2003, graduates were asked about the characteristics of their current job or, if not employed, about their

most recent job, as long as they were employed at some point since 1997. Unless otherwise specified, employment status refers to 

status when interviewed in 2003, but job characteristics refer to the graduate’s current (2003) or most recent (since 1997) job. 

(When only employed graduates are included in a table, the job characteristics describe the current [2003] job.) 

5 For convenience, respondents working one full-time job will hereafter be described as “working full time,” and those working 

one part-time job will be described as “working part time.” That is, unless otherwise specified, respondents are employed in one 

job only. 
Employment

12 

job, compared with 71 percent of graduates with master’s degrees and 69 percent with bachelor’s 

degrees. 

Among graduates with advanced degrees, field of study for that degree was related to the 

intensity of their labor force participation as well. Graduates whose major or field of study in 

Table 3.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ current labor force participation,

Table 3.—by demographic, educational, and employment characteristics: 2003

Demographic, educational, Full time, Part time, Multiple Out of the

and employment characteristics Total one job one job jobs Unemployed labor force

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 87.3 70.2 7.9 9.3 3.8 8.9

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 87.3 70.1 7.9 9.2 3.8 8.9

Gender

 Male 93.9 81.1 3.5 9.4 4.1 2.0

 Female 81.7 61.1 11.6 9.1 3.6 14.6

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 85.7 69.2 8.0 8.5 4.4 10.0

 Master’s degree 91.2 70.8 8.3 12.1 2.2 6.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 94.4 80.4 5.9 8.1 2.1 3.6

Field of advanced degree1

 Business and management 94.9 80.4 6.1 8.5 2.0 3.1

 Education 91.0 69.8 8.4 12.8 1.5 7.6

 Health 91.2 67.5 10.6 13.1 0.5 8.3

 Arts and humanities 87.7 52.2 13.2 22.3 6.5 5.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 93.2 64.1 12.6 16.5 1.5 5.3

 Science/math/engineering 92.7 84.7 3.5 4.6 1.3 6.0

 Other 90.5 74.5 6.1 9.9 3.9 5.6

Occupation2

 Business and management 91.0 78.2 5.9 7.0 3.3 5.7

 Education 86.3 65.7 9.3 11.3 2.3 11.4

 Health professions 89.0 57.4 15.2 16.4 2.5 8.5

 Service industries 87.2 69.2 11.6 6.4 3.5 9.3

 Research, other professional/

 technical 87.5 68.5 7.4 11.6 5.2 7.3

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 91.6 84.8 3.2 3.7 5.5 2.9

 Other 87.3 68.0 8.3 11.1 5.2 7.5

1

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree. Refers to the field of the highest

degree attained or, if two or more programs qualified as the highest degree, the field of the most recent degree attained.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Employed
 Employment 

13 

their highest degree was science, mathematics, or engineering were more likely than those who 

studied all other subjects except business to work full time 10 years after graduating from college 

(85 vs. 52–74 percent; figure 3). Bachelor’s degree recipients who studied arts and humanities 

for their highest degree were the least likely group to work full time when compared with those 

who most recently studied other fields (with the exception of social and behavioral sciences): 52 

percent of graduates who studied arts and humanities for an advanced degree worked full time, 

compared with 67–85 percent. 

For college graduates whose highest degree was a bachelor’s degree, however, field of 

study for that degree may be less relevant to their employment 10 years later, because college 

graduates often change fields upon entering the job market or later on in their career (Henke and 

Zahn 2001). Examining labor market participation by occupation provides a more up-to-date 

look at labor force participation by field for all graduates. Although the majority of college 

graduates in all occupations were employed 10 years after earning a bachelor’s degree, those in 

some occupations were more likely than others to be employed in one full-time job. Specifically, 

85 percent of graduates working in engineering, architecture, or computer science were employed full time, compared with 78 percent of those in business and management, 69 percent in 

service industries, 68 percent in research or other professional or technical occupations, 68 percent in other unspecified occupations, 66 percent of educators, and 57 percent of health professionals. 

Figure 3.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with an advanced degree who worked in one

Figure 3.—full-time job in 2003, by field of advanced degree

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

80

70 67

52

64

85

74

0

20

40

60

80

100

Business

and management

Education Health Arts and

humanities

Social/

behavioral 

sciences

Science/

mathematics/

engineering

Other

Percent
Employment

14 

Salary 

Among 1992–93 college graduates who were employed in 2003, salaries varied by education level, occupation, and level of employment. Table 4 shows the average and median salaries 

for bachelor’s degree recipients employed in one full-time job, one part-time job, and in multiple 

jobs. The average salary for full-time workers was $60,700, and the median salary was $52,000. 

Consistent with earlier results for this cohort (Bradburn and Berger 2002), men earned more than 

women in their full-time work: men earned an average of $69,900 per year, compared with 

$50,600 for women. The median salaries reflected the same pattern, with men’s median salary 

about $15,000 higher than women’s among full-time workers (figure 4). However, gender differences in salary are lower among bachelor’s degree recipients than among employees with less 

education, and these gaps have closed over time (U.S. Department of Education 2002). 

In general, college graduates with higher degrees earned more than those with lower degrees. Among graduates who worked full time, those with a doctoral or first-professional degree 

earned an average of $80,900 annually, compared with $61,100 for master’s degree recipients 

and $58,800 for bachelor’s degree recipients. The same pattern emerged for graduates with multiple jobs, with doctoral or first-professional degree recipients earning an average of $65,000, 

compared with $47,900 for master’s degree recipients and $47,000 for bachelor’s degree recipients. 

Engineers, architects, and computer scientists not only were more likely to work full time 

than their peers in other occupations but also earned higher salaries than those in several other 

fields (table 4). Full-time workers in this group, along with those in business and management, 

earned higher salaries than their counterparts in education, service industries, research, or other 

unspecified occupations. Ten years after earning a bachelor’s degree, engineers, architects, and 

computer scientists averaged $72,200 per year, compared with an average annual salary of 

$69,700 for those in business or management and $41,900–66,900 for those in other occupations. 

Median salaries in business and management and in engineering, architecture, or computer science were also higher than those for other occupations, and the median salary for engineering, 

architecture, or computer science, at $69,000 per year, was also higher than that for business and 

management ($59,700). However, these findings varied by graduate degree attainment. Although 

graduate attainment was positively associated with higher average and median salaries for most 

occupations, college graduates who had completed a graduate degree and, in 2003, were employed in the service industry or as engineers, architects, or computer scientists did not report 

measurably higher salaries than their counterparts who had not attained graduate degrees.6

 

6 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

(B&B:93/03), Data Analysis System. Not shown in tables. 
 Employment 

15 

Table 4.—Average annual salary of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by 

Table 4.—employment level, gender, highest degree, and occupation: 2003

Gender, highest degree, Average Median Average Median Average Median

and occupation salary salary salary salary salary salary

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $60,800 $52,000 $41,400 $31,800 $48,300 $40,900

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 60,700 52,000 41,300 31,800 48,200 40,900

Gender

 Male 69,900 60,000 55,100 38,000 55,700 46,000

 Female 50,600 45,000 37,800 31,000 42,000 37,500

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 58,800 50,300 38,700 31,200 47,000 40,000

 Master’s degree 61,100 54,300 45,000 33,000 47,900 41,300

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 80,900 64,000 ‡ ‡ 65,000 55,000

Occupation

 Business and management 69,700 59,700 47,300 38,500 63,200 56,000

 Education 41,900 39,900 25,400 21,000 33,100 35,000

 Health professions 66,900 54,400 48,900 43,700 61,000 53,000

 Service industries 59,400 52,000 37,100 25,000 46,600 30,000

 Research, other 

 professional/technical 58,300 49,400 49,800 31,200 42,400 35,400

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 72,200 69,000 ‡ ‡ 55,200 52,000

 Other 46,100 40,000 25,700 23,400 36,400 35,400

Occupation

 Business and management 67,300 59,700 46,200 37,000 60,000 48,500

 Education 38,200 36,800 23,000 20,000 29,400 30,000

 Health professions 58,300 50,000 43,800 40,400 59,300 52,000

 Service industries 58,900 51,700 38,500 25,200 48,900 30,000

 Research, other 

 professional/technical 52,700 45,800 37,400 32,000 42,100 35,000

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 71,800 68,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Other 43,700 39,900 23,700 20,800 34,800 35,000

Occupation

 Business and management 80,400 74,500 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Education 46,600 43,500 28,500 21,000 37,900 38,000

 Health professions 77,400 58,000 65,200 61,650 63,800 54,000

 Service industries 63,600 52,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Research, other 

 professional/technical 68,200 57,000 72,500 31,200 42,900 36,400

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 73,500 72,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Other 63,000 65,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Full time, one job Part time, one job Multiple jobs

Bachelor’s degree recipients with a graduate degree

Bachelor’s degree recipients without a graduate degree
Employment

16 

Eighty percent of employed graduates worked full time 10 years after earning a bachelor’s 

degree. They worked an average of 47 hours per week, and earned about $60,700 per year (table 

5). However, the percentage working full time, number of hours worked per week, and salary 

varied by occupation. Table 5 presents these figures by gender and highest degree attained by 

2003, separately within occupational categories. Consistent with earlier findings, salary differences by gender persisted even when occupation was taken into account. Men employed full 

time in business and management, education, health professions, service industries, and research 

earned more than their female counterparts in the same professions. 

Within some occupation groups, full-time workers who had doctoral or first-professional 

degrees worked more hours each week than their counterparts who had master’s or bachelor’s 

degrees. Those with doctoral or first-professional degrees who worked as educators averaged 53 

hours per week, compared with 46–47 hours per week for bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients. Among health professionals, those with doctoral or first-professional degrees worked 61 

hours per week, compared with 45–46 hours per week for those with bachelor’s or master’s degrees. Finally, in research and other professional or technical occupations, graduates with doctoral or first-professional degrees worked about 50 hours per week, while their peers with 

master’s or bachelor’s degrees worked 45 hours per week. 

Figure 4.—Median annual salary of employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by employment level

Figure 4.—and gender: 2003

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

$60,000

$38,000 $45,000 $46,000

$31,000 $37,500

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

Full time, one job Part time, one job Multiple jobs

Salary

Male Female

$
 Employment 

17 

Table 5.—Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had one full-time job 

Table 5.—and, of those, average hours worked per week and salary, by occupation, gender, and highest

Table 5.—degree: 2003

Average hours

Gender and highest degree Percent worked per week Average salary

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 80.4 47.2 $60,800

All occupations

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 80.4 47.2 60,700

Gender

 Male 86.4 49.0 69,900

 Female 74.7 45.2 50,600

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 80.7 46.7 58,800

 Master’s degree 77.6 46.8 61,100

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 85.2 54.1 80,900

Business and management

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 85.9 48.2 69,700

Gender

 Male 89.5 50.2 79,300

 Female 81.5 45.5 56,900

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 85.8 48.1 67,300

 Master’s degree 86.5 48.7 79,400

 Doctoral/first-professional degree ‡ ‡ ‡

Education

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 76.2 46.9 41,900

Gender

 Male 73.6 48.4 47,400

 Female 77.2 46.4 40,100

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 76.1 47.0 38,200

 Master’s degree 76.4 46.2 45,900

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 74.5 53.4 53,900

Health professions

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 64.5 49.8 66,900

Gender

 Male 78.6 56.4 79,300

 Female 57.6 45.4 58,600

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 59.1 44.6 58,300

 Master’s degree 57.9 46.1 67,700

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 82.3 60.8 81,900

See notes at end of table.
Employment

18 

Table 5.—Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had one full-time job 

Table 5.—and, of those, average hours worked per week and salary, by occupation, gender, and highest

Table 5.—degree: 2003—Continued

Average hours

Gender and highest degree Percent worked per week Average salary

Service industries

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 79.4 47.2 $59,400

Gender

 Male 87.8 48.9 65,800

 Female 70.0 44.9 50,400

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 80.3 47.0 58,900

 Master’s degree 79.9 48.8 62,400

 Doctoral/first-professional degree ‡ ‡ ‡

Research/other professional/technical

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 78.3 46.2 58,300

Gender

 Male 84.2 47.4 64,300

 Female 72.8 44.9 51,900

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 77.7 45.4 52,700

 Master’s degree 69.6 45.2 52,600

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 92.7 49.8 84,100

Engineering/architecture/computer science

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 92.5 45.5 72,200

Gender

 Male 94.5 46.1 73,300

 Female 85.3 43.2 67,700

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 92.7 45.4 71,900

 Master’s degree 90.8 45.2 71,300

 Doctoral/first-professional degree ‡ ‡ ‡

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
19 

Looking Back: Opinions About Education 

The 2003 follow-up completes the study of this cohort of bachelor’s degree recipients and, 

as the final installment of information about their postbaccalaureate paths, represents an appropriate time to ask graduates to reflect on their college years. Several items in the survey asked 

them to assess their undergraduate education: the value of specific aspects of their college education to them now; the usefulness of their undergraduate education as a whole to some of the 

broad areas of their lives; and the overall worth of the investments they made in their college 

years. This section summarizes how college graduates evaluated their undergraduate education 

10 years after bachelor’s degree completion. 

Importance of Specific Undergraduate Experiences 

The 1992–93 college graduates were asked which aspects of their undergraduate education—major, liberal arts courses, professional courses, quality of instruction, and internships or 

other work opportunities—they considered to be very important to their lives in 2003. About 

three-fifths of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients reported that the quality of instruction they 

received as undergraduates (61 percent) and their undergraduate major field (58 percent) remained very important to their lives 10 years later (table 6). These proportions were larger than 

those who attributed the same importance to the liberal arts courses they took, the undergraduate 

professional courses they took, or any internship or work opportunities they had as undergraduates (36 percent, 50 percent, and 42 percent, respectively). 

Baccalaureate degree major was related to the likelihood of reporting that undergraduate 

characteristics were very important 10 years later. College graduates who majored in health, engineering, education, or natural sciences and mathematics were more likely than those with any 

other major to report that their undergraduate major field was very important to their lives 10 

years later (64–74 vs. 46–58 percent). On the other hand, humanities majors and social/ 

behavioral science majors were more likely than those with all other majors to indicate that their 

undergraduate liberal arts courses were very important to their lives; 61 percent of humanities 

majors and 49 percent of social/behavioral science majors said this, compared with 41 percent or 

less for other majors. Engineering majors were less likely than all other majors to report this importance of their liberal arts courses; 14 percent of engineering majors said those courses remained very important to their lives in 2003. Majors in health or in business were also less 
Looking Back: Opinions About Education

20 

likely than others to say that the liberal arts courses they took were very important to their lives 

now. In contrast, health majors were more likely than graduates with other majors to report that 

their undergraduate professional courses remained very important to their lives, while humanities 

majors and social/behavioral sciences majors were less likely to do so. Finally, those who majored in education, health, humanities, or natural sciences and mathematics were more likely than 

Table 6.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that various characteristics of 

Table 6.—their undergraduate education were very important to their lives now, by baccalaureate major,

Table 6.—institution type, and occupation: 2003

Internship

Undergrad- and other

Baccalaureate major, Bacca- uate pro- work 

institution type, laureate Liberal arts fessional Quality of opporand occupation major courses courses instruction tunities None

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 58.4 36.4 49.7 60.7 41.8 8.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 58.3 36.3 49.8 60.7 41.8 8.8

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 58.3 25.0 56.3 55.8 35.5 11.1

 Education 65.0 38.2 55.4 64.4 50.9 6.5

 Engineering 69.6 13.7 49.4 53.8 44.8 6.5

 Health 73.8 20.9 72.5 67.7 55.9 4.3

 Public affairs/social services 56.4 37.4 54.8 58.1 46.1 8.9

 Humanities 52.4 60.9 34.9 66.5 34.1 8.2

 Social and behavioral sciences 43.9 49.4 39.5 58.0 38.7 12.0

 Natural sciences and mathematics 64.3 33.3 46.5 65.9 39.5 6.8

 Other 54.0 41.5 46.3 60.3 45.2 8.9

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 59.8 32.4 51.7 57.8 43.0 9.1

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 55.6 46.0 46.4 67.5 39.4 7.1

 Other 54.4 20.7 46.7 53.4 42.6 19.0

Occupation1

 Business and management 53.5 34.0 52.4 57.0 36.3 10.6

 Education 68.1 42.6 57.6 67.6 50.6 5.3

 Health professions 68.6 27.7 62.8 66.6 52.2 5.2

 Service industries 48.7 37.4 42.3 53.9 38.0 10.7

 Research, other professional/

 technical 58.9 45.2 41.9 62.7 42.6 7.7

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 66.2 25.9 50.6 61.9 44.0 4.8

 Other 43.0 32.7 35.0 55.2 31.0 18.7

1

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
 Looking Back: Opinions About Education 

21 

business or engineering majors to report that the quality of the undergraduate instruction they 

received was very important 10 years later. 

Graduates of public institutions were more likely than graduates of private not-for-profit 

institutions to report that their major field, the professional classes they had taken, and their internship or other work opportunities as undergraduates were very important in 2003, 10 years 

after graduation. On the other hand, a larger percentage of graduates of private not-for-profit institutions than graduates of public institutions said that liberal arts courses and the quality of instruction they received were very important. 

Perhaps reflecting the relationship between undergraduate major field and subsequent occupation, among employed 1992–93 graduates, occupational field in 2003 was associated with a 

declared importance of undergraduate major field to their current lives. Specifically, employees 

in business, service industry, or other unspecified occupations (43–53 percent) were less likely 

than others to say their major field was very important 10 years later, while workers in education, 

health occupations, research or other professional or technical jobs, and engineering, architecture, or computer science (59–69 percent) were more likely to report this influence. 

Graduates employed in education, health, and research or other professional or technical 

fields were more likely than those employed in business, service industries, and other unspecified fields to claim that the quality of their undergraduate instruction was very important to their 

lives 10 years later. Employed graduates in education and in health were more likely than those 

in other occupations to say that undergraduate internships and other work opportunities were 

very important to their lives 10 years later. In addition, employees in research or other professional or technical jobs and in engineering, architecture, or computer science were more likely 

than employees in business or in other unspecified occupations to report this enduring influence. 

These results varied somewhat by graduate attainment. In general, college graduates who 

had completed a graduate degree were more likely than their counterparts who had not attained a 

graduate degree to report that their undergraduate major, liberal arts courses, and the quality of 

undergraduate instruction were very important 10 years later.7 Graduates who majored in education or the social or behavioral sciences as undergraduates and had gone on to complete a graduate degree were more likely to consider their undergraduate education very important to their 

lives than their peers who majored in those subjects as undergraduates and did not complete a 

graduate degree. On the other hand, graduates with advanced degrees who were employed as en-

 

7 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

(B&B:93/03), Data Analysis System. Not shown in tables. 
Looking Back: Opinions About Education

22 

gineers in 2003 were less likely to consider their undergraduate education very important compared with engineers who had not completed a graduate degree. 

Influence of College on Work, Education, and Financial Security 

The 1992–93 graduates were also asked about specific aspects of their lives—work and career, further education, and financial security—and whether they considered their undergraduate 

education (as a whole) to be very important preparation for those areas (table 7). Nearly four out 

Table 7.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their undergraduate

Table 7.—education was very important preparation for various areas of their lives now, by baccalaureate

Table 7.—major, type of employer, and occupation: 2003

Baccalaureate major, Establishing Not

type of employer, Work and Further financial important

and occupation career education security preparation

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 78.5 55.9 57.1 8.0

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 78.5 55.9 57.2 8.1

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 82.6 46.4 61.7 7.6

 Education 79.8 60.5 53.3 7.1

 Engineering 88.1 46.9 72.3 3.7

 Health 86.0 60.1 70.6 5.3

 Public affairs/social services 77.8 58.6 56.5 8.4

 Humanities 69.7 60.3 47.7 11.0

 Social and behavioral sciences 69.3 61.6 49.2 11.8

 Natural sciences and mathematics 80.8 67.3 61.2 5.1

 Other 76.7 51.6 52.1 9.4

Type of employer1

 Self-employed 67.4 50.7 49.7 13.0

 For-profit 77.3 50.2 59.0 8.9

 Not-for-profit 81.4 62.9 53.3 5.9

 Local/state government 82.7 65.6 56.7 4.6

 Federal government 81.6 60.6 59.5 7.9

 Military 79.8 65.1 55.0 9.8

Occupation1

 Business and management 81.7 48.7 61.1 7.8

 Education 84.8 68.9 57.5 4.3

 Health professions 82.7 69.0 62.2 4.4

 Service industries 69.5 45.2 53.3 11.9

 Research, other professional/technical 77.2 59.9 52.6 7.2

 Engineering/architecture/computer science 84.9 48.1 67.5 6.0

 Other 55.9 52.7 40.6 19.1

1

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
 Looking Back: Opinions About Education 

23 

of five graduates (78 percent) reported that their undergraduate education was very important in 

preparing them for their work and careers; a majority also indicated that their college years were 

very important preparation for their further education (56 percent) and financial security (57 percent). Yet 8 percent did not feel that their undergraduate education was very important to any of 

these aspects of their lives. 

Again, undergraduate major field and occupational area were related to the level of importance graduates attached to their undergraduate education for work, further education, and financial security. Nearly nine out of ten (88 percent) engineering majors reported that their 

undergraduate education was very important preparation for their work and career now, more 

than any other major except health. Undergraduate majors that prepare students for specific occupations, such as engineering or nursing, are typically more likely to be consistent with graduates’ occupations after college (Horn and Zahn 2001). On the other hand, graduates who majored 

in humanities or in social and behavioral sciences (69–70 percent) were generally less likely than 

graduates with all other majors to feel that their undergraduate education was very important 

preparation for their work lives. 

Furthermore, graduates who majored in business or engineering as undergraduates were 

generally less likely than graduates who majored in all other fields to report that their undergraduate education was very important preparation for further education (46 and 47 vs. 52–67 

percent). This may reflect the fact that business and engineering majors were less likely than 

those majoring in other fields to pursue graduate education (see table 1). However, two-thirds 

(67 percent) of majors in natural sciences and mathematics reported that college was very important to their further education. Finally, engineering and health majors were more likely than majors in all other fields to report that their undergraduate education was very important to their 

financial security 10 years later (71–72 percent vs. 48–62 percent). 

Some of these patterns by baccalaureate major translated into similar patterns by occupation. Employees in business, education, health, and engineering, architecture, or computer science were more likely than those working in other fields to say that their undergraduate 

education was very important preparation for their work and career (82–85 vs. 56–77 percent). 

For example, 85 percent of educators felt this way, compared with 69 percent of those employed 

in service industries. In addition, educators and health professionals (69 percent each), who 

tended to be more likely to continue their education (see compendium table I.1), were more 

likely than other graduates to feel that their college years were very important for their further 

education. Finally, engineers, architects, and computer scientists (67 percent) reported more often than all others except health professionals (62 percent) that their undergraduate education 

was very important preparation for their financial security. Professionals in health (62 percent) 
Looking Back: Opinions About Education

24 

and business (61 percent) were also more likely than employees in most other fields (except education) to feel this way. 

Not just the field of employment but also the type of employer was related to the importance of undergraduate education for different aspects of graduates’ lives in 2003. In particular, 

self-employed graduates were less likely than other graduates to feel that their undergraduate 

education was very important preparation for their work and career (67 vs. 77–83 percent). They 

were also less likely than those in the for-profit sector or at any level of government to feel that 

their undergraduate education was very important preparation for their financial security (50 vs. 

57–60 percent). Graduates who were self-employed and those working in the for-profit sector 

were also less likely than other graduates to claim that their college years were very important 

preparation for further education (51 and 50 percent, respectively, vs. 61–66 percent). 

Graduates who had attained advanced degrees assessed the impact of their undergraduate 

experiences on their later education somewhat differently. College graduates who completed advanced degrees were consistently more likely than their peers who had not attained graduates 

degrees across all undergraduate major and occupation fields to consider their undergraduate 

education very important preparation for further education.8 Furthermore, among graduates who 

majored in education or humanities as undergraduates, those who attained advanced degrees 

were more likely than those who did not to consider their undergraduate education very important preparation for their work and career. Those with undergraduate majors in education who 

held advanced degrees were more likely than their peers without graduate degrees to consider 

their undergraduate education very important preparation for their financial stability, whereas 

those who majored in health fields as undergraduates and attained advanced degrees were less 

likely to consider their college years very important preparation for their financial stability compared to health majors who had not completed a graduate degree. 

Value of Undergraduate Education 

Finally, the 1992–93 college graduates were asked to reevaluate their undergraduate education and decide whether they felt, 10 years later, that it was worth the financial cost, time, and 

effort required to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Overall, the graduates evaluated their undergraduate education very favorably: at least 9 out of 10 felt it was worth the cost, time, and effort (90, 

93, and 96 percent, respectively; table 8). Three percent, however, did not feel that their college 

years had been worth any of these investments. 

 

8 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

(B&B:93/03), Data Analysis System. Not shown in tables. 
 Looking Back: Opinions About Education 

25 

Despite the high overall evaluation, there were a few differences in the percentage reporting that college was worth the financial cost by undergraduate major. College graduates who majored in health or engineering were more likely than those who majored in other fields except for 

business to say that their college education was worth its financial cost (94 vs. 85–91 percent). 

Table 8.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their undergraduate

Table 8.—education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by baccalaureate major: 2003

Amount Amount Not worth cost,

Baccalaureate major Financial cost of time of effort time or effort

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 90.4 93.2 95.7 2.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 90.2 93.2 95.6 2.8

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 91.6 92.7 95.0 3.5

 Education 91.0 93.7 95.3 2.6

 Engineering 93.9 94.5 95.8 1.4

 Health 94.1 95.0 96.5 1.6

 Public affairs/social services 85.2 93.3 96.0 2.1

 Humanities 88.8 93.7 96.7 2.5

 Social and behavioral sciences 88.3 92.5 95.3 2.8

 Natural sciences and mathematics 90.5 92.5 94.8 3.3

 Other 87.8 93.1 96.2 3.0

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
27 

Family Status 

Among 1992–93 college graduates, about one-third of women (34 percent) and one-fourth 

of men (26 percent) had married before earning a bachelor’s degree, and 14 percent already had 

children (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). Among recent college graduates, marriage, parenthood, graduate education, and employment sometimes compete with each other as graduates pursue different paths and goals (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001; Moen 1992). In this section, the 

marital and parental status of 1992–93 college graduates in 2003 is examined in relation to the 

other roles they hold as well as their demographic characteristics. 

Marital Status 

About two-thirds (68 percent) of 1992–93 college graduates were married in 2003, and 20 

percent were single and had never been married9 (table 9). Smaller percentages reported that they 

were divorced (6 percent), cohabiting (4 percent), separated (1 percent), or widowed (0.4 percent). Men were more likely than women to report that they were single (22 vs. 18 percent), 

while women were more likely than men to report that they were divorced (7 vs. 5 percent) or 

widowed (0.7 vs. 0.1 percent). These findings are consistent with earlier ones that women were 

more likely than men to have married by the time they completed a bachelor’s degree or to have 

married in the first 4 years after completing college (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). 

Differences in marital status by race/ethnicity 4 years after college completion (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001) also persisted to 2003. Ten years after college, Asian/Pacific Islander and 

Black, non-Hispanic, graduates were more likely than their White, non-Hispanic,10 and Hispanic 

counterparts to be single (37 and 33 percent, respectively, vs. 18–19 percent). About one-half of 

Asian and Black graduates were married (54 and 52 percent, respectively), compared with 70 

percent of White graduates and 65 percent of Hispanic graduates. Black and Hispanic graduates 

were more likely than Asian graduates to be divorced (9 percent each vs. 2 percent). 

As in earlier years (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001), pursuit of further education was associated with a lower likelihood of marriage. In 2003, compared with their peers who were not enrolled, graduates who were enrolled in a postsecondary program at that time were more likely to 

 

9 For simplicity, the term “single” is used hereafter to refer to those who are single and have never been married. 

10 Hereafter, “Asian” refers to Asian/Pacific Islander; “Black” refers to Black, non-Hispanic; and “White” refers to White nonHispanic. 
Family Status

28 

Table 9.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ marital status, by demographic, 

Table 9.—educational, and employment characteristics: 2003

Single,

Demographic, educational, and never Cohabiting,

employment characteristics married not married Married Separated Divorced Widowed

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 20.1 4.3 68.2 1.2 5.9 0.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 20.0 4.3 68.1 1.2 5.9 0.4

Gender

 Male 22.2 4.3 67.5 1.1 4.9 0.1

 Female 18.2 4.3 68.7 1.3 6.8 0.7

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 18.2 4.4 70.4 1.0 5.7 0.4

 Black, non-Hispanic 32.6 2.8 51.9 3.5 8.9 0.3

 Hispanic 18.6 5.3 64.9 1.3 8.7 1.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 37.3 4.7 54.4 1.2 2.4 #

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 19.6 4.4 68.9 1.1 5.6 0.4

 Currently enrolled 24.6 3.5 59.5 1.9 9.8 0.7

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 19.3 4.2 68.7 1.2 6.3 0.4

 Master’s degree 20.1 4.8 68.0 1.0 5.6 0.5

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 29.5 4.6 60.7 2.2 3.0 #

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 20.9 4.6 66.8 1.1 6.1 0.4

 Full time, one job 21.6 4.7 66.5 1.2 5.7 0.4

 Part time, one job 12.1 3.1 77.9 1.4 5.1 0.5

 Multiple jobs 23.4 5.5 60.2 0.8 10.0 0.1

 Unemployed 31.0 4.8 53.6 2.4 7.0 1.2

 Out of the labor force 6.6 1.2 86.8 1.3 3.5 0.7

Salary

2

 Low 20.2 4.3 66.2 1.6 6.8 0.8

 Middle 21.2 4.6 66.3 1.4 6.2 0.3

 High 18.2 4.0 72.3 0.5 4.8 0.2

#Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
 Family Status 

29 

be single (25 vs. 20 percent) or divorced (10 vs. 6 percent) and less likely to be married (60 vs. 

69 percent). In addition, 1992–93 graduates who had completed a doctoral or first-professional 

degree were more likely than other graduates to be single in 2003 (29 vs. 19–20 percent), and 

they were less likely to be married (61 vs. 68–69 percent). Doctoral and first-professional degree 

recipients were also less likely than other graduates to be divorced (3 vs. 6 percent). 

In 2003, 10 years after college completion, graduates who worked part time or were out of 

the labor force were less likely than other graduates to be single and never married (12 and 7 

percent, respectively, vs. 22–31 percent). Conversely, graduates who worked part time or were 

out of the labor force were more likely than others to be married (78 and 87 percent, respectively, vs. 54–66 percent). These patterns may be related to the fact that women were more likely 

than men to work part time or be out of the labor force (see table 3). Finally, bachelor’s degree 

recipients with salaries in the highest salary group were more likely than their peers who earned 

less to be married in 2003 (72 vs. 66 percent). 

Parenthood 

When they completed college in 1992–93, 14 percent of this cohort already had children; 

among those who did not already have children, 13 percent had become parents within 4 years 

(Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 2001). Ten years after college completion, about one-half (51 percent) 

of graduates had children11 younger than age 18 (table 10): 21 percent had one child, 22 percent 

had two children, and 9 percent had three or more children. 

Clune, Nuñez, and Choy (2001) showed that pursuing further education within 4 years of 

college completion was associated with delayed childbearing for this cohort. The parental status 

of graduates after 10 years reflects this result. While 43 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients 

enrolled in postsecondary education in 2003 had children, 52 percent of graduates who were not 

currently enrolled had children. Further, the higher the degree that graduates had completed by 

2003, the less likely they were to have children. For example, 53 percent of graduates who did 

not complete a degree beyond the bachelor’s had children, compared with 39 percent of those 

who completed a doctoral or first-professional degree. 

Labor force participation was also associated with parental status. About two-thirds (64 

percent) of graduates who were employed part time in a single job had children in 2003, as did 

three-fourths of those who were out of the labor force. In contrast, 48 percent of those who were 

employed full time in one job, 44 percent of those who had multiple jobs, and 40 percent of those 

 

11 Children are defined as dependents either inside or outside the household who were younger than age 18. 
Family Status

30 

who were unemployed had children. Furthermore, those who were out of the labor force were 

more likely than all others to have three or more children (19 vs. 7–11 percent). 

Table 10.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ number of dependents younger

Table 10.—than age 18, by education, employment, and family characteristics: 2003

Education, employment, Three

and family characteristics None Total One Two or more

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 49.0 51.0 20.6 21.6 8.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 48.9 51.1 20.7 21.6 8.8

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 48.2 51.8 20.7 22.1 9.0

 Currently enrolled 57.3 42.8 20.4 16.4 6.0

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 47.1 52.9 20.4 23.1 9.5

 Master’s degree 52.2 47.8 22.0 19.2 6.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 61.5 38.5 20.2 10.8 7.5

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 50.9 49.1 20.8 20.6 7.7

 Full time, one job 52.0 48.0 20.9 19.8 7.4

 Part time, one job 36.0 64.0 24.1 29.3 10.6

 Multiple jobs 55.7 44.3 17.4 19.1 7.8

 Unemployed 59.6 40.4 15.1 16.0 9.3

 Out of the labor force 24.9 75.1 21.6 34.2 19.3

Occupation1

 Business and management 48.4 51.6 21.8 22.6 7.2

 Education 43.5 56.6 21.4 24.6 10.6

 Health professions 49.1 50.9 22.0 19.6 9.3

 Service industries 48.7 51.3 21.8 20.7 8.7

 Research, other professional/

 technical 58.5 41.5 17.6 16.7 7.3

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 48.4 51.6 21.7 21.8 8.1

 Other 50.1 49.9 20.3 23.1 6.5

Marital status

 Single, never married 95.0 5.0 2.8 1.3 0.9

 Married or cohabiting 35.3 64.7 25.4 27.9 11.4

 Separated/divorced/widowed 57.4 42.6 22.6 15.3 4.7

1

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Has dependents under age 18
 Family Status 

31 

Occupation was associated with having children as well. Educators were generally more 

likely than those in other occupations to have children, and employees in research or other professional or technical occupations were less likely than others to have children. 

Finally, as might be expected, marital status was associated with having children under age 

18. While 5 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients who were single and had never been married 

had children, about two-thirds (65 percent) of bachelor’s degree recipients who were married or 

living with a partner did so, as did 43 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients who were separated, divorced, or widowed. 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
33 

Civic Participation 

Considerable attention has been paid in recent years to community service and the role that 

education may play in fostering this civic participation. NCES data have been used to describe 

the community service experiences of the nation’s secondary students (Nolin, Chaney, and 

Chapman 1997; Kleiner and Chapman 1999; Skinner and Chapman 1999), and such experiences 

are associated with increased community service participation in college (Sax and Astin 1997). 

In 2001, 43 percent of all 1999–2000 college graduates reported having done community service 

in the past year (Bradburn et al. 2003). Furthermore, community service during the undergraduate years was associated with higher rates of graduate school attendance, attainment of higher 

degrees, and a higher likelihood of participating in community service activities in the years following college (Astin, Sax, and Avalos 1999). Political involvement is also alive and well on 

college campuses: students entering college in the late 1980s (many of whom would have completed a bachelor’s degree in 1992–93) appeared to be more inclined toward social activism than 

their counterparts in earlier years (Astin 1991). Did the activities of the 1992–93 graduates 10 

years later reflect high rates of involvement in community and political affairs? This section describes graduates’ civic participation in 2003. 

Community Service 

Overall, nearly one-half (47 percent) of the 1992–93 graduate cohort reported in 2003 that 

they had participated in community service in the past year (table 11). They volunteered in diverse ways. Of those who had volunteered, 44 percent reported that they had served a religious 

institution, 39 percent had participated in fundraising, and 32 percent had worked in education 

(figure 5). Also, 30 percent had been involved in other types of volunteer work with kids, such as 

coaching or mentoring, and 26 percent had volunteered to help with poverty or other neighborhood or community improvement programs. 

As of 2003, female college graduates were more likely than their male counterparts to have 

volunteered in the past year (50 vs. 43 percent; table 11). Among those who had volunteered, 

women were more likely than men to have served educational or religious institutions, while 

men were more likely than women to have done other volunteer work with children or to have 

addressed poverty or neighborhood improvement projects. These patterns are consistent with 

those found among 1999–2000 bachelor’s degree recipients in 2001: at that time, women were 
Civic Participation

34 

more likely than men to have engaged in community service overall, as well as in tutoring or 

education-related volunteer work with children and youth, while men were more likely than 

women to have done other (non-education-related) volunteer work with children and youth 

(Bradburn et al. 2003). 

Table 11.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had participated in community service in

Table 11.—the past year, and of those, percentage doing various types of service, by demographic, 

Table 11.—employment, and family characteristics: 2003

Poverty/

neighborDemographic, employment, Education- Other work Fund- hood im- Religious

and family characteristics Any related with kids raising provement institution

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 47.0 31.6 29.9 38.7 26.5 44.3

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 46.9 31.6 29.9 38.7 26.5 44.4

Gender

 Male 43.0 24.6 34.1 37.7 31.1 41.2

 Female 50.1 36.5 26.9 39.4 23.2 46.7

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 46.5 30.8 30.4 39.0 27.3 43.4

 Full time, one job 45.5 29.2 30.4 38.8 27.4 42.8

 Part time, one job 48.7 35.5 24.3 34.7 22.1 46.9

 Multiple jobs 52.0 37.6 35.6 44.0 31.2 44.2

 Unemployed 37.9 33.9 34.0 46.9 28.9 42.8

 Out of the labor force 54.7 38.0 24.2 33.6 18.6 53.0

Type of employer1

 Self-employed 48.7 29.1 33.2 46.1 23.8 43.6

 For-profit 41.8 22.7 27.7 38.9 27.4 39.8

 Not-for-profit 51.2 30.7 27.3 36.3 28.3 45.3

 Local/state government 52.8 36.7 27.1 35.6 23.8 43.6

 Federal government 43.0 31.6 22.3 35.7 28.2 43.3

 Military 52.9 16.7 40.6 32.2 22.1 38.1

Marital status

 Single, never married 44.9 29.2 23.2 35.4 26.4 27.2

 Married or cohabiting 47.5 32.0 31.0 39.4 26.3 49.2

 Separated/divorced/widowed 46.3 34.3 36.6 40.1 27.8 40.6

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 45.5 29.4 23.4 36.9 27.6 32.8

 One or more 48.2 33.6 35.8 40.2 25.4 54.8

1

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Types of service are not mutually exclusive; volunteers could participate in multiple activities.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Percent of volunteers in various areas
Civic Participation 

35 

Graduates who were out of the labor force in 2003 were more likely than those who were 

either employed or unemployed to have done volunteer work, and those who were unemployed 

were less likely to do so than others. That is, 46 percent of 1992–93 college graduates who were 

employed in 2003 had volunteered in the past year, as had 55 percent of graduates who were out 

of the labor force and 38 percent of those who were unemployed. Employees of for-profit businesses were less likely than graduates working for themselves, for not-for-profit organizations, or 

for local or state government to have volunteered in the past year (42 vs. 49–53 percent). Federal 

government employees were also less likely than state or local civil servants to have volunteered 

(43 vs. 53 percent). 

Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had volunteered in the past year as of 

2003, those who were single were less likely than others to have volunteered to work with children or for a religious institution. However, no difference by marital status in the overall proportion who had volunteered was detected. Similarly, among those who had volunteered at all in the 

past year, college graduates with dependents under age 18 in 2003 were more likely than those 

without dependents to have done educational volunteer work, other work with kids, or volunteer 

work for a religious institution. Yet there was no detectable difference in graduates’ overall likelihood of volunteering by whether or not they had dependents. 

Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had volunteered in the past year as of 

2003, 27 percent reported that they had done so less than once a month, 29 percent had done so 

monthly, and 34 percent had done so weekly (table 12). On average, the total amount of time 

Figure 5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who participated in community service in the past

Figure 5.—year, percentage doing various types of service: 2003

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

39

26

44

32 30

0

20

40

60

80

100

EducationrelatedOther work

with kids

Fundraising Poverty/

neighborhood

improvement

Service

to religious

institution

Percent
Civic Participation

36 

volunteers had logged in that period was 148 hours. Although women were more likely than men 

to have volunteered in the past year, among those who had volunteered, men were more likely to 

have done so on a daily basis (10 vs. 6 percent), while women were more likely to have volunteered less than once a month (31 vs. 22 percent). 

Table 12.—Level of participation in community service for 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had

Table 12.—volunteered in the past year, by demographic, employment, and family characteristics: 2003

Average

total

Less than volunteer

Demographic, employment, One-time once hours in

and family characteristics event a month Monthly Weekly Daily past year

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 1.8 27.3 29.0 34.1 7.7 147

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 1.8 27.3 29.0 34.1 7.8 148

Gender

 Male 2.2 22.4 29.2 35.8 10.5 150

 Female 1.6 30.9 28.8 32.9 5.9 146

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 1.7 25.1 29.4 35.3 8.6 141

 Full time, one job 1.6 24.3 28.7 35.9 9.6 135

 Part time, one job 1.9 31.1 35.9 26.3 4.8 174

 Multiple jobs 1.9 26.0 28.4 38.5 5.2 149

 Unemployed 2.6 39.5 27.1 28.5 2.3 253

 Out of the labor force 2.8 42.3 26.6 25.6 2.8 175

Type of employer1

 Self-employed 1.6 28.3 28.1 36.6 5.5 137

 For-profit 1.5 21.9 29.0 36.3 11.4 118

 Not-for-profit 2.0 31.5 30.2 32.5 3.8 194

 Local/state government 2.6 32.3 26.4 33.2 5.6 152

 Federal government 4.4 35.4 20.0 31.7 8.4 168

 Military # 30.8 31.6 29.5 8.2 193

Marital status

 Single, never married 1.0 23.2 25.4 39.5 10.9 139

 Married or cohabiting 2.1 27.8 29.6 33.3 7.2 142

 Separated/divorced/widowed 1.2 33.3 32.5 27.6 5.4 222

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 1.4 23.7 28.2 36.9 9.8 148

 One or more 2.2 30.7 29.7 31.5 6.0 147

#Rounds to zero.

1

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Percentage distribution by frequency of volunteer work
Civic Participation 

37 

The 2003 employment status of 1992–93 college graduates was associated with how frequently they had volunteered in the past year. Those who were employed in 2003 had volunteered more frequently than graduates who were unemployed or out of the labor force; for 

example, 9 percent of employed graduates volunteered daily, compared with 2–3 percent of others. Further, while about one-fifth of unemployed graduates (40 percent) or those who were out 

of the labor force (42 percent) volunteered less than once a month, one-fourth of those who were 

employed did so (25 percent). Despite volunteering more frequently, however, employed graduates had done fewer total hours of volunteer work during the past year than their counterparts 

who were unemployed or out of the labor force (141 vs. 253 and 175 hours, respectively). 

Whether or not graduates were married or had children was also related to the frequency of 

their community service. College-educated volunteers who were single and had never been married were more likely than others to have volunteered weekly (40 vs. 28–33 percent) or daily (11 

vs. 5–7 percent). Volunteers who had children younger than age 18 were more likely than their 

counterparts without children to have done community service less than once a month (31 vs. 24 

percent), and they were less likely to have volunteered weekly (31 vs. 37 percent) or daily (6 vs. 

10 percent). 

Political Participation 

About 9 out of 10 (93 percent) of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients were registered to 

vote in 2003, and a majority (76 percent) had voted in the 2002 election (table 13).12 These rates 

of registration and voting were similar to those of 1999–2000 graduates: 87 percent were registered to vote in 2001, and 77 percent had voted in the 2000 presidential election.13 Among the 

1992–93 graduates, activities that required more involvement were less common: about one-third 

(36 percent) had contacted a public official by letter, e-mail, or telephone in the past 2 years, 

while 15 percent had attended some sort of political event, such as a dinner or a rally, in the past 

year. 

Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic graduates were less likely than their Black and White 

counterparts to be registered to vote in 2003, to have voted in the 2002 elections, or to have attended political events in the past year. There was one exception to this overall pattern: no difference was detected between Hispanic and White graduates in the percentage attending political 

events. 

 

12 Voter registration and voting are reported only for U.S. citizens or nationals, while contacting public officials and attending 

political events apply to all graduates. 

13 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2001 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

(B&B:01), Data Analysis System. 
Civic Participation

38 

Older 1992–93 college graduates were more likely than younger ones to have voted in the 

2002 elections. While 73 percent of those who graduated at age 22 or younger had voted, 89 percent of those who were age 30 or older when graduating had done so. Older bachelor’s degree 

recipients were also more likely than their younger peers to have contacted a public official in 

the past 2 years: about one-half (49 percent) of graduates age 30 or older at college completion 

had done so, compared with approximately one-third (33–36 percent) of younger graduates. 

Both educational expectations at college completion and eventual educational attainment 

were associated with various forms of political participation. When interviewed in 2003, memTable 13.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported participating in various

Table 13.—political activities, by demographic and educational characteristics: 2003

Attended

Demographic and Registered Voted in Contacted political

educational characteristics to vote1 2002 election1 public official2 meetings/rallies3

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 93.4 76.4 36.4 15.2

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico 93.1 76.1 36.3 15.1

Race/ethnicity

4

 White, non-Hispanic 94.2 77.0 37.6 15.2

 Black, non-Hispanic 95.8 84.7 28.3 21.5

 Hispanic 85.5 66.1 31.9 11.5

 Asian/Pacific Islander 79.0 60.7 25.9 8.4

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 93.3 73.0 33.4 15.4

 23–24 91.3 73.8 34.4 13.0

 25–29 92.3 77.2 35.6 14.1

 30 or older 95.9 89.2 49.2 18.7

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 92.7 75.4 29.5 11.9

 Master’s degree 93.3 77.1 35.0 12.9

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 93.4 75.6 44.2 21.5

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 92.7 76.0 35.0 13.4

 Master’s degree 95.6 78.4 41.2 18.9

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 89.8 69.5 37.0 24.1

1

U.S. citizens and nationals only.

2

Contacted public official in the past 2 years.

3

Attended political events in the last year.

4

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Civic Participation 

39 

bers of the 1992–93 cohort who expected at the time of graduation to complete a doctoral or 

first-professional degree were more likely than those who did not have such expectations to have 

contacted a public official in the past 2 years or to have attended political events in the past year. 

When comparing graduates by the actual level of education they had completed by 2003, having 

an advanced degree was also sometimes associated with more political participation. Graduates 

who had completed an advanced degree by 2003 were more likely than those with no more than 

a bachelor’s degree to have attended political events in the past year (19–24 percent vs. 13 percent). Furthermore, master’s degree recipients were more likely than graduates with a bachelor’s 

degree to have contacted a public official in the past 2 years (41 vs. 35 percent). However, doctoral and first-professional degree holders were less likely than master’s degree holders to have 

voted in the 2002 national election (70 vs. 78 percent). 
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41 

Summary and Conclusion 

Although 1992–93 college graduates took many different paths after earning bachelor’s 

degrees, some paths were more common than others. By 2003, 20 percent of graduates had 

earned master’s degrees, 4 percent had earned first-professional degrees, and 2 percent had 

earned doctoral degrees. Advanced degree program attendance and completion were associated 

with a number of undergraduate factors, such as major field of study and GPA. Also, the extent 

to which graduates enrolled in graduate and professional education programs corresponded with 

their plans upon earning a bachelor’s degree: those who had anticipated earning an advanced degree were more likely to do so than those who had not expected to further their education. 

Most bachelor’s degree recipients were employed 10 years after graduating from college, 

and 70 percent were employed in one full-time job. The average full-time employee worked 47 

hours per week and earned $60,700 per year. Ten years after graduating from college, the median 

salary for graduates who worked full time was $52,000. Gender differences were evident in 

graduates’ careers. For example, men were more likely to work full time than women, while 

women were more likely to work part time or to be out of the labor force than men. Employment 

outcomes were also related to highest degree attained, occupation, and other characteristics. 

Overall, 1992–93 college graduates seemed to be pleased with their experiences while they 

were undergraduates. Although their evaluation varied across the specific aspects of their undergraduate education (such as their liberal arts coursework and internship or work opportunities), 

most agreed that their undergraduate education as a whole was very important preparation for 

their work and career, further education, and for establishing financial security. Finally, regardless of major, most bachelor’s degree recipients felt that their undergraduate education was worth 

the financial cost, amount of time, and amount of effort they had invested in it. 

The majority of bachelor’s degree recipients (68 percent) were married in 2003, and about 

half (51 percent) had children under 18 years old. The likelihood of being married varied by 

graduates’ demographic characteristics, and pursuing a graduate degree was associated with a 

reduced likelihood of both being married and having children, a result consistent with earlier 

findings that graduate school enrollment delayed family formation (Clune, Nuñez, and Choy 

2001). 
Summary and Conclusion

42 

Community service, a recent focus in postsecondary education, was common among the 

graduates 10 years later. In 2003, nearly half (47 percent) of them reported having volunteered 

within the last year. Political participation was also evident. The majority of graduates were registered to vote, and nearly three-fourths reported that they had voted in the 2002 election. Graduates reported that they were less likely to have contacted a public official to express an opinion 

or to have attended political events than they were to have voted. However, those who had attained a doctoral or first-professional degree by 2003 were generally more likely to have participated in these activities than those who had earned a master’s or bachelor’s degree. 
43 

References 

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Astin, A.W., Sax, L.J., and Avalos, J. (1999). Long-Term Effects of Volunteerism During the 

Undergraduate Years. The Review of Higher Education 22(2): 187–202. 

Bradburn, E.M., and Berger, R. (2002). Beyond 9 to 5: The Diversity of Employment Among 

1992–93 College Graduates in 1997 (NCES 2003-152). U.S. Department of Education. 

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Bradburn, E.M., Berger, R., Li, X., Peter, K., and Rooney, K. (2003). A Descriptive Summary of 

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(NCES 2003-165). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for 

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Comparing Occupational Stability Among 1992–93 Graduates Who Taught and Those Who 

Worked in Other Occupations (NCES 2001-189). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 
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Horn, L.J., and Zahn, L. (2001). From Bachelor’s Degree to Work: Major Field of Study and 

Employment Outcomes of 1992–93 Bachelor’s Degree Recipients Who Did Not Enroll in 

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DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

Kass, G.V. (1980). An Exploratory Technique for Investigating Large Quantities of Categorical 

Data. Applied Statistics, 29: 119–127. 

Kleiner, B., and Chapman, C. (1999). Service-Learning and Community Service Among 6thThrough 12th-Grade Students in the United States: 1996 and 1999 (NCES 2000-028). U.S. 

Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

Loft, J.D., Riccobono, J.A., Whitmore, R.W., Fitzgerald, R.A., and Berkner, L.K. (1995). Methodology Report for the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 1992–93 (NCES 95-211). 

U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

McCormick, A.C., Nuñez, A., Shah, V., and Choy, S.P. (1999). Life After College: A Descriptive 

Summary of 1992–93 Bachelor’s Degree Recipients in 1997, With an Essay on Participation 

in Graduate and First-Professional Education (NCES 1999-155). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

Moen, P. (1992). Women’s Two Roles: A Contemporary Dilemma. New York: Auburn House. 

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Sax, L.J., and Astin, A.W. (1997, Summer/Fall). The Benefits of Service: Evidence From Undergraduates. Educational Record, 78 (3-4): 25–32. 

Skinner, B., and Chapman, C. (1999). Service-Learning and Community Service in K–12 Public 

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45 

Table Compendium 
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47 

Section I: Education 

Table I.1 

• Graduates who were age 22 or younger when they earned a bachelor’s degree were more 

likely than older graduates to have enrolled in or completed a master’s, doctoral, or firstprofessional degree program. In addition, although less likely than those age 22 or younger, 

graduates who were age 30 or older when they completed a bachelor’s degree were more 

likely than those age 25–29 to have enrolled in a graduate program. No difference was detected between graduates age 30 or older and those age 23–24 in the likelihood of enrolling 

in a graduate degree program. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, those who graduated from private not-forprofit institutions were more likely than those who graduated from public institutions to have 

enrolled in or completed a graduate program. Forty-five percent of those who completed a 

bachelor’s degree at a private not-for-profit 4-year institution had enrolled in a graduate program, compared with 38 percent of those from public 4-year institutions. 

• Two-thirds of bachelor’s degree recipients employed by the military had enrolled in a graduate program, more than the proportion that had enrolled in a graduate program among those 

working for not-for-profit organizations (48 percent), for-profit firms (31 percent), or those 

who were self-employed (33 percent). 

• Educators, health professionals, and research/technical professionals were more likely than 

college graduates in other occupations to have enrolled in or completed a graduate program. 

Educators were also more likely than those in other occupations to be currently enrolled in a 

graduate program as of 2003. 

• Graduates with higher salaries were more likely to have enrolled in an advanced degree program than those with lower salaries. For example, 34 percent of those in the lowest salary 

group (the bottom 25 percent; see appendix A for more information) had enrolled in a graduate program, compared with 42 percent of middle and 44 percent of high earners. However, 

bachelor’s degree recipients in the lowest salary group were more likely than those with 

higher salaries to report being currently enrolled in 2003 (8 vs. 4–6 percent). 

Table I.2 

• Focusing only on 1992–93 college graduates who enrolled in a master’s, doctoral, or firstprofessional degree program, 62 percent had completed a master’s, doctoral, or firstprofessional degree program, 15 percent were enrolled when interviewed in 2003, and the 

remaining 23 percent had left without completing any graduate program. 
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

48 

• Among bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in a graduate program, those who took 

longer to complete the bachelor’s degree were less likely to have completed an advanced degree and more likely to have left a graduate program without completing it. For example, 19 

percent of those who completed a bachelor’s degree in 4 years had left graduate school without completing it, compared with 29 percent of those who took more than 6 years to finish a 

bachelor’s degree. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in a graduate program, nearly 

two-thirds of those who were employed full time (66 percent) and those who had multiple 

jobs (63 percent) had completed a graduate program by 2003. These groups were more likely 

than those who worked part time or were unemployed or out of the labor force to have completed an advanced degree program. 

• Among 1992–93 college graduates who enrolled in graduate school, those working in health 

and in research and other professional and technical occupations were more likely than those 

in business, education, service industries, engineering, architecture, or computer science, and 

other unspecified occupations to have completed a graduate program. 

• Whether or not bachelor’s degree recipients had children was related to their likelihood of 

having completed a graduate program. Among those who had enrolled, parents were less 

likely to have completed a program and more likely to have left without completing it. 

Table I.3 

• In the decade since completing college, about one-fourth (26 percent) of 1992–93 bachelor’s 

degree recipients had earned an advanced degree. Twenty percent had earned a master’s degree, 4 percent had earned a first-professional degree, and 2 percent had earned a doctoral 

degree. 

• Younger bachelor’s degree recipients (age 22 or younger when they earned a bachelor’s degree) were more likely than those in other age groups to have earned an advanced degree, 

whether it was a master’s, first-professional, or doctoral degree. 

• Graduates who completed a bachelor’s degree in 4 years or less were more likely than those 

who took longer for undergraduate education to have completed a master’s, doctoral, or firstprofessional degree. 

• Graduates of private not-for-profit 4-year institutions were more likely than their counterparts at public 4-year or other institutions to have earned a first-professional degree (5 vs. 2–

3 percent). 

• About one-fourth (26 percent) of graduates who worked in multiple jobs in 2003 had earned 

a master’s degree. This was higher than for those who worked in one full-time job (20 percent), were unemployed (11 percent), or were out of the labor force (14 percent). 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients employed by not-for-profit organizations, the government, or 

the military were more likely than self-employed graduates and those working in for-profit 

companies to have earned a master’s degree. Not-for-profit and government employees were 

also more likely than for-profit employees or the self-employed to have earned a doctoral degree. 
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

49 

• Compared with bachelor’s degree recipients with higher salaries, those in the lowest salary 

group were less likely to have earned a master’s, first-professional, or doctoral degree. 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients who were single were more likely than others to have earned a 

first-professional degree (6 vs. 3–4 percent). 

• Those graduates who had no children were more likely than those with children to hold a 

doctoral or first-professional degree in 2003. 

Table I.4 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who earned advanced degrees between 1997 

and 2003,14 20 percent had earned a master’s degree in business administration, 16 percent 

had earned a master’s degree in education, and 38 percent had earned a master’s degree in 

other fields. Additionally, 7 percent each had earned a law degree or degree in medicine, 2 

percent had earned a degree in other first-professional fields, and 5 percent each had earned a 

Ph.D. or other doctoral degree. 

• Men were more likely than women to have earned a master’s degree in business administration, a degree in medicine, a PhD, and other types of doctoral degrees. However, women 

were more likely than men to have earned a master’s in education and master’s degrees in 

other fields. 

• Asian/Pacific Islander students were more likely than Black, White, or Hispanic students to 

have earned a degree in medicine.15 

• Graduates who were 22 or younger when they earned a bachelor’s degree were more likely 

than their older counterparts to have earned a degree in medicine. On the other hand, those in 

the oldest age group (30 or older) were more likely than those in the youngest age group to 

have earned a master’s in education. 

• Thirty-four percent of advanced degree holders in the highest salary group had earned a master’s degree in business administration, compared with 14 percent in the middle group and 12 

percent in the lowest group. About 9 percent of advanced degree holders in the highest salary 

group had earned a degree in law, while 5 percent in the middle earnings group had done so. 

Those in the highest salary group were more likely than those with lower salaries to have 

earned a degree in medicine or some other first-professional degree. Finally, 7 percent of advanced degree holders in the highest salary group had earned a doctoral degree other than a 

Ph.D., compared with 2 percent in the lowest group. 

• Whereas those without dependents younger than age 18 were more likely than those with 

children to have earned their advanced degree in law, parents were more likely to have 

earned a master’s degree in education. 

 

14 Detailed degree program shown in table I.3 was only determined for advanced degrees (master’s, doctoral, and firstprofessional degrees) earned since 1997. 

15 As indicated in the main text above, “Asian” refers to Asian/Pacific Islander; “Black” refers to non-Hispanic Black; and 

“White” refers to non-Hispanic White. 
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

50 

Table I.5 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, men were more likely 

than women to have earned that degree in business and management or in science, mathematics, or engineering, while women were more likely than men to have earned such a degree in 

education or in the social and behavioral sciences. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, 36 percent of Asian 

graduates had earned that degree in health, compared with 12 percent of White graduates and 

8 percent each of Black and Hispanic graduates. 

• Compared with graduates who took 4 years or less to complete a bachelor’s degree, those 

who took more than 6 years to complete that degree were more likely to have earned an advanced degree in business and management or in education. 

• About one-third (34 percent) of advanced degree holders who were employed by for-profit 

companies had earned an advanced degree in business and management, compared with 15 

percent who were self-employed, 16 percent who worked for not-for-profit agencies, and 11 

percent who worked for local or state governments. About one-fourth (26 percent) of those 

who worked for local or state governments had earned their advanced degree in education, a 

greater proportion than those working in other sectors. 

• Greater proportions of advanced degree holders who worked for not-for-profit agencies had 

earned their advanced degree in arts and humanities than those in other employment sectors 

(excluding the self-employed). Those who were employed by the federal government were 

more likely than those working for other employers besides the military to hold their advanced degree in science, mathematics, or engineering. 

Table I.6 

• Among 1992–93 college graduates with advanced degrees, 47 percent had received student 

loans for their graduate education; 28 percent had received grants, scholarships, or fellowships; 12 percent had tuition waived; 11 percent had received teaching assistantships; 9 percent had received research assistantships; and 18 percent had been reimbursed for tuition by 

their employers. 

• Among bachelor’s degree recipients who attained a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional 

degree, men were more likely than women to have received a teaching or research assistantship. 

• Advanced degree holders who were age 30 or older when they earned a bachelor’s degree 

were less likely than younger students to have taken out student loans for their graduate education. Graduates age 30 or older at baccalaureate degree completion were also less likely 

than those who were age 24 or younger to have received a teaching or research assistantship. 

However, these older graduates were more likely than those who were 24 or younger to have 

tuition reimbursed by their employer. 
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

51 

• Two-thirds (67 percent) of bachelor’s degree recipients employed in health after earning an 

advanced degree had received student loans, a larger proportion than those working in any 

other occupation. 

• Advanced degree holders with dependents under age 18 in 2003 were less likely than those 

without children to have received student loans, grants, tuition waivers, or research assistantships to fund their graduate education. 

Table I.7 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, 2 percent had enrolled in a diploma/certificate 

program, 2 percent in an associate’s degree program, and 6 percent in a second bachelor’s 

degree program within 10 years of graduation. Of those who had enrolled in these undergraduate programs, 59 percent completed a certificate or degree by 2003. 

• A greater proportion of women than men had enrolled in an additional bachelor’s degree 

program after earning their first bachelor’s in 1992–93. 

• Students who were ages 23–24 when they earned a bachelor’s degree in 1992–93 were more 

likely than those who were 22 or younger and those who were 30 or older to have enrolled in 

an additional bachelor’s degree program (7 vs. 5 percent each). 

• Among college graduates who entered subsequent undergraduate programs, a higher proportion of students who majored in education for their 1992–93 bachelor’s degree had completed a subsequent certificate or degree than those who majored in business, arts and 

humanities, social and behavioral sciences, or other unspecified fields. 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients who were out of the labor force were not as likely as those who 

were working to have enrolled in an additional bachelor’s degree program. 

• Health professionals were generally more likely than graduates working in most other occupations to have enrolled in an associate’s or second bachelor’s degree program after completing a first bachelor’s degree in 1992–93. 

• Of graduates who enrolled in a subsequent undergraduate program, 74 percent of educators 

had completed that program, a greater proportion than those in any other occupation except 

health. 

• Compared with college graduates with lower earnings, those who were in the highest salary 

group were less likely to have enrolled in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program. Those 

who were in the highest salary group were also less likely than those in the lowest salary 

group to have enrolled in a diploma or certificate program. 

Table I.8 

• After completing a bachelor’s degree, one-fourth of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

had enrolled in an occupational licensing program and 30 percent had enrolled in a professional certification program. Also, as of 2003, 45 percent had participated in work-related 

training and 18 percent had taken personal enrichment classes in the past year. 
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

52 

• Women were more likely than men to have enrolled in a professional certification program 

(32 vs. 28 percent), work-related classes (46 vs. 43 percent), and personal enrichment classes 

(22 vs. 13 percent). 

• A greater proportion of college graduates who were age 30 or older when they earned a 

bachelor’s degree than those who were age 24 or younger had enrolled in a professional certification program since that time. This trend was also evident in more recent personal enrichment coursetaking: about 22 percent of graduates age 30 or older had taken personal 

enrichment courses in the past year, compared with 18 percent who were 22 or younger and 

17 percent who were 23–24. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, those who majored in health as undergraduates 

(36 percent) were generally more likely than those with other majors to have enrolled in an 

occupational license program since then. Along with education majors, health majors were 

also generally more likely than others to have enrolled in a professional certification program 

in that time. 

• Compared with those who were employed in other fields, graduates who worked in the health 

field were more likely to have enrolled in an occupational license program within 10 years of 

college completion, and those in education were more likely to have enrolled in a professional certification program. 
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

53 

Table I.1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an advanced degree 

Table I.1.—program, by selected characteristics: 2003

Total ever Currently Left without

Selected characteristics enrolled Completed enrolled completing

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 40.2 24.9 5.9 9.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 40.1 24.8 5.9 9.4

Gender

 Male 38.7 24.8 5.7 8.3

 Female 41.3 24.9 6.1 10.3

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 39.4 24.7 5.4 9.3

 Black, non-Hispanic 45.5 24.5 11.2 9.8

 Hispanic 43.8 24.5 8.5 10.9

 Asian/Pacific Islander 41.5 26.9 5.3 9.3

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 48.5 32.6 6.1 9.8

 23–24 32.2 17.5 6.0 8.7

 25–29 27.6 14.3 5.4 8.0

 30 or older 36.6 20.6 5.5 10.5

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 25.4 16.6 3.2 5.6

 Education 50.3 28.3 8.1 13.9

 Engineering 39.2 24.5 5.4 9.3

 Health 36.5 22.0 6.5 8.0

 Public affairs/social services 36.3 20.6 6.2 9.5

 Humanities 42.6 25.5 7.1 10.1

 Social and behavioral sciences 49.8 30.3 8.7 10.8

 Natural sciences and mathematics 56.7 38.6 6.4 11.7

 Other 34.4 21.7 4.2 8.6

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 52.3 35.9 6.5 9.9

 5–6 years 34.5 19.7 5.8 9.0

 More than 6 years 31.9 17.3 5.2 9.3

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 37.9 22.8 5.7 9.4

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 45.3 28.9 6.4 10.1

 Other 33.5 25.4 4.5 3.6

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 41.0 26.3 5.8 9.0

 Full time, one job 39.8 26.2 5.0 8.7

 Part time, one job 44.5 22.3 11.5 10.8

 Multiple jobs 47.3 29.9 7.3 10.0

 Unemployed 29.6 14.1 5.2 10.3

 Out of the labor force 35.6 15.4 7.3 12.9

See notes at end of table.

All graduates
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

54 

Table I.1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an advanced degree 

Table I.1.—program, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Total ever Currently Left without

Selected characteristics enrolled Completed enrolled completing

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 33.0 20.3 1.5 11.1

 For-profit 30.8 18.8 4.0 8.0

 Not-for-profit 48.5 32.0 5.8 10.7

 Local/state government 53.0 33.5 9.9 9.6

 Federal government 49.6 35.5 7.8 6.2

 Military 66.7 41.4 17.9 7.5

Occupation2

 Business and management 29.8 17.7 3.8 8.3

 Education 64.8 39.9 11.7 13.1

 Health professions 53.1 38.1 7.1 7.9

 Service industries 20.7 10.9 3.5 6.3

 Research, other professional/

 technical 47.7 32.4 5.6 9.7

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 32.2 17.4 3.6 11.2

 Other 22.2 11.0 4.4 6.8

Salary2

 Low 34.2 16.9 7.9 9.5

 Middle 41.9 26.4 5.9 9.6

 High 43.5 30.9 3.8 8.9

Marital status

 Single, never married 43.0 27.3 7.9 7.8

 Married or cohabiting 39.4 24.5 5.1 9.8

 Separated/divorced/widowed 39.8 21.0 8.7 10.1

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 43.0 27.5 6.9 8.6

 One or more 37.4 22.3 4.9 10.1

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude 

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job. See appendix A for definition of low, middle and high.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

All graduates
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

55 

Table I.2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an advanced 

Table I.2.—degree program, by persistence and completion and selected characteristics: 2003

Currently Left without

Selected characteristics Completed enrolled completing

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 62.0 14.6 23.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Ric 61.9 14.7 23.4

Gender

 Male 63.9 14.6 21.5

 Female 60.2 14.8 25.0

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 62.6 13.7 23.7

 Black, non-Hispanic 53.8 24.7 21.5

 Hispanic 55.9 19.3 24.8

 Asian/Pacific Islander 64.8 12.8 22.4

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 67.2 12.5 20.2

 23–24 54.3 18.7 27.0

 25–29 51.7 19.5 28.8

 30 or older 56.3 15.1 28.6

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 65.3 12.6 22.1

 Education 56.3 16.1 27.6

 Engineering 62.6 13.7 23.7

 Health 60.2 17.9 22.0

 Public affairs/social services 56.8 17.0 26.2

 Humanities 59.7 16.6 23.7

 Social and behavioral sciences 60.9 17.6 21.6

 Natural sciences and mathematics 68.1 11.3 20.7

 Other 63.0 12.2 24.9

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 68.6 12.5 18.9

 5–6 years 57.2 16.8 26.1

 More than 6 years 54.3 16.5 29.3

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 60.2 15.1 24.7

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 63.7 14.1 22.2

 Other 75.8 13.6 10.6

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 64.0 14.1 21.9

 Full time, one job 65.8 12.4 21.8

 Part time, one job 50.1 25.7 24.2

 Multiple jobs 63.3 15.5 21.2

 Unemployed 47.7 17.6 34.7

 Out of the labor force 43.3 20.4 36.3

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

56 

Table I.2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in an advanced 

Table I.2.—degree program, by persistence and completion and selected characteristics: 2003

Table I.2.——Continued

Currently Left without

Selected characteristics Completed enrolled completing

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 61.6 4.7 33.8

 For-profit 61.0 12.9 26.1

 Not-for-profit 66.0 11.9 22.1

 Local/state government 63.2 18.8 18.0

 Federal government 71.7 15.7 12.6

 Military 62.0 26.8 11.2

Occupation2

 Business and management 59.4 12.8 27.8

 Education 61.6 18.1 20.2

 Health professions 71.7 13.4 14.9

 Service industries 52.6 17.0 30.4

 Research, other professional/

 technical 67.9 11.8 20.3

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 54.2 11.1 34.7

 Other 49.6 19.8 30.6

Salary2

 Low 49.2 23.2 27.6

 Middle 63.0 14.2 22.8

 High 71.0 8.7 20.3

Marital status

 Single, never married 63.5 18.3 18.2

 Married or cohabiting 62.3 12.9 24.8

 Separated/divorced/widowed 52.8 21.8 25.4

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 63.9 16.1 20.1

 One or more 59.7 13.2 27.1

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude 

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

57 

Table I.3.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ highest degree attained, by

Table 1.3.—selected characteristics: 2003

FirstBachelor’s Master’s professional Doctoral

Selected characteristics degree1 Total degree degree degree

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 74.4 25.6 19.7 4.0 1.9

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 74.4 25.6 19.7 4.0 1.9

Gender

 Male 74.4 25.6 18.0 4.9 2.7

 Female 74.5 25.5 21.1 3.2 1.3

Race/ethnicity2

 White, non-Hispanic 74.6 25.4 20.0 3.7 1.8

 Black, non-Hispanic 74.2 25.8 20.5 3.0 2.3

 Hispanic 75.0 25.0 17.7 3.6 3.7

 Asian/Pacific Islander 72.9 27.1 14.9 11.0 1.3

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 66.4 33.6 24.0 6.6 3.0

 23–24 82.0 18.0 14.7 2.1 1.2

 25–29 85.5 14.5 13.1 0.7 0.7

 30 or older 78.8 21.2 19.2 1.3 0.7

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 83.3 16.7 14.7 1.8 0.2

 Education 71.1 28.9 26.3 1.5 1.1

 Engineering 74.2 25.9 22.2 0.9 2.7

 Health 77.9 22.1 19.4 2.1 0.6

 Public affairs/social services 79.4 20.6 18.2 1.8 0.6

 Humanities 73.0 27.1 21.5 4.3 1.2

 Social and behavioral sciences 68.6 31.4 21.8 7.2 2.3

 Natural sciences and mathematics 60.3 39.7 18.7 12.0 9.0

 Other 77.6 22.4 18.0 3.4 1.0

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 62.9 37.1 26.2 7.9 3.0

 5–6 years 79.8 20.2 16.3 2.1 1.8

 More than 6 years 82.2 17.8 15.7 1.5 0.6

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 76.6 23.4 18.1 3.5 1.9

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 70.0 30.0 22.7 5.3 2.0

 Other 74.6 25.4 22.5 1.6 1.3

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 73.1 26.9 20.6 4.3 2.1

 Full time, one job 73.4 26.6 19.9 4.6 2.2

 Part time, one job 75.0 25.0 20.6 3.1 1.3

 Multiple jobs 68.9 31.1 25.9 3.1 2.1

 Unemployed 85.3 14.7 11.5 2.2 1.0

 Out of the labor force 83.2 16.8 14.5 1.8 0.6

See notes at end of table.

Advanced degree
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

58 

Table I.3.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ highest degree attained, by

Table 1.3.—selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

FirstBachelor’s Master’s professional Doctoral

Selected characteristics degree1 Total degree degree degree

Type of employer3

 Self-employed 78.9 21.1 13.4 6.8 0.9

 For-profit 81.0 19.0 13.9 4.2 0.9

 Not-for-profit 66.9 33.2 24.8 4.2 4.2

 Local/state government 64.3 35.8 27.0 3.8 5.0

 Federal government 64.0 36.0 22.4 6.2 7.5

 Military 53.8 46.2 35.9 8.5 1.8

Occupation3

 Business and management 82.0 18.0 17.1 0.7 0.3

 Education 58.5 41.5 37.9 0.8 2.9

 Health professions 61.8 38.2 16.4 16.6 5.3

 Service industries 89.1 10.9 9.4 1.3 0.1

 Research, other professional/technical 66.3 33.7 19.7 10.1 3.8

 Engineering/architecture/computer science 82.2 17.8 15.9 0.2 1.7

 Other 87.9 12.1 9.0 3.1 #

Salary3

 Low 81.7 18.3 15.9 1.6 0.8

 Middle 73.3 26.7 21.4 3.3 2.0

 High 68.2 31.8 20.9 8.0 2.9

Marital status

 Single, never married 71.6 28.4 19.7 6.1 2.6

 Married or cohabiting 74.9 25.1 19.8 3.6 1.8

 Separated/divorced/widowed 77.4 22.6 18.5 2.6 1.6

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 71.6 28.4 21.0 5.0 2.4

 One or more 77.2 22.9 18.4 3.0 1.4

#Rounds to zero.

1

Includes postbaccalaureate certificates.

2

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

3

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Advanced degree
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

59 

Table I.4.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees earned since 1997, 

Table I.4.—percentage distribution across detailed degree program, by selected characteristics: 2003

Master’s Other

in edu- Other first-pro- Other

Selected characteristics M.B.A. cation master’s Law Medicine fessional Ph.D. doctoral

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 19.8 16.1 37.7 6.7 7.2 2.4 5.3 4.7

 Total (50 states, D.C.,

 and Puerto Rico) 19.9 16.1 37.5 6.6 7.2 2.4 5.3 5.0

Gender

 Male 26.4 7.7 32.7 6.0 10.3 2.8 7.0 7.2

 Female 14.6 23.1 41.7 6.9 4.7 2.1 3.9 3.1

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 20.0 17.7 37.9 7.0 5.7 2.4 5.9 3.6

 Black, non-Hispanic 26.5 12.0 37.5 4.6 3.5 3.3 0.8 11.8

 Hispanic 15.9 12.5 44.8 0.9 6.2 # 3.2 16.4

 Asian/Pacific Islander 17.7 # 23.3 10.5 36.4 4.8 2.7 4.6

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 19.6 13.3 33.8 8.2 10.0 3.0 5.9 6.2

 23–24 19.7 20.2 38.6 5.9 4.5 2.3 5.1 3.8

 25–29 26.6 14.6 48.1 # 1.6 1.9 5.5 1.7

 30 or older 18.0 25.5 47.8 3.8 0.3 # 2.1 2.4

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 58.3 12.5 20.2 6.0 1.4 # 0.3 1.3

 Education 4.4 50.6 34.5 2.9 2.1 # 3.5 2.1

 Engineering 39.8 # 38.1 1.9 3.3 # 6.0 11.0

 Health 2.9 4.8 75.8 # 9.8 3.7 1.2 1.8

 Public affairs/social services 5.4 2.4 78.8 8.1 # # # 5.4

 Humanities 12.8 14.5 51.0 11.3 2.6 0.9 3.5 3.3

 Social and behavioral sciences 22.3 8.9 37.9 13.9 5.2 2.2 4.0 5.5

 Natural sciences and mathematics 7.0 6.6 23.8 2.0 25.3 8.2 16.5 10.7

 Other 16.0 19.0 45.6 10.5 1.3 2.2 1.9 3.6

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 20.7 12.6 32.6 8.4 11.3 3.5 6.4 4.6

 5–6 years 17.7 17.9 41.8 5.2 4.1 1.6 4.6 7.0

 More than 6 years 21.8 22.4 43.9 4.3 1.7 1.0 2.6 2.2

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 16.5 18.3 39.3 6.9 5.1 2.7 5.4 5.8

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 24.2 13.0 35.1 6.6 10.9 1.4 5.2 3.5

 Other ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 20.4 15.9 36.7 6.6 7.5 2.5 5.3 5.2

 Full time, one job 21.9 15.9 33.5 6.9 8.2 2.5 5.8 5.4

 Part time, one job 17.0 15.5 47.2 7.1 3.0 3.7 4.9 1.7

 Multiple jobs 12.6 16.2 51.4 4.1 6.1 1.4 2.2 6.1

 Unemployed 14.8 4.8 58.4 9.9 2.7 0.7 2.8 6.1

 Out of the labor force 12.2 25.4 43.3 5.2 4.0 3.0 6.9 #

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

60 

Table I.4.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees earned since 1997, 

Table I.4.—percentage distribution across detailed degree program, by selected characteristics: 2003

Table I.4.——Continued

Master’s Other

in edu- Other first-pro- Other

Selected characteristics M.B.A. cation master’s Law Medicine fessional Ph.D. doctoral

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 15.6 6.8 32.7 10.9 17.1 13.2 1.0 2.8

 For-profit 38.5 1.7 31.9 13.3 5.7 2.8 3.2 3.0

 Not-for-profit 11.3 6.9 50.5 1.9 10.9 1.1 10.2 7.3

 Local/state government 6.5 19.1 41.2 2.6 8.0 2.0 9.6 11.0

 Federal government 21.8 3.0 33.3 6.7 5.7 3.7 15.6 10.2

 Military ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

Occupation2

 Business and management 62.1 2.9 30.5 2.2 # 0.5 0.5 1.4

 Education 4.9 46.4 36.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 6.2 3.6

 Health professions 0.5 2.6 30.9 # 40.9 11.0 3.7 10.5

 Service industries 39.7 0.4 38.6 15.8 1.6 1.9 # 2.1

 Research, other professional/

 technical 7.8 2.2 47.3 22.9 1.1 1.2 12.3 5.4

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 25.0 # 57.5 # # # 5.0 12.6

 Other 31.5 3.7 31.9 29.5 # 3.5 # #

Salary2

 Low 12.4 23.4 48.0 7.7 1.3 1.2 4.0 2.1

 Middle 14.2 20.1 40.9 5.0 7.4 1.7 6.1 4.5

 High 34.2 4.8 25.1 9.1 10.2 4.4 4.8 7.3

Marital status

 Single, never married 24.2 9.6 31.5 10.2 9.1 2.9 6.9 5.7

 Married or cohabiting 18.8 17.6 39.4 5.6 7.0 2.4 5.0 4.3

 Separated/divorced/widowed 16.7 22.2 38.0 6.5 2.9 1.3 2.0 10.3

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 19.0 12.7 37.1 9.0 7.7 2.7 6.3 5.5

 One or more 20.9 20.1 38.0 3.8 6.6 2.1 4.1 4.3

#Rounds to zero.

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Detailed degree program was not determined for advanced degrees earned 

before 1997.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

61 

Table I.5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage distribution 

Table I.5.—across advanced degree fields of study, by selected characteristics: 2003

Business Social and Science/

and manage- Arts and behavioral math/engiSelected characteristics ment Education Health humanities sciences neering Other

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 20.2 21.9 13.0 6.4 6.9 12.1 19.5

 Total (50 states, D.C.,

 and Puerto Rico) 20.2 21.9 13.0 6.4 6.9 12.1 19.6

Gender

 Male 25.2 11.7 13.8 6.1 4.2 18.0 20.9

 Female 16.1 30.4 12.2 6.6 9.1 7.2 18.3

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 20.1 23.1 12.1 6.6 6.7 11.8 19.5

 Black, non-Hispanic 31.8 19.1 7.6 4.2 10.6 12.4 14.3

 Hispanic 12.2 21.7 8.0 5.1 11.2 14.3 27.5

 Asian/Pacific Islander 17.4 1.7 36.1 5.4 1.7 17.1 20.7

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 18.8 19.5 15.2 7.3 6.9 11.7 20.6

 23–24 18.8 25.4 10.1 4.2 6.6 15.0 19.8

 25–29 33.9 19.7 8.7 4.1 4.8 12.8 16.0

 30 or older 22.2 30.4 7.6 5.3 8.6 9.7 16.2

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 60.7 11.6 6.0 1.5 0.5 4.9 15.0

 Education 4.5 63.3 5.6 8.9 3.3 2.2 12.2

 Engineering 25.9 0.6 3.0 1.2 0.5 61.3 7.6

 Health 4.2 7.1 52.7 2.1 4.0 3.5 26.4

 Public affairs/social services 21.8 7.7 2.1 1.6 50.0 # 16.8

 Humanities 12.5 24.4 5.1 27.8 5.1 1.7 23.5

 Social and behavioral sciences 22.2 18.9 7.4 2.6 15.9 3.3 29.8

 Natural sciences and mathematics 6.8 9.0 31.0 1.9 2.4 33.5 15.4

 Other 16.3 24.5 10.4 6.5 10.0 6.4 25.9

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 18.8 19.0 15.5 7.3 6.7 11.8 20.9

 5–6 years 18.5 24.1 10.9 5.8 7.9 13.8 19.0

 More than 6 years 27.7 26.6 9.7 5.0 6.0 9.4 15.7

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 18.2 24.9 11.8 4.7 6.7 12.1 21.5

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 22.0 18.2 14.3 9.5 7.5 11.9 16.7

 Other 36.0 7.8 19.2 1.2 3.7 15.4 16.8

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 20.9 21.7 12.9 6.1 7.0 12.2 19.3

 Full time, one job 22.3 21.0 12.0 4.6 6.1 14.1 20.0

 Part time, one job 15.8 23.7 17.7 10.8 11.3 5.4 15.4

 Multiple jobs 15.2 24.8 15.1 12.6 10.1 5.0 17.2

 Unemployed 18.0 14.3 2.7 18.7 4.6 7.2 34.5

 Out of the labor force 10.6 28.0 18.3 6.2 6.2 12.2 18.5

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

62 

Table I.5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage distribution 

Table I.5.—across advanced degree fields of study, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Business Social and Science/

and manage- Arts and behavioral math/engiSelected characteristics ment Education Health humanities sciences neering Other

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 15.1 10.4 27.1 7.6 5.8 8.5 25.6

 For-profit 33.8 4.2 13.0 3.6 3.5 15.4 26.6

 Not-for-profit 15.5 15.0 18.0 13.6 12.5 10.4 15.0

 Local/state government 11.0 25.9 10.4 6.5 14.1 12.0 20.1

 Federal government 25.8 3.5 13.4 0.8 1.2 35.6 19.6

 Military 41.0 1.6 16.9 2.3 2.6 26.6 9.0

Occupation2

 Business and management 62.4 4.9 4.8 3.7 4.0 7.5 12.8

 Education 4.9 62.7 2.7 8.0 6.6 5.4 9.8

 Health professions 1.6 3.0 71.0 0.5 1.6 4.6 17.7

 Service industries 38.7 10.9 7.1 7.9 7.6 7.0 20.8

 Research, other professional/

 technical 9.4 5.9 3.4 12.2 15.2 15.1 38.8

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 17.1 1.6 2.3 1.4 1.2 63.3 13.0

 Other 29.8 3.9 4.7 2.8 4.2 16.3 38.2

Salary2

 Low 11.9 34.4 7.5 15.8 9.5 5.3 15.5

 Middle 15.7 27.3 13.3 6.0 8.6 10.8 18.3

 High 32.3 5.9 15.3 1.8 2.7 18.1 24.0

Marital status

 Single, never married 23.4 14.3 13.4 7.1 6.2 12.1 23.5

 Married or cohabiting 19.2 23.4 13.1 6.2 7.0 12.2 19.0

 Separated/divorced/widowed 20.2 30.9 10.1 6.5 8.9 11.2 12.3

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 20.4 18.3 12.1 7.9 8.1 12.5 20.8

 One or more 20.1 26.1 14.0 4.6 5.5 11.7 18.2

# Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

63 

Table I.6.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees who received various 

Table I.6.—types of aid for graduate study, by selected characteristics: 2003

Grants/ Employer

Student scholarships/ Tuition Teaching Research tuition reSelected characteristics loans fellowships waiver assistantship assistantship imbursement

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 47.0 27.9 11.8 10.7 9.4 17.7

 Total (50 states, D.C.,

 and Puerto Rico) 47.1 27.9 11.7 10.7 9.4 17.7

Gender

 Male 45.7 26.9 11.8 13.1 12.3 19.1

 Female 48.1 28.8 11.7 8.8 7.0 16.6

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 45.9 26.8 11.7 11.5 10.2 18.3

 Black, non-Hispanic 54.9 37.5 13.6 6.5 3.9 15.9

 Hispanic 56.3 29.0 6.7 7.5 5.8 24.3

 Asian/Pacific Islander 49.3 29.8 14.1 7.6 4.7 4.5

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 50.9 30.6 11.5 11.1 10.5 15.6

 23–24 50.0 25.5 13.0 13.9 12.8 14.8

 25–29 39.4 24.3 8.6 10.2 4.5 30.4

 30 or older 28.5 19.2 12.7 4.4 1.5 25.4

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 40.6 13.5 5.9 5.0 1.4 30.9

 Education 34.4 24.8 12.4 5.9 2.9 15.8

 Engineering 32.1 27.6 7.4 19.1 17.9 22.5

 Health 40.1 40.5 8.6 8.6 3.3 22.3

 Public affairs/social services 53.2 32.7 1.5 2.8 5.8 6.9

 Humanities 51.0 35.1 14.5 11.9 7.8 11.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 53.5 29.6 9.0 9.5 11.0 15.8

 Natural sciences and mathematics 59.4 33.5 21.1 22.3 21.0 13.9

 Other 51.4 25.8 12.7 6.9 9.8 14.9

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 50.8 30.7 12.2 11.8 10.8 15.1

 5–6 years 47.9 27.6 10.8 11.4 10.8 16.6

 More than 6 years 36.0 20.9 10.3 6.5 2.5 27.4

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 46.1 26.3 12.0 10.4 9.7 17.8

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 49.2 31.7 11.2 11.6 9.2 19.1

 Other 40.0 13.5 13.0 5.4 4.9 0.5

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 47.4 27.8 11.6 10.7 9.3 18.3

 Full time, one job 46.7 27.2 11.0 9.9 9.1 19.3

 Part time, one job 46.8 31.8 14.5 16.4 13.1 16.0

 Multiple jobs 52.4 29.0 13.5 12.0 8.0 12.8

 Unemployed 59.8 31.5 25.9 16.0 7.4 11.7

 Out of the labor force 37.0 27.6 8.1 8.5 11.2 11.6

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

64 

Table I.6.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees who received various 

Table I.6.—types of aid for graduate study, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Grants/ Employer

Student scholarships/ Tuition Teaching Research tuition reSelected characteristics loans fellowships waiver assistantship assistantship imbursement

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 54.9 34.6 6.6 12.5 7.3 7.4

 For-profit 51.1 24.7 7.3 10.5 8.0 22.3

 Not-for-profit 49.0 35.5 18.1 13.9 15.6 16.4

 Local/state government 46.3 27.4 18.0 15.0 13.8 10.3

 Federal government 39.1 35.9 15.3 11.9 16.0 25.4

 Military 27.4 42.3 21.0 3.7 1.3 23.1

Occupation2

 Business and management 41.3 16.5 3.9 6.9 4.5 30.9

 Education 38.8 23.8 17.0 11.5 7.6 16.0

 Health professions 67.3 35.8 8.6 5.5 6.9 10.3

 Service industries 33.9 20.2 2.4 11.6 3.9 24.5

 Research, other professional/

 technical 56.6 38.1 15.0 13.8 17.5 9.5

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 30.9 27.7 8.3 22.5 16.1 24.7

 Other 52.3 37.5 20.6 2.8 3.0 17.7

Salary2

 Low 50.5 31.4 16.3 16.4 13.7 11.8

 Middle 45.1 27.3 12.4 9.2 9.1 16.1

 High 48.7 26.7 8.0 9.9 7.2 23.8

Marital status

 Single, never married 60.8 30.8 13.2 12.4 9.3 14.3

 Married or cohabiting 42.9 27.5 11.0 10.6 9.7 18.7

 Separated/divorced/widowed 45.6 22.7 14.4 6.0 5.5 19.1

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 52.1 30.8 13.8 11.9 10.7 15.3

 One or more 41.0 24.4 9.2 9.2 7.7 20.7

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

65 

Table I.7.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in subsequent undergraduate

Table I.7.—degree programs, and of those, percentage who completed such a program, by selected 

Table I.7.—characteristics: 2003

Of those

Technical enrolled,

 diploma/ Associate’s Bachelor’s percent

Selected characteristics certificate degree degree Any completed

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 2.2 1.9 5.7 9.3 58.4

 Total (50 states, D.C.,

 and Puerto Rico) 2.2 1.9 5.6 9.2 58.6

Gender

 Male 2.1 2.0 4.9 8.5 55.8

 Female 2.3 1.8 6.3 9.9 60.6

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 2.1 1.8 5.6 9.0 58.3

 Black, non-Hispanic 3.6 3.1 8.2 13.7 57.6

 Hispanic 1.8 1.3 4.5 7.0 ‡

 Asian/Pacific Islander 2.6 2.8 4.1 9.6 ‡

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 1.4 1.7 4.8 7.6 59.4

 23–24 2.4 2.0 7.3 10.9 61.0

 25–29 3.0 1.4 6.6 10.6 51.2

 30 or older 3.9 3.0 4.8 10.7 58.2

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 1.5 1.7 3.6 6.4 54.2

 Education 1.7 1.6 7.2 9.9 73.0

 Engineering 1.4 0.8 4.9 6.9 49.6

 Health 1.9 1.9 5.8 8.0 64.7

 Public affairs/social services 3.0 1.4 3.0 6.9 ‡

 Humanities 2.9 2.2 5.1 9.9 53.5

 Social and behavioral sciences 2.7 3.3 7.9 13.3 50.7

 Natural sciences and mathematics 1.5 1.0 7.9 10.1 68.8

 Other 3.8 2.3 5.1 10.4 56.5

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 1.2 1.8 4.6 7.1 59.1

 5–6 years 2.5 1.8 6.8 10.5 59.9

 More than 6 years 3.3 2.4 5.4 10.3 56.8

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 2.4 2.3 6.9 10.9 59.5

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 1.8 1.3 3.4 6.3 56.4

 Other 1.3 0.4 2.0 3.7 ‡

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 2.1 1.8 5.7 9.2 58.7

 Full time, one job 1.9 1.6 5.3 8.4 58.4

 Part time, one job 2.9 2.9 7.3 12.3 59.2

 Multiple jobs 3.2 2.6 7.3 12.4 60.2

 Unemployed 5.3 4.6 7.9 15.9 49.2

 Out of the labor force 1.8 1.9 3.9 7.1 66.1

See notes at end of table.

Percent who enrolled in
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

66 

Table I.7.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in subsequent undergraduate

Table I.7.—degree programs, and of those, percentage who completed such a program, by selected

Table I.7.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Of those

Technical enrolled,

 diploma/ Associate’s Bachelor’s percent

Selected characteristics certificate degree degree Any completed

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 2.4 2.1 5.3 9.6 57.0

 For-profit 2.0 1.9 4.9 8.3 51.0

 Not-for-profit 2.3 2.6 6.1 10.2 61.4

 Local/state government 2.7 2.5 6.5 11.1 64.0

 Federal government 2.9 0.4 4.8 8.2 ‡

 Military 1.8 3.1 2.1 6.2 ‡

Occupation2

 Business and management 2.1 1.2 3.8 6.8 56.9

 Education 2.3 0.8 7.8 10.3 74.4

 Health professions 0.9 5.4 10.4 15.6 59.4

 Service industries 3.1 1.1 4.6 8.5 42.7

 Research, other professional/technical 1.9 2.4 5.3 9.1 58.8

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 3.8 1.7 5.3 9.8 54.4

 Other 2.1 3.4 4.8 9.6 39.8

Salary2

 Low 3.2 2.6 6.9 12.0 56.2

 Middle 2.1 2.1 6.7 10.1 60.2

 High 1.5 0.7 2.6 4.7 60.4

Marital status

 Single, never married 2.4 2.4 6.5 10.6 56.4

 Married or cohabiting 2.0 1.7 5.2 8.4 58.7

 Separated/divorced/widowed 3.5 3.3 7.3 13.6 62.3

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 2.4 2.0 6.6 10.4 59.9

 One or more 2.1 1.9 4.7 8.1 57.0

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail does not sum to totals because respondents could enroll in more than one type of program.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

Percent who enrolled in
Table Compendium—Section I: Education 

67 

Table I.8.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in other types of education,

Table I.8.—by selected characteristics: 2003

Personal

Occupational Professional Work-related enrichment

Selected characteristics license1 certification1 classes2 classes2

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 24.9 30.2 44.5 18.1

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 25.1 30.2 44.5 18.2

Gender

 Male 24.1 27.7 42.7 13.2

 Female 25.8 32.2 46.0 22.2

Race/ethnicity3

 White, non-Hispanic 24.4 29.9 44.1 17.7

 Black, non-Hispanic 24.4 35.0 49.6 20.3

 Hispanic 28.2 31.1 47.2 19.6

 Asian/Pacific Islander 30.0 25.5 41.9 22.9

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 25.9 28.9 44.1 17.6

 23–24 23.8 29.2 44.9 16.9

 25–29 24.2 31.2 41.4 18.2

 30 or older 25.3 35.2 47.4 21.8

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 21.5 25.5 41.3 13.6

 Education 27.8 46.4 49.0 19.5

 Engineering 16.3 18.3 51.9 13.9

 Health 36.4 39.3 46.2 21.5

 Public affairs/social services 34.5 33.5 47.7 17.9

 Humanities 20.6 27.2 39.1 21.4

 Social and behavioral sciences 26.1 25.1 46.1 19.8

 Natural sciences and mathematics 29.5 32.4 41.1 17.9

 Other 24.1 28.7 45.5 20.8

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 26.6 28.4 43.0 16.8

 5–6 years 23.7 30.4 45.0 18.7

 More than 6 years 24.9 32.2 46.0 19.4

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 24.7 31.6 46.1 17.7

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 25.8 27.7 41.2 18.8

 Other 25.3 25.1 45.4 21.8

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 25.8 30.6 48.9 17.8

 Full time, one job 24.8 29.8 50.4 16.9

 Part time, one job 26.4 27.1 38.0 19.2

 Multiple jobs 32.6 39.6 47.1 23.7

 Unemployed 17.9 26.9 23.4 19.1

 Out of the labor force 20.9 27.5 10.6 21.3

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section I: Education

68 

Table I.8.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in other types of education,

Table I.8.—by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Personal

Occupational Professional Work-related enrichment

Selected characteristics license1 certification1 classes2 classes2

Type of employer4

 Self-employed 29.7 26.6 23.6 21.7

 For-profit 21.3 23.3 42.3 15.3

 Not-for-profit 25.9 30.3 44.7 22.0

 Local/state government 29.8 36.6 52.5 20.7

 Federal government 21.4 25.2 54.3 24.2

 Military 21.6 27.3 59.2 11.8

Occupation4

 Business and management 21.3 23.5 42.9 16.9

 Education 32.1 53.8 55.6 20.5

 Health professions 45.7 42.9 42.3 19.2

 Service industries 20.0 19.7 34.4 14.7

 Research, other professional/technical 23.5 22.5 47.0 22.4

 Engineering/architecture/computer science 15.5 25.2 52.0 15.2

 Other 22.2 23.7 31.6 13.4

Salary4

 Low 25.1 31.4 35.1 18.0

 Middle 27.0 32.8 48.9 18.8

 High 22.4 25.1 47.7 16.6

Marital status

 Single, never married 27.3 28.2 41.7 21.2

 Married or cohabiting 24.2 30.5 44.8 17.2

 Separated/divorced/widowed 27.6 32.6 49.6 18.7

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 25.5 28.3 45.0 21.2

 One or more 24.7 32.0 44.0 15.3

1

Since 1993.

2

In the past 12 months.

3

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

4

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
69 

Section II: Employment 

Table II.1 

• In 2003, among 1992–93 college graduates, about three-fourths of Asians (77 percent) and 

Hispanics (76 percent) and about 69 percent of Blacks and Whites had one full-time job.16 

• Graduates with undergraduate majors in engineering were more likely to be employed in one 

full-time job 10 years after college graduation than those with any other baccalaureate majors 

(85 percent vs. 55–77 percent). Those who majored in health were generally less likely than 

those who majored in other subjects to be employed full time in one job after 10 years. 

• Overall, 4 percent of 1992–93 college graduates were unemployed; health majors were less 

likely to be unemployed than undergraduate majors in business, engineering, humanities, social science, or natural sciences and mathematics. 

• College graduates from 1992–93 who were employed currently or most recently by the military were more likely to work full time at one job in 2003 (83 percent) than those who were 

currently or most recently self-employed (59 percent), employed by a not-for-profit organization (61 percent), and those who had been employed by local or state government (64 percent). 

• Single graduates who had never married were more likely than other graduates to work full 

time17 (76 vs. 67–69 percent). 

• College graduates from 1992–93 who had no dependents younger than age 18 were more 

likely to be employed full time than graduates with dependents (75 percent of graduates 

without dependents and 66 percent of those with dependents worked full time). Ten percent 

of graduates with no dependents and 8 percent with dependents worked multiple jobs. 

Table II.2 

• Among college graduates who were employed in 2003, men worked more hours per week 

than women, on average, both in full-time jobs (49 vs. 45 hours) and in multiple jobs (59 vs. 

49 hours). 

 

16 When interviewed in 2003, graduates were asked about the characteristics of their current job or, if not employed, about their

most recent job, as long as they were employed at some point since 1997. Unless otherwise specified, employment status refers to 

status when interviewed in 2003, but job characteristics refer to the graduate’s current (2003) or most recent (since 1997) job. 

(Only employed graduates are included in tables II.2 through II.7; job characteristics in those tables describe the current [2003] 

job.) 

17 As indicated in footnote 5, “working full time” and “working part time” refer to graduates with only one job (in contrast to 

those who worked in multiple jobs). 
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

70 

• Across racial/ethnic groups, 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with one full-time job 

worked an average of 45–48 hours per week. 

• Employed college graduates with an undergraduate major in health worked fewer hours per 

week in one full-time job (about 45 hours) than those with most other majors, who averaged 

47–49 hours per week; an exception was those with a public affairs major, who worked about 

44 hours per week. 

• Compared with full-time workers who had bachelor’s or master’s degrees, doctoral or firstprofessional degree recipients worked about 7 hours more per week. Those with doctoral or 

first-professional degrees worked about 54 hours per week in one full-time job, on average, 

while college graduates whose highest degree was a master’s or a bachelor’s degree worked 

about 47 hours each. Graduates who worked in multiple jobs in 2003 and whose highest level 

of education was a master’s degree worked fewer hours than others, averaging about 50 

hours per week, compared with 55–56 hours for those whose highest degree was a bachelor’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree. 

• In contrast to the differences by baccalaureate major, graduates with an advanced degree in 

health worked nearly one work day more per week in one full-time job than advanced degree 

holders in other fields. Specifically, those whose highest degree was in health worked an average of 56 hours per week, while those who studied arts and humanities or other unspecified 

fields for their highest degree averaged 49 hours per week and those in business and management, education, and in science, mathematics, or engineering worked 47–48 hours per 

week. Full-time workers who studied social and behavioral sciences for their advanced degree worked fewer hours per week than others, about 43 hours. 

• Recipients of bachelor’s degrees in 1992–93 who worked full time for the military or for 

themselves worked more hours per week than their counterparts employed in the for-profit 

and not-for-profit sectors or by the government. 

• Occupation followed a pattern similar to that seen for field of advanced degree. Health professionals worked more hours per week, on average, in one full-time job than those in most 

other occupations, who worked 46–47 hours per week, on average. However, no difference 

was detected between professionals in health and those in business and management in average weekly hours. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed in one full-time job, average hours worked per week were higher for those with higher salaries. Those in the lowest 

salary group worked 45 hours per week, the middle group worked 46 hours, and those in the 

highest group worked 50 hours. 

Table II.3 

• Overall, the largest proportion of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed 

in 2003 (30 percent) worked in business and management occupations. Between 17 and 18 

percent worked as educators or in research or other professional/technical occupations, 10 
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

71 

percent in engineering, architecture, or computer science, 9 percent each worked in health or 

in service industries, and the remaining 7 percent were employed in some other occupation.18

• Gender differences were apparent for those working in business (34 percent of men vs. 27 

percent of women), education (9 percent of men vs. 26 percent of women), health (6 percent 

of men vs. 12 percent of women), and engineering, architecture, or computer science (16 percent of men vs. 4 percent of women). 

• Asians were less likely to be employed as educators than Black, White, or Hispanic graduates 

(7 vs. 18–21 percent), and were more likely than those from other racial/ethnic groups to be 

employed as engineers, architects, or computer scientists (18 vs. 8–10 percent). 

• Several baccalaureate majors were reflected in graduates’ occupations 10 years later. Among 

undergraduates with business majors, 59 percent worked in business and management after 

10 years. The majority of education majors (66 percent) worked as educators, and the majority of health majors (63 percent) worked as health professionals. Finally, 58 percent of undergraduate engineering majors worked in engineering, architecture, or computer science in 

2003. 

• About one-third of graduates whose highest degree was a bachelor’s degree worked in business and management 10 years later; bachelor’s degree recipients were more likely than master’s or doctoral degree recipients to work in this professional field. Graduates whose highest 

level of education was a bachelor’s degree were also more likely than those with master’s, 

doctoral, or first-professional degrees to work in service industries (11 vs. 2–4 percent) or in 

engineering, architecture, or computer science (11 vs. 3–8 percent). Graduates with master’s 

degrees were more likely than those with bachelor’s degrees or those with doctoral or firstprofessional degrees to work as educators (35 vs. 11–14 percent), and those with doctoral or 

first-professional degrees were more likely to work as health professionals (36 vs. 7–8 percent) or in research or other professional or technical occupations (40 vs. 15–17 percent) than 

graduates with bachelor’s or master’s degrees. 

• Advanced degree field was related to occupation in ways similar to baccalaureate major. For 

instance, 65 percent of graduates with an advanced degree in business and management 

worked in business and management in 2003. Eighty-four percent of those with education 

degrees worked in education, and 77 percent of those with advanced degrees in health 

worked as health professionals. 

Table II.4 

• The largest proportion (58 percent) of employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

worked in the for-profit sector. Another 17 percent worked for a not-for-profit employer, 11 

percent worked for local or state government, 10 percent were self-employed, 3 percent were 

employed by the federal government, and 1 percent were employed by the military. 

• College graduates whose highest degree was a bachelor’s degree were more likely to be employed by a for-profit company than those who had earned a master’s, doctoral, or first-

 

18 The “other” occupation category includes administrative or clerical jobs, legal support, mechanics, laborers, the military, and 

other unspecified occupations. 
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

72 

professional degree and were less likely to be employed in the not-for-profit sector or by local or state government. 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients who worked in one part-time job 10 years later were more likely 

to be self-employed than those who worked full time or had multiple jobs (23 vs. 8–14 percent). 

Table II.5 

• Among college graduates who were employed in 2003, those who worked full time had a 

mean salary of $60,700. Part-time workers averaged $41,300, and workers with multiple jobs 

averaged $48,200. 

• Among full-time employees, White graduates had higher average salaries than Black graduates ($61,200 vs. $53,500). 

• Although graduates’ average salaries for one full-time job varied considerably by type of 

employer, self-employed graduates and those employed by a for-profit company earned more 

on average than others at $76,100 and $68,400 per year, respectively. The median salaries are 

somewhat lower, suggesting that a few very high salaries may have increased the mean. The 

median salary for those who were self-employed, worked for a for-profit firm, or were in the 

military was $60,000 per year. 

Table II.6 

• The majority of employed college graduates reported having flexible scheduling options (77 

percent) or supervisory duties (59 percent) at their jobs. In addition, 43 percent said that they 

participated in hiring and firing decisions, over one-fourth (28 percent) reported that telecommuting was allowed in their jobs, and 23 percent participated in setting pay for other employees. 

• Most employed college graduates (88 percent) reported in 2003 that they considered the job 

in which they were employed 10 years after attaining a bachelor’s degree to be a part of their 

career. 

• Among employed graduates, men were more likely than women to supervise others (66 vs. 

53 percent), assist in hiring and firing decisions (50 vs. 36 percent), set pay for others (29 vs. 

17 percent), and consider their job a part of their career (91 vs. 85 percent). 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed in 2003, those with doctoral or first-professional degrees were less likely than graduates whose highest degree was a 

bachelor’s or master’s degree to be able to telecommute or to have flexible scheduling. 

However, doctoral or first-professional degree recipients were more likely than bachelor’s or 

master’s degree recipients to have supervisory duties (73 vs. 56–59 percent). Bachelor’s degree recipients were more likely than master’s, doctoral, or first-professional recipients to set 

pay for others (24 vs. 18–19 percent). They were less likely to report that their job in 2003 

was a part of their career (86 vs. 92–93 percent). 
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

73 

• College graduates who were employed full time in one job were more likely than part-time 

workers to have supervisory responsibilities, assist in hiring and firing decisions, set pay for 

others, and to say that their jobs were part of their career. 

• College graduates who worked in the for-profit sector were more likely than their peers in the 

not-for-profit sector, government, or the military to be allowed to telecommute. Those in the 

for-profit sector were also more likely than those working in local or state government and in 

the military to have their employers offer them flexible scheduling options. Bachelor’s degree recipients from 1992–93 who worked for the federal government in 2003 were generally 

less likely than graduates employed in the for-profit, not-for-profit, or military sectors to 

have any supervisory responsibilities and to assist in hiring and firing decisions. 

• Graduates who worked in engineering, architecture, or computer science in 2003 were more 

likely than those who worked in any other occupation except service industries to be able to 

telecommute (41 vs. 12–31 percent) and were more likely than graduates in other occupations except business and management to be allowed flexible scheduling at work (85 vs. 64–

79 percent). 

• Graduates’ salaries were related to the degree of flexibility and responsibility they experienced at their jobs. The higher their salary, the more likely they were to be able to telecommute, to be allowed a flexible schedule, to supervise others, to assist in hiring and firing 

decisions, to set pay for others, and to report that their current job was a part of their career. 

Table II.7 

• About 9 out of 10 employed college graduates (91 percent) received medical insurance 

through their employers 10 years after completing a bachelor’s degree, and 85 percent received retirement benefits. Eighty-three percent received some other form of health insurance 

(dental, optical, or some other health benefit), and over three-fourths (78 percent) received 

life insurance through their employers. Finally, 47 percent had flexible spending accounts, 

and 13 percent had access to a childcare facility or received a childcare subsidy from their 

employers. 

• Men were generally more likely than women to receive job benefits, except for having access 

to a childcare facility or receiving a childcare subsidy. 

• Having earned a higher degree did not necessarily correspond to additional benefits at work. 

In fact, doctoral or first-professional degree recipients were less likely than their peers with 

bachelor’s or master’s degrees to receive life insurance and retirement benefits through their 

employers (67 percent of doctoral or first-professional recipients received life insurance vs. 

77 and 79 percent, respectively, of master’s and bachelor’s degree recipients; and 76 percent 

received retirement benefits, compared with 86 percent each of bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients). 

• As might be expected, 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed in one fulltime job were more likely to receive most benefits than those who worked in multiple jobs or 

worked in one part-time job, although no difference was detected between the percentage of 

full- and part-time employees who received child care benefits. Bachelor’s degree recipients 
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

74 

who held multiple jobs in 2003, however, were more likely than part-time workers to receive 

many benefits, except flexible spending accounts and child care subsidies. 

• All graduates employed by the military received medical insurance, and nearly all (99 percent) reported that they received other health insurance as well. At least 9 out of 10 graduates 

employed by the federal government or the military received life insurance and retirement 

benefits from their employers. About half (53 percent) of graduates employed by the military 

and one-fourth (27 percent) of those employed by the federal government had access to a 

childcare facility or received a childcare subsidy, making graduates employed by both sectors 

generally more likely than other graduates to receive this type of benefit. 

• College graduates employed in engineering, architecture, or computer science in 2003 were 

more likely to have medical insurance, other health insurance, life insurance, and retirement 

benefits than graduates working in all other occupations. Health professionals (20 percent) 

were generally more likely than those in other occupations to receive childcare benefits 

through their employers (11–15 percent of graduates employed in other occupations). 

• Higher salaries generally corresponded to a higher likelihood of receiving various job benefits. Employed graduates in the middle salary group were more likely than those with lower 

earnings to receive all types of benefits with the exception of access to childcare facilities or 

subsidies. Those with the highest salaries were more likely than those with middle salaries to 

receive other health insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits, flexible spending accounts, 

and childcare benefits. 

Table II.8 

• In 2003, 10 years after they earned a bachelor’s degree, about 4 percent of bachelor’s degree 

recipients were unemployed (not working, but looking for work). Of those, 10 percent were 

receiving unemployment compensation. Among all those who had been unemployed at any 

time since 1997, the average amount of time spent unemployed was about 8 months. 

• Men who were unemployed in 2003 were more likely than women to be receiving unemployment compensation. Of those who were unemployed, 30 percent of men were receiving 

unemployment compensation, compared with 5 percent of women. 

• Black graduates who were unemployed were more likely than their fellow unemployed college graduates who were Asian, White, or Hispanic to be receiving unemployment compensation. About one-third of Black graduates reported receiving unemployment, compared with 

6–9 percent of Asian, White, and Hispanic graduates. However, Hispanic graduates reported 

that they had spent an average of 10 months unemployed since 1997, while Black graduates 

reported spending an average of 7 months unemployed. 

• Graduates whose highest degree was a bachelor’s degree were more likely than those who 

had earned master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degrees to be unemployed in 2003 (4 vs. 2 

percent). 

• Educators were less likely than those who worked in research or other professional or technical occupations and those who worked in engineering, architecture, or computer science to be 

unemployed in 2003 (2 vs. 5–6 percent). Of those who were unemployed, educators were 
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

75 

less likely than those in most other occupations to be receiving unemployment compensation. 

Two percent of unemployed educators were receiving unemployment compensation, compared with 10–42 percent of those in business and management, service industries, research, 

and engineering, architecture, or computer science. 
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

76 

Table II.1.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ current labor force 

Table II.1.—participation, by selected characteristics: 2003

Full time, Part time, Multiple Out of the

Selected characteristics Total one job one job jobs Unemployed labor force

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 87.3 70.2 7.9 9.3 3.8 8.9

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 87.3 70.1 7.9 9.2 3.8 8.9

Gender

 Male 93.9 81.1 3.5 9.4 4.1 2.0

 Female 81.7 61.1 11.6 9.1 3.6 14.6

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 87.0 69.5 8.4 9.2 3.5 9.5

 Black, non-Hispanic 90.1 69.4 5.5 15.2 6.6 3.4

 Hispanic 87.7 76.1 5.9 5.7 4.2 8.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 87.5 77.0 5.8 4.7 4.9 7.6

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 91.0 77.4 6.0 7.5 3.5 5.6

 Education 80.3 64.2 8.0 8.1 2.0 17.7

 Engineering 93.3 84.9 3.8 4.6 4.4 2.3

 Health 88.0 54.6 17.2 16.1 1.6 10.4

 Public affairs/social services 91.0 68.9 8.7 13.4 3.8 5.2

 Humanities 82.4 61.7 10.2 10.5 7.4 10.2

 Social and behavioral sciences 85.7 68.8 8.4 8.5 4.4 10.0

 Natural sciences and mathematics 89.8 74.2 6.5 9.1 3.8 6.4

 Other 87.1 69.4 7.1 10.6 3.5 9.3

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 85.7 69.2 8.0 8.5 4.4 10.0

 Master’s degree 91.2 70.8 8.3 12.1 2.2 6.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 94.4 80.4 5.9 8.1 2.1 3.6

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 94.9 80.4 6.1 8.5 2.0 3.1

 Education 91.0 69.8 8.4 12.8 1.5 7.6

 Health 91.2 67.5 10.6 13.1 0.5 8.3

 Arts and humanities 87.7 52.2 13.2 22.3 6.5 5.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 93.2 64.1 12.6 16.5 1.5 5.3

 Science/math/engineering 92.7 84.7 3.5 4.6 1.3 6.0

 Other 90.5 74.5 6.1 9.9 3.9 5.6

See notes at end of table.

Employed
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

77 

Table II.1.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ current labor force 

Table II.1.—participation, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Full time, Part time, Multiple Out of the

Selected characteristics Total one job one job jobs Unemployed labor force

Type of employer3

 Self-employed 89.6 58.6 18.7 12.4 3.4 7.0

 For-profit 89.1 76.1 5.7 7.3 4.5 6.5

 Not-for-profit 83.8 61.0 11.3 11.5 5.0 11.2

 Local/state government 81.4 64.5 6.8 10.1 3.2 15.4

 Federal government 91.9 81.8 1.7 8.4 0.9 7.2

 Military 94.0 82.9 2.1 9.0 4.6 1.4

Occupation3

 Business and management 91.0 78.2 5.9 7.0 3.3 5.7

 Education 86.3 65.7 9.3 11.3 2.3 11.4

 Health professions 89.0 57.4 15.2 16.4 2.5 8.5

 Service industries 87.2 69.2 11.6 6.4 3.5 9.3

 Research, other professional/

 technical 87.5 68.5 7.4 11.6 5.2 7.3

 Engineering/architecture/computer

 science 91.6 84.8 3.2 3.7 5.5 2.9

 Other 87.3 68.0 8.3 11.1 5.2 7.5

Salary3

 Low 78.5 47.8 17.5 13.3 5.4 16.1

 Middle 91.5 77.1 5.3 9.1 3.0 5.5

 High 93.7 83.3 4.3 6.2 3.3 3.0

Marital status

 Single, never married 91.1 75.6 4.8 10.8 5.9 3.0

 Married or cohabiting 86.1 68.9 8.8 8.4 3.1 10.8

 Separated/divorced/widowed 88.2 67.5 7.3 13.4 5.4 6.4

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 90.8 74.5 5.8 10.5 4.6 4.5

 One or more 83.9 65.9 9.9 8.0 3.0 13.1

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

3

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

Employed
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

78 

Table II.2.—Percentage distribution and average hours worked per week for currently employed 1992–93 

Table II.2.—bachelor’s degree recipients, by employment level and selected characteristics: 2003

Average

Percent Average Percent Average Percent hours

employed hours employed hours with worked

full time, worked part time, worked multiple per week

Selected characteristics one job per week one job per week jobs in all jobs

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 80.4 47.2 9.0 21.8 10.6 53.6

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 80.4 47.2 9.1 21.8 10.6 53.5

Gender

 Male 86.4 49.0 3.7 22.5 10.0 58.6

 Female 74.7 45.2 14.2 21.7 11.1 49.0

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 79.8 47.3 9.6 21.5 10.6 53.1

 Black, non-Hispanic 77.0 45.4 6.1 ‡ 16.9 59.7

 Hispanic 86.8 46.4 6.7 ‡ 6.5 ‡

 Asian/Pacific Islander 88.0 47.7 6.7 ‡ 5.3 ‡

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 85.2 47.2 6.6 21.9 8.2 51.8

 Education 79.9 46.7 10.0 21.5 10.1 48.4

 Engineering 91.0 47.4 4.1 ‡ 4.9 ‡

 Health 62.1 45.2 19.6 21.4 18.3 52.5

 Public affairs/social services 75.7 44.4 9.5 ‡ 14.8 59.9

 Humanities 74.8 47.4 12.4 22.0 12.8 52.1

 Social and behavioral sciences 80.3 46.9 9.8 21.5 10.0 54.2

 Natural sciences and mathematics 82.7 49.3 7.2 23.1 10.1 52.9

 Other 79.6 47.5 8.2 21.0 12.2 58.0

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 80.7 46.7 9.3 21.9 10.0 54.9

 Master’s degree 77.6 46.8 9.1 21.1 13.3 49.7

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 85.2 54.1 6.2 ‡ 8.6 55.5

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 84.7 48.2 6.4 ‡ 8.9 ‡

 Education 76.7 47.3 9.2 20.0 14.1 51.0

 Health 73.9 55.6 11.7 23.3 14.4 47.0

 Arts and humanities 59.5 48.7 15.0 ‡ 25.4 49.7

 Social and behavioral sciences 68.7 43.3 13.6 ‡ 17.7 ‡

 Science/math/engineering 91.3 46.7 3.7 ‡ 5.0 ‡

 Other 82.3 49.2 6.8 ‡ 11.0 50.5

Type of employer

 Self-employed 65.3 53.4 20.9 21.6 13.8 55.4

 For-profit 85.4 47.0 6.4 21.9 8.2 53.2

 Not-for-profit 72.8 46.6 13.4 21.6 13.8 50.9

 Local/state government 79.3 44.7 8.3 20.6 12.4 54.5

 Federal government 89.0 44.5 1.9 ‡ 9.2 ‡

 Military 88.2 53.7 2.2 ‡ 9.6 ‡

See notes at end of table.

Full time, one job Part time, one job Multiple jobs
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

79 

Table II.2.—Percentage distribution and average hours worked per week for currently employed 1992–93 

Table II.2.—bachelor’s degree recipients, by employment level and selected characteristics: 2003

Table II.2.——Continued

Average

Percent Average Percent Average Percent hours

employed hours employed hours with worked

full time, worked part time, worked multiple per week

Selected characteristics one job per week one job per week jobs in all jobs

Occupation

 Business and management 85.9 48.2 6.5 23.1 7.7 54.8

 Education 76.2 46.9 10.7 21.3 13.1 55.7

 Health professions 64.5 49.8 17.1 21.9 18.4 49.2

 Service industries 79.4 47.2 13.3 21.8 7.4 46.6

 Research, other 

 professional/technical 78.3 46.2 8.5 21.1 13.3 55.5

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 92.5 45.5 3.4 ‡ 4.0 ‡

 Other 77.9 45.7 9.5 19.8 12.7 54.1

Salary

 Low 60.9 44.7 22.2 20.7 16.9 51.6

 Middle 84.3 46.3 5.8 24.1 9.9 55.3

 High 88.9 50.4 4.5 20.9 6.6 52.2

Marital status

 Single, never married 83.0 47.3 5.3 23.5 11.8 57.2

 Married or cohabiting 80.0 47.3 10.3 21.3 9.7 51.6

 Separated/divorced/widowed 76.5 45.9 8.3 24.9 15.2 56.6

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 82.1 47.4 6.4 22.1 11.6 54.3

 One or more 78.6 47.0 11.8 21.7 9.6 52.6

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

Full time, one job Part time, one job Multiple jobs
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

80 

Table II.3.—Percentage distribution of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ 

Table II.3.—occupation, by selected characteristics: 2003

EngineerResearch/ ing/archiBusiness Health other pro- tecture/

and pro- Service fessional/ computer

Selected characteristics management Education fessions industries technical science Other

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 30.5 17.9 9.4 8.7 17.0 9.8 6.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 30.4 17.9 9.4 8.7 17.1 9.8 6.8

Gender

 Male 34.1 9.4 6.4 9.5 16.9 15.8 8.0

 Female 26.9 26.1 12.3 7.9 17.2 4.1 5.6

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 30.9 18.1 9.1 9.4 17.0 9.6 6.0

 Black, non-Hispanic 26.5 21.4 7.9 4.7 20.4 8.3 10.9

 Hispanic 25.0 21.1 10.4 4.7 20.7 8.8 9.3

 Asian/Pacific Islander 28.7 7.1 14.1 6.2 12.7 18.2 13.0

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 59.4 5.2 1.7 13.5 7.4 5.7 7.2

 Education 10.4 65.7 3.5 4.5 9.2 1.6 5.3

 Engineering 22.0 1.3 1.3 3.0 9.7 57.5 5.2

 Health 11.8 5.7 62.9 4.2 7.2 6.2 2.0

 Public affairs/social services 18.7 7.3 4.5 7.4 46.4 1.1 14.6

 Humanities 23.1 24.4 2.8 10.6 21.8 5.8 11.5

 Social and behavioral science 32.0 15.3 4.9 10.5 27.1 3.2 7.0

 Natural sciences and 

 mathematics 17.3 13.5 24.6 3.2 19.3 18.2 3.9

 Other 28.2 16.8 4.8 10.4 26.5 6.4 7.1

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 33.8 13.7 7.7 10.6 15.0 11.0 8.1

 Master’s degree 26.0 35.0 7.4 3.8 17.2 7.5 3.1

 Doctoral/first-professional

 degree 4.9 11.0 35.7 1.9 40.5 3.0 3.1

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 64.7 7.6 1.2 6.0 10.4 5.7 4.5

 Education 4.3 84.4 2.1 2.0 6.3 0.3 0.6

 Health 7.4 6.0 76.8 1.8 5.5 1.3 1.2

 Arts and humanities 12.0 36.0 0.0 4.6 44.1 1.6 1.6

 Social and behavioral 

 sciences 11.9 28.9 3.4 3.4 49.0 1.3 2.1

 Science/math/engineering 13.4 12.6 5.4 1.4 28.5 34.5 4.3

 Other 12.8 15.0 13.2 4.0 45.7 3.5 5.9

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 30.4 17.9 9.4 8.7 17.1 9.8 6.8

 Full time, one job 32.4 17.0 7.6 8.6 16.6 11.3 6.6

 Part time, one job 21.7 21.2 17.7 12.7 15.9 3.7 7.1

 Multiple jobs 22.0 22.3 16.5 6.1 21.4 3.7 8.1

 Unemployed † † † † † † †

 Out of the labor force † † † † † † †

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

81 

Table II.3.—Percentage distribution of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ 

Table II.3.—occupation, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

EngineerResearch/ ing/archiBusiness Health other pro- tecture/

and pro- Service fessional/ computer

Selected characteristics management Education fessions industries technical science Other

Type of employer

 Self-employed 41.7 3.3 9.5 13.4 18.8 5.7 7.7

 For-profit 41.5 1.3 7.5 13.5 14.0 14.7 7.6

 Not-for-profit 24.4 12.0 23.4 3.2 26.2 5.8 5.0

 Local/state government 14.2 24.5 9.1 1.5 37.9 6.2 6.7

 Federal government 24.2 2.3 11.7 2.4 28.2 17.9 13.3

 Military 13.0 1.9 16.3 # 6.1 2.2 60.5

Salary

 Low 19.3 31.2 5.7 10.9 19.0 1.2 12.8

 Middle 28.9 20.0 10.5 7.7 17.9 9.0 6.0

 High 42.1 2.9 10.5 8.6 13.9 18.5 3.4

Marital status

 Single, never married 29.6 14.2 9.6 8.7 19.5 10.0 8.4

 Married or cohabiting 30.8 18.5 9.2 8.7 16.0 10.4 6.4

 Separated/divorced/widowed 27.8 22.8 10.6 8.2 20.7 3.9 6.0

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 29.7 16.4 9.1 8.8 19.7 9.4 6.9

 One or more 31.0 19.5 9.8 8.6 14.4 10.2 6.6

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

82 

Table II.4.—Percentage distribution of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ type of 

Table II.4.—employer, by selected characteristics: 2003

Self- Not-for- Local/state Federal

Selected characteristics employed For-profit profit government government Military

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 10.1 57.7 17.3 11.0 2.9 1.1

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 10.1 57.6 17.2 11.0 2.9 1.1

Gender

 Male 10.6 64.0 11.3 9.7 2.7 1.7

 Female 9.6 50.6 23.9 12.5 3.1 0.4

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 10.5 58.9 17.0 10.3 2.4 0.9

 Black, non-Hispanic 8.7 42.9 20.6 18.9 5.8 3.2

 Hispanic 6.9 51.6 20.3 13.5 6.4 1.3

 Asian/Pacific Islander 8.7 63.3 14.9 10.2 2.0 1.0

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 9.7 69.5 13.1 5.6 1.1 1.0

 Education 9.7 42.6 22.3 21.7 3.3 0.4

 Engineering 6.9 78.2 3.9 4.7 4.1 2.3

 Health 7.8 46.0 31.6 9.1 4.5 1.0

 Public affairs/social services 7.1 34.0 17.9 36.4 3.7 0.9

 Humanities 12.6 57.7 16.8 10.3 1.9 0.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 11.9 49.6 19.3 14.4 3.9 0.9

 Natural sciences and mathematics 9.5 50.4 22.1 11.0 4.9 2.1

 Other 12.2 56.8 16.9 11.1 2.3 0.7

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 10.6 62.1 15.0 9.1 2.4 0.8

 Master’s degree 7.7 45.3 24.3 17.0 3.6 2.2

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 11.6 42.4 22.9 15.6 5.9 1.7

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 5.5 62.6 15.6 8.2 4.6 3.5

 Education 9.8 16.8 33.7 37.7 1.6 0.4

 Health 16.1 36.7 30.0 11.9 3.4 1.9

 Arts and humanities 11.2 22.7 49.5 15.4 0.6 0.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 6.5 19.9 39.2 32.9 0.7 0.7

 Science/math/engineering 4.8 48.1 18.6 14.4 10.4 3.6

 Other 9.6 54.1 15.1 16.5 3.9 0.9

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 10.1 57.6 17.2 11.0 2.9 1.1

 Full time, one job 8.2 61.0 15.6 10.8 3.2 1.2

 Part time, one job 23.3 40.4 25.5 10.0 0.6 0.3

 Multiple jobs 13.7 46.2 23.2 13.4 2.6 1.0

 Unemployed † † † † † †

 Out of the labor force † † † † † †

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

83 

Table II.4.—Percentage distribution of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ type of 

Table II.4.—employer, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Self- Not-for- Local/state Federal

Selected characteristics employed For-profit profit government government Military

Occupation

 Business and management 12.2 68.8 12.1 4.5 2.0 0.4

 Education 5.6 12.9 34.8 45.3 1.1 0.4

 Health professions 8.9 39.8 37.3 9.3 3.1 1.7

 Service industries 13.7 78.4 5.6 1.7 0.7 #

 Research, other professional/

 technical 9.8 41.3 23.1 21.3 4.1 0.4

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 5.1 75.2 8.9 6.0 4.6 0.2

 Other 10.0 55.9 11.1 9.4 4.9 8.6

Salary

 Low 15.3 45.7 23.6 13.3 1.7 0.4

 Middle 6.7 55.1 19.7 14.2 2.9 1.3

 High 12.2 69.9 9.0 4.0 3.6 1.3

Marital status

 Single, never married 8.1 60.7 17.7 9.5 3.1 1.1

 Married or cohabiting 10.7 57.7 17.0 10.9 2.7 1.1

 Separated/divorced/widowed 11.0 48.4 18.8 16.0 4.3 1.5

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 8.6 58.2 18.9 10.4 3.0 0.9

 One or more 11.8 57.0 15.5 11.6 2.7 1.4

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond 

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

84 

Table II.5.—Average annual salary of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by 

Table II.5.—employment level and selected characteristics: 2003

Average Median Average Median Average Median

Selected characteristics salary salary salary salary salary salary

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) $60,800 $52,000 $41,400 $31,800 $48,300 $40,900

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 60,700 52,000 41,300 31,800 48,200 40,900

Gender

 Male 69,900 60,000 55,100 38,000 55,700 46,000

 Female 50,600 45,000 37,800 31,000 42,000 37,500

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 61,200 52,800 41,300 31,200 47,700 40,000

 Black, non-Hispanic 53,500 46,400 ‡ ‡ 43,700 42,000

 Hispanic 56,600 49,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Asian/Pacific Islander 63,300 57,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 66,300 59,700 49,600 43,700 56,900 45,000

 Education 43,800 40,000 24,100 21,800 35,700 36,000

 Engineering 74,900 72,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Health 63,900 57,000 43,400 40,000 57,600 53,500

 Public affairs/social services 52,100 45,000 ‡ ‡ 44,300 43,000

 Humanities 53,500 45,000 46,000 31,200 38,100 35,000

 Social and behavioral sciences 62,000 50,000 36,800 26,200 47,900 38,000

 Natural sciences and mathematics 63,400 56,000 45,800 33,000 65,600 49,000

 Other 59,400 50,000 40,100 31,200 37,600 33,000

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 58,800 50,300 38,700 31,200 47,000 40,000

 Master’s degree 61,100 54,300 45,000 33,000 47,900 41,300

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 80,900 64,000 ‡ ‡ 65,000 55,000

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 77,200 71,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Education 46,600 43,300 35,100 29,000 42,100 39,700

 Health 80,500 60,000 60,000 52,000 60,600 46,700

 Arts and humanities 45,200 41,000 ‡ ‡ 34,000 30,500

 Social and behavioral sciences 47,500 43,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Science/math/engineering 69,200 68,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Other 73,500 60,300 ‡ ‡ 55,000 51,000

Type of employer

 Self-employed 76,100 60,000 54,900 33,000 61,700 35,000

 For-profit 68,400 60,000 42,700 36,400 51,700 46,000

 Not-for-profit 49,800 46,000 38,000 31,200 46,500 40,000

 Local/state government 48,800 43,400 30,700 25,700 45,400 42,000

 Federal government 61,100 60,700 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Military 60,500 60,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

See notes at end of table.

Full time, one job Part time, one job Multiple jobs
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

85 

Table II.5.—Average annual salary of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, by 

Table II.5.—employment level and selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Average Median Average Median Average Median

Selected characteristics salary salary salary salary salary salary

Occupation

 Business and management $69,700 $59,700 $47,300 $38,500 $63,200 $56,000

 Education 41,900 39,900 25,400 21,000 33,100 35,000

 Health professions 66,900 54,400 48,900 43,700 61,000 53,000

 Service industries 59,400 52,000 37,100 25,000 46,600 30,000

 Research, other professional/

 technical 58,300 49,400 49,800 31,200 42,400 35,400

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 72,200 69,000 ‡ ‡ 55,200 52,000

 Other 46,100 40,000 25,700 23,400 36,400 35,400

Salary

 Low 26,400 28,500 19,500 20,000 22,400 24,900

 Middle 49,600 49,900 48,400 49,300 48,300 47,200

 High 100,900 86,000 111,100 89,400 102,400 88,400

Marital status

 Single, never married 58,800 50,000 43,000 31,200 43,600 40,000

 Married or cohabiting 62,200 55,000 40,100 31,800 50,000 42,600

 Separated/divorced/widowed 52,400 43,700 51,300 34,400 47,500 37,400

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 59,400 51,900 42,400 30,000 46,500 40,000

 One or more 62,200 54,000 40,600 33,100 50,300 42,500

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

Full time, one job Part time, one job Multiple jobs
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

86 

Table II.6.—Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with various job 

Table II.6.—characteristics, and percentage who considered their job a part of their career, by selected 

Table II.6.—characteristics: 2003

Assist in Consider

Telecommuting Flexible Supervise hiring/firing Set pay job part

Selected characteristics allowed scheduling others decisions for others of career

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 28.2 76.8 59.0 42.5 22.8 87.7

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 28.1 76.8 59.0 42.5 22.8 87.8

Gender

 Male 29.6 77.6 65.9 49.6 28.6 90.5

 Female 26.5 75.9 52.5 35.8 17.3 85.1

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 28.0 77.7 59.5 43.3 23.8 88.5

 Black, non-Hispanic 26.6 70.8 51.7 31.8 15.5 82.5

 Hispanic 30.9 72.4 59.1 42.7 19.3 86.4

 Asian/Pacific Islander 31.1 75.8 58.3 39.2 19.0 84.6

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 29.8 75.9 64.7 49.6 33.4 87.1

 Education 19.4 70.0 47.2 27.5 11.1 91.4

 Engineering 28.0 86.5 64.1 46.9 19.8 92.2

 Health 19.1 74.7 65.3 36.2 19.4 92.9

 Public affairs/social services 22.3 75.5 53.9 41.0 22.9 87.6

 Humanities 29.4 77.4 54.9 39.4 19.4 83.4

 Social and behavioral sciences 27.3 76.7 58.1 44.7 22.6 83.4

 Natural sciences and mathematics 29.3 76.3 57.2 40.4 20.1 90.1

 Other 34.3 77.4 60.4 46.3 22.8 86.7

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 27.9 77.4 58.6 42.4 24.4 86.2

 Master’s degree 31.4 77.2 56.0 41.7 18.6 91.7

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 22.0 69.3 72.7 46.6 18.0 93.1

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 34.2 82.4 67.9 52.3 31.3 86.0

 Education 20.6 61.2 45.8 31.1 7.5 96.6

 Health 17.5 56.0 72.3 40.4 23.2 95.5

 Arts and humanities 24.1 86.7 53.9 39.8 18.7 93.9

 Social and behavioral sciences 32.7 77.1 48.6 42.0 13.6 87.9

 Science/math/engineering 32.8 84.1 59.4 46.0 12.4 90.5

 Other 31.0 74.5 64.7 47.0 19.5 92.8

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 28.1 76.8 59.0 42.5 22.8 87.8

 Full time, one job 28.5 75.5 61.7 45.9 24.3 89.8

 Part time, one job 30.7 87.8 39.3 23.2 15.4 74.8

 Multiple jobs 22.5 78.8 54.8 32.9 17.5 83.1

 Unemployed † † † † † †

 Out of the labor force † † † † † †

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

87 

Table II.6.—Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with various job 

Table II.6.—characteristics, and percentage who considered their job a part of their career, by selected 

Table II.6.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Assist in Consider

Telecommuting Flexible Supervise hiring/firing Set pay job part

Selected characteristics allowed scheduling others decisions for others of career

Type of employer

 Self-employed — — 66.7 63.2 58.6 87.3

 For-profit 32.0 78.8 61.9 45.5 24.9 85.5

 Not-for-profit 24.8 78.1 65.1 43.3 21.8 86.5

 Local/state government 18.4 65.8 59.3 40.5 12.7 89.9

 Federal government 17.1 78.8 47.0 32.0 12.1 87.0

 Military 7.6 61.1 80.5 45.9 8.1 94.9

Occupation

 Business and management 31.4 81.4 75.1 64.2 45.2 87.0

 Education 21.8 68.5 42.7 27.3 5.7 94.4

 Health professions 12.1 68.0 65.2 30.3 15.2 93.4

 Service industries 35.4 79.0 45.0 31.6 16.8 81.0

 Research, other professional/

 technical 27.6 75.4 56.4 39.7 15.9 88.0

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 40.7 85.0 57.1 41.8 15.7 93.1

 Other 14.8 64.4 48.9 25.4 14.3 66.4

Salary

 Low 19.7 72.2 44.3 25.8 12.4 74.6

 Middle 24.8 75.5 58.0 39.6 19.3 89.7

 High 39.4 82.0 73.1 62.1 38.2 94.7

Marital status

 Single, never married 24.5 76.0 55.2 35.0 16.9 83.7

 Married or cohabiting 30.0 77.7 60.2 45.3 24.8 89.4

 Separated/divorced/widowed 20.7 69.9 58.6 37.1 20.8 83.5

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 25.6 74.4 57.8 41.0 20.4 85.9

 One or more 31.0 79.5 60.2 44.0 25.3 89.7

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

88 

Table II.7.—Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with various job 

Table II.7.—benefits, by selected characteristics: 2003

Other Flexible Childcare

Medical health Life Retirement spending facility/

Selected characteristics insurance insurance insurance benefits accounts subsidy

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 91.2 82.8 77.9 85.3 47.4 13.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 91.2 82.7 77.8 85.2 47.2 13.4

Gender

 Male 93.7 84.7 79.8 87.8 50.1 13.2

 Female 88.9 80.8 75.9 82.9 44.5 13.6

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 90.9 82.0 77.4 85.2 47.9 13.1

 Black, non-Hispanic 91.9 88.1 86.6 89.2 43.5 17.4

 Hispanic 91.3 82.9 74.6 81.6 40.2 15.4

 Asian/Pacific Islander 93.9 88.3 76.6 85.0 47.6 10.7

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 90.6 83.0 81.1 87.3 55.3 13.5

 Education 91.0 78.2 73.2 80.2 33.2 11.5

 Engineering 96.4 91.3 88.8 95.5 56.2 14.6

 Health 89.6 81.1 75.6 85.6 51.2 18.9

 Public affairs/social services 95.4 87.1 88.0 89.9 34.5 10.0

 Humanities 86.2 75.2 67.1 78.2 38.9 9.6

 Social and behavioral sciences 91.9 83.7 79.0 85.4 48.2 15.7

 Natural sciences and mathematics 93.0 86.9 76.4 84.8 48.9 16.0

 Other 90.9 82.4 76.5 84.8 46.2 11.5

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 91.2 82.9 78.9 85.7 48.0 13.6

 Master’s degree 92.0 82.8 77.1 86.2 45.6 12.5

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 88.6 79.4 66.7 76.2 42.6 15.2

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 91.9 86.3 84.4 94.2 64.9 16.1

 Education 94.2 85.5 70.8 83.3 28.7 4.9

 Health 89.4 80.2 64.0 75.1 40.8 19.8

 Arts and humanities 75.2 58.1 58.6 63.1 35.5 7.6

 Social and behavioral sciences 93.3 80.4 76.7 80.9 37.3 8.1

 Science/math/engineering 96.8 88.3 85.2 90.7 55.4 25.4

 Other 88.0 77.9 71.9 81.9 44.0 11.0

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 91.2 82.7 77.8 85.2 47.2 13.4

 Full time, one job 95.9 87.6 82.6 89.2 50.5 13.9

 Part time, one job 58.3 48.9 40.5 56.8 28.1 13.7

 Multiple jobs 78.3 68.5 66.8 74.7 34.9 9.2

 Unemployed † † † † † †

 Out of the labor force † † † † † †

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

89 

Table II.7.—Percentage of currently employed 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with various job 

Table II.7.—benefits, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Other Flexible Childcare

Medical health Life Retirement spending facility/

Selected characteristics insurance insurance insurance benefits accounts subsidy

Type of employer

 Self-employed — — — — — —

 For-profit 91.7 84.1 79.5 86.6 56.6 12.9

 Not-for-profit 86.6 78.2 72.4 81.1 46.6 17.6

 Local/state government 94.2 86.9 80.2 89.3 36.7 10.5

 Federal government 92.4 75.4 90.9 95.0 29.7 26.6

 Military 100.0 99.4 93.0 91.8 6.2 52.8

Occupation

 Business and management 93.3 84.9 82.6 88.7 58.7 14.7

 Education 89.3 77.8 70.5 78.9 27.5 10.7

 Health professions 87.2 82.1 73.0 80.7 44.8 19.6

 Service industries 88.2 81.6 75.3 84.0 54.5 14.3

 Research, other professional/technical 91.8 82.9 77.6 85.7 45.8 11.1

 Engineering/architecture/computer science 97.4 89.9 87.8 93.9 61.7 14.2

 Other 85.9 77.4 72.4 81.4 29.2 10.9

Salary

 Low 77.7 65.0 59.0 67.9 26.8 11.0

 Middle 94.8 86.0 81.3 88.6 47.0 12.1

 High 94.7 90.3 86.0 92.4 64.3 18.5

Marital status

 Single, never married 92.9 84.1 76.5 84.8 43.5 13.7

 Married or cohabiting 90.5 82.1 77.8 85.5 48.5 13.2

 Separated/divorced/widowed 93.3 84.0 80.5 83.4 44.9 14.8

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 91.3 83.1 77.0 84.4 44.0 12.3

 One or more 91.0 82.2 78.5 86.1 50.6 14.7

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment

90 

Table II.8.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were currently unemployed, percentage

Table II.8.—receiving unemployment compensation, and average total months spent unemployed, by selected

Table II.8.—characteristics: 2003

Percent currently

receiving

Percent currently unemployment Average total months

Selected characteristics unemployed compensation1 spent unemployed2

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 3.8 10.2 7.9

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 3.8 10.1 7.9

Gender

 Male 4.1 29.7 7.8

 Female 3.6 4.8 8.0

Race/ethnicity3

 White, non-Hispanic 3.5 9.1 7.8

 Black, non-Hispanic 6.6 34.5 7.1

 Hispanic 4.2 6.1 10.0

 Asian/Pacific Islander 4.9 9.0 8.2

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 3.5 15.8 7.0

 Education 2.0 1.0 8.3

 Engineering 4.4 34.0 8.5

 Health 1.6 3.8 ‡

 Public affairs/social services 3.8 ‡ 5.3

 Humanities 7.4 12.7 7.6

 Social and behavioral sciences 4.4 7.9 10.1

 Natural sciences and mathematics 3.8 10.8 7.6

 Other 3.5 11.7 8.2

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 4.4 11.0 7.4

 Master’s degree 2.2 6.1 9.5

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 2.1 4.7 10.4

Field of advanced degree4

 Business and management 2.0 ‡ 12.6

 Education 1.5 2.3 ‡

 Health 0.5 ‡ ‡

 Arts and humanities 6.5 ‡ ‡

 Social and behavioral sciences 1.5 ‡ ‡

 Science/math/engineering 1.3 ‡ 8.1

 Other 3.9 0.8 9.4

Labor force participation

 Employed, total † † 7.5

 Full time, one job † † 7.1

 Part time, one job † † 11.8

 Multiple jobs † † 7.0

 Unemployed 100.0 32.0 10.2

 Out of the labor force † † 6.6

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section II: Employment 

91 

 

Table II.8.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were currently unemployed, percentage

Table II.8.—receiving unemployment compensation, and average total months spent unemployed, by selected

Table II.8.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Percent currently

receiving

Percent currently unemployment Average total months

Selected characteristics unemployed compensation1 spent unemployed2

Type of employer5

 Self-employed 3.4 4.3 8.2

 For-profit 4.5 19.3 7.5

 Not-for-profit 5.0 7.9 7.2

 Local/state government 3.2 # 7.4

 Federal government 0.9 ‡ ‡

 Military 4.6 ‡ ‡

Occupation5

 Business and management 3.3 14.8 8.8

 Education 2.3 2.0 7.5

 Health professions 2.5 2.2 6.3

 Service industries 3.5 13.0 8.6

 Research, other professional/technical 5.2 10.0 6.8

 Engineering/architecture/computer science 5.5 41.7 8.0

 Other 5.2 17.2 8.2

Salary5

 Low 5.4 5.4 8.9

 Middle 3.0 12.9 7.7

 High 3.3 30.6 6.5

Marital status

 Single, never married 5.9 23.8 7.6

 Married or cohabiting 3.1 6.7 8.1

 Separated/divorced/widowed 5.4 20.9 7.9

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 4.6 18.2 8.1

 One or more 3.0 5.7 7.6

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

For those who are currently unemployed.

2

For those who have been unemployed at least once since 1997.

3

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

4

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

5

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
93 

Section III: Opinions About Education 

Table III.1

• Ten years after completing college, women were more likely than men to report that their 

liberal arts courses, their undergraduate professional courses, and their internship and work 

opportunities as undergraduates were still very important to their lives. 

• Asian/Pacific Islander graduates were less likely than White or Hispanic graduates to report 

that their baccalaureate major field was very important to their lives in 2003 (51 vs. 59 and 

62 percent, respectively). Asian/Pacific Islander graduates were also less likely than Black or 

White graduates to say their liberal arts courses were very important to their lives 10 years 

later (28 vs. 37–42 percent) and less likely than White, Hispanic, or Black graduates to say 

the quality of instruction they received was very important (50 vs. 61, 65, and 68 percent, respectively). 

• The higher their parents’ education, the more likely graduates were to indicate that their undergraduate liberal arts courses were very important to their lives in 2003 and the less likely 

they were to say their undergraduate professional courses had such lasting importance. 

• Younger 1992–93 college graduates were less likely than older graduates to report 10 years 

later that the professional classes they had taken were very important to their lives. For example, 46 percent of graduates age 22 or younger reported that their professional classes 

were very important, compared with 59 percent of graduates age 30 or older. 

• A higher undergraduate GPA was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting that undergraduate major field was very important to graduates’ lives 10 years after college completion, in 2003. 

• Among 1992–93 college graduates in 2003, those who attained higher degrees were more 

likely than those who completed less education to indicate that their liberal arts classes and 

the quality of instruction they received as undergraduates remained very important to their 

lives, and less likely to report the lasting importance of their professional classes. For example, while 59 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients with no further education said the quality of undergraduate instruction was very important, 71 percent of graduates with doctoral or 

first-professional degrees said so. 

Table III.2 

• A higher undergraduate GPA was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting that earning a bachelor’s degree was very important preparation for work and career and for further 

education. For example, 84 percent of graduates with an undergraduate GPA of 3.75 or 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

94 

higher reported that the bachelor’s degree they earned was very important preparation for 

their work and career, compared with 76 percent of graduates with a GPA of less than 2.75. 

• Graduates who earned bachelor’s degrees from private not-for-profit institutions were more 

likely than those who graduated from public institutions to report that the degree was very 

important preparation for further education. 

• Among bachelor’s degree recipients, those who expected to earn higher degrees were more 

likely than those who had lower educational expectations to report that the bachelor’s degree 

was very important preparation for further education. For students who expected to earn a 

doctoral or first-professional degree, 93 percent reported that the bachelor’s degree they had 

earned in 1992–93 was very important preparation for further education, compared with 39 

percent of students who expected to earn no higher than a bachelor’s degree. 

Table III.3 

• Graduates with a higher undergraduate GPA were more likely than those with lower grades 

to report that earning a bachelor’s degree was worth the financial cost. For students with a 

GPA of 3.75 or higher, 93 percent reported that the bachelor’s degree they had earned was 

worth the financial cost, compared with 89 percent of students with a GPA of less than 2.75. 

• A higher proportion of graduates who earned a bachelor’s degree from a public institution 

than those who earned a bachelor’s degree from a private not-for-profit institution reported 

that the degree was worth the financial cost. 

• Graduates who took longer to complete a bachelor’s were more likely than those who took 

less time obtaining the degree to report that earning the degree was worth the financial cost. 

For example, 92 percent of those who took more than 6 years to complete a bachelor’s degree reported that the degree was worth the financial cost, compared with 89 percent who 

completed in 4 years or less. 

• Compared with those who were currently enrolled in 2003, those not currently enrolled were 

more likely to report that earning a bachelor’s degree was worth the effort it took to do so. 

However, those who had ever enrolled in graduate school were more likely than those who 

had not enrolled to say their undergraduate education was worth the amount of time and effort it took. 

• Graduates with more education were more likely than those with less education to report that 

a bachelor’s degree was worth the amount of time and effort required to earn the degree. For 

example, 98 percent of graduates who earned a doctoral or first-professional degree indicated 

that earning a bachelor’s degree was worth the effort required, compared with 95 percent of 

graduates who did not complete an advanced degree. 

Table III.4 

• Over one-third of college graduates reported in 2003 that the highest degree they expected to 

earn was a bachelor’s degree or a postbaccalaureate certificate. Forty-four percent of 1992–

93 bachelor’s degree recipients expected their highest degree to be a master’s degree or a 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

95 

post-master’s certificate, 6 percent expected a first-professional degree, and 12 percent expected a doctoral degree.

• College graduates’ degree expectations after attaining a bachelor’s degree in 1992–93 were 

generally consistent with their expectations 10 years later in 2003: 68 percent of bachelor’s 

degree recipients who had anticipated that their highest degree would be a bachelor’s degree 

in 1992–93 still believed it would be their highest degree in 2003. Among those who expected upon college completion in 1992–93 to earn a master’s degree eventually, about half 

reported in 2003 that they still expected their highest degree to be a master’s; however, 39 

percent had lowered their expectations in 2003 and no longer expected to attain a degree 

higher than a bachelor’s. More bachelor’s degree recipients who expected to earn doctoral or 

first-professional degrees had lowered their expectations by 2003: 17 percent no longer expected to earn a degree higher than a bachelor’s, and 38 percent expected to earn no degree 

higher than a master’s. However, 15 percent still expected to earn a first-professional degree, 

and 30 percent anticipated attaining a doctoral degree. 

• Educational expectations in 2003 varied by occupation as well. Educators were less likely 

than those in other occupations to expect that the highest degree they would ultimately attain 

would be a bachelor’s, while those employed in service industries were more likely to have 

this expectation, with the exception of those employed in other unspecified occupations. 

Table III.5 

• Overall, bachelor’s degree recipients who had completed advanced degrees were very satisfied with their graduate education.19 Seventy-one percent were very satisfied with the faculty 

and the teaching, 70 percent were very satisfied with the course offerings, and 64 percent 

were very satisfied with the availability of courses. The majority (58 percent) of graduates 

reported being very satisfied with the career preparation they received as well. 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees in health were more likely than those 

with such degrees in other fields to report being very satisfied with the career preparation 

provided by their graduate education. 

Table III.6 

• Most college graduates who had completed advanced degrees considered their course of 

study, instructional quality, interaction with faculty, internship and work opportunities, and 

social contacts from their graduate education to be very important to their lives in 2003. 

About four out of five (79 percent) said their course of study was still very important to their 

lives, and two-thirds (68 percent) reported that the quality of instruction was very important. 

Further, 55–58 percent of graduates indicated that faculty interaction, work opportunities, 

and social contacts made in graduate school were very important in 2003. 

 

19 Bachelor’s degree recipients whose only graduate education took place before 1997 were not asked about their satisfaction 

with that education or its importance to their lives in 2003 (tables III.5 through III.8). 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

96 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients who had earned doctoral or first-professional degrees were more 

likely than those who had earned master’s degrees to report that every aspect of their graduate education except social contacts was still very important to their lives. 

• In 2003, advanced degree holders who were employed in health professions were generally 

more likely to report that their graduate course of study, quality of instruction, interaction 

with faculty, and internship or work opportunities were very important to their lives than 

were their peers who were employed in business and management, education, service industries, research and other professional and technical occupations, and engineering, architecture, or computer science. Between 71 and 89 percent of health professionals with advanced 

degrees reported that their graduate education was very important to their lives in all aspects 

except social contacts. 

Table III.7 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees generally felt that their graduate education was very important preparation for many areas of their lives in 2003. Specifically, 89 

percent reported that their graduate education was very important preparation for their work 

and career, 77 percent felt it was important for taking on new challenges, 70 percent said it 

was important for establishing financial security, 60 percent reported that it helped them 

make informed choices, and 48 percent believed it was very important preparation for establishing a place in the community. 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients who had earned doctoral or first-professional degrees were more 

likely than those who had earned master’s degrees to report that their graduate education was 

very important preparation for their work and career (92 vs. 88 percent), financial security 

(79 vs. 67 percent), and establishing their place in the community (58 vs. 45 percent). 

• The occupations of 1992–93 college graduates with advanced degrees were related to their 

likelihood of reporting that their graduate education was very important preparation for their 

lives in 2003. Health professionals in 2003 were generally more likely than those in other occupations to report that their graduate education was very important for their financial security and for helping to establish their place in the community. 

Table III.8 

• Most bachelor’s degree holders who completed advanced degrees agreed that their graduate 

education was worth the cost, time, and effort required: 90 percent of graduates reported that 

it was worth the cost, 94 percent felt it was worth the time, and 96 percent said it was worth 

the effort. 

• Bachelor’s degree recipients who had earned doctoral or first-professional degrees were less 

likely than their peers who had earned master’s degrees to report that their graduate education was worth the financial cost required (85 vs. 91 percent). However, no differences were 

detected between doctoral/first-professional and master’s degree recipients in the proportion 

reporting that their graduate degrees were worth the time or effort taken. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

97 

Table III.1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that various characteristics

Table III.1.—of their undergraduate education were very important to their lives now, by selected 

Table III.1.—characteristics: 2003

Internship

Undergrad- and other Not very

Bacca- uate pro- work important

laureate Liberal arts fessional Quality of oppor- for any

Selected characteristics major courses courses instruction tunities listed item

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 58.4 36.4 49.7 60.7 41.8 8.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 58.3 36.3 49.8 60.7 41.8 8.8

Gender

 Male 57.5 34.1 47.7 60.4 36.0 9.2

 Female 59.0 38.1 51.6 61.0 46.6 8.4

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 58.5 36.6 49.2 60.5 41.1 8.7

 Black, non-Hispanic 57.9 41.6 58.1 68.2 46.4 4.9

 Hispanic 61.8 32.6 53.5 65.4 45.3 9.0

 Asian/Pacific Islander 50.5 28.5 46.9 50.3 43.8 15.1

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 58.2 30.1 54.1 58.6 41.5 9.7

 Some postsecondary education 60.2 34.0 50.9 58.5 41.3 8.7

 Bachelor’s degree 58.2 37.2 49.1 62.8 41.7 7.6

 Advanced degree 56.9 44.4 44.0 63.3 43.5 8.8

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 57.3 39.5 45.6 61.6 43.4 7.9

 23–24 56.7 30.5 49.6 56.7 42.9 10.2

 25–29 60.3 32.1 56.0 60.6 40.6 9.0

 30 or older 62.5 39.3 58.9 64.9 36.1 8.8

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 55.0 34.1 49.4 57.6 40.2 10.2

 2.75–3.74 60.3 38.1 50.5 64.3 44.1 7.2

 3.75 or higher 68.4 38.7 51.2 64.5 43.3 6.7

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 59.8 32.4 51.7 57.8 43.0 9.1

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 55.6 46.0 46.4 67.5 39.4 7.1

 Other 54.4 20.7 46.7 53.4 42.6 19.0

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 56.4 43.5 44.1 62.6 43.0 7.6

 5–6 years 58.5 30.5 50.8 58.0 43.6 9.3

 More than 6 years 60.5 35.5 56.5 62.1 37.7 9.7

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

98 

Table III.1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that various characteristics 

Table III.1.—of their undergraduate education were very important to their lives now, by selected 

Table III.1.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Internship

Undergrad- and other Not very

Bacca- uate pro- work important

laureate Liberal arts fessional Quality of oppor- for any

Selected characteristics major courses courses instruction tunities listed item

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 58.0 27.5 48.1 56.0 39.1 10.4

 Master’s degree 59.6 33.6 52.6 59.4 43.1 8.2

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 56.8 45.9 45.4 66.9 40.7 8.3

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 58.1 36.0 49.7 60.7 41.9 8.7

 Currently enrolled 60.9 40.2 51.2 61.1 41.6 9.3

Ever enrolled in a graduate program

 Did not enroll 56.0 33.2 50.0 57.5 40.6 10.3

 Enrolled 61.4 40.6 49.6 65.1 43.4 6.7

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 56.6 34.5 50.6 58.6 41.3 9.5

 Master’s degree 64.7 39.8 49.5 65.5 44.0 7.0

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 59.3 48.4 41.6 71.4 41.1 5.7

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 54.7 32.1 47.7 62.4 35.1 10.7

 Education 66.1 43.0 54.7 65.3 50.0 5.3

 Health 57.6 30.6 51.7 68.0 43.9 7.7

 Arts and humanities 55.3 71.7 36.5 76.1 38.0 7.6

 Social and behavioral sciences 71.6 55.8 44.6 62.9 41.7 3.3

 Science/math/engineering 77.9 33.6 45.0 73.4 51.6 4.3

 Other 64.2 47.8 44.0 66.6 41.7 6.1

Occupation3

 Business and management 53.5 34.0 52.4 57.0 36.3 10.6

 Education 68.1 42.6 57.6 67.6 50.6 5.3

 Health professions 68.6 27.7 62.8 66.6 52.2 5.2

 Service industries 48.7 37.4 42.3 53.9 38.0 10.7

 Research, other professional/

 technical 58.9 45.2 41.9 62.7 42.6 7.7

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 66.2 25.9 50.6 61.9 44.0 4.8

 Other 43.0 32.7 35.0 55.2 31.0 18.7

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

3

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

99 

Table III.2.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their undergraduate

Table III.2.—education was very important preparation for various areas of their lives now, by selected 

Table III.2.—characteristics: 2003

Establishing Not very

Work and Further financial important for

Selected characteristics career education security any listed item

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 78.5 55.9 57.1 8.0

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 78.5 55.9 57.2 8.1

Gender

 Male 79.3 54.1 57.9 8.0

 Female 77.9 57.4 56.6 8.1

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 79.0 54.5 57.4 7.8

 Black, non-Hispanic 78.6 65.3 55.6 6.0

 Hispanic 77.5 60.9 59.8 11.5

 Asian/Pacific Islander 71.2 62.0 51.8 11.0

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 78.8 53.5 57.7 7.8

 Some postsecondary education 81.7 54.9 58.6 6.6

 Bachelor’s degree 77.8 54.8 55.9 8.5

 Advanced degree 76.4 59.8 56.0 8.7

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 77.9 57.6 56.2 7.8

 23–24 76.8 50.6 57.3 8.6

 25–29 80.7 56.9 61.4 7.3

 30 or older 81.6 58.7 56.7 8.6

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 76.5 51.9 56.7 9.4

 2.75–3.74 80.4 60.0 58.7 6.0

 3.75 or higher 83.7 63.7 56.1 6.0

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 78.9 54.8 58.2 7.9

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 77.9 58.6 55.4 8.3

 Other 76.7 52.2 53.2 9.5

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 77.5 59.1 57.1 7.5

 5–6 years 77.8 51.8 56.6 8.6

 More than 6 years 81.5 58.2 58.2 7.5

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

100 

Table III.2.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their undergraduate

Table III.2.—education was very important preparation for various areas of their lives now, by selected 

Table III.2.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Establishing Not very

Work and Further financial important for

Selected characteristics career education security any listed item

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 79.1 39.2 57.2 10.1

 Master’s degree 79.8 54.1 59.4 7.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 75.6 69.2 53.0 7.2

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 78.6 54.2 57.4 8.3

 Currently enrolled 77.2 74.6 54.7 5.1

Ever enrolled in a graduate program

 Did not enroll 77.5 43.2 57.4 10.7

 Enrolled 79.9 73.2 56.8 4.6

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 78.0 48.0 57.3 9.7

 Master’s degree 81.0 76.7 58.1 3.4

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 76.3 85.8 52.2 3.7

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 82.0 73.6 62.2 2.1

 Education 83.5 75.3 59.1 3.7

 Health 74.9 83.8 46.7 4.9

 Arts and humanities 79.7 77.0 35.6 2.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 74.5 88.4 47.2 1.7

 Science/math/engineering 86.1 84.5 67.8 2.3

 Other 75.5 79.0 58.4 5.4

Occupation3

 Business and management 81.7 48.7 61.1 7.8

 Education 84.8 68.9 57.5 4.3

 Health professions 82.7 69.0 62.2 4.4

 Service industries 69.5 45.2 53.3 11.9

 Research, other professional/

 technical 77.2 59.9 52.6 7.2

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 84.9 48.1 67.5 6.0

 Other 55.9 52.7 40.6 19.1

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

3

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

101 

Table III.3.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their undergraduate

Table III.3.—education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by selected characteristics: 2003

Amount Amount Not worth cost,

Selected characteristics Financial cost of time of effort time or effort

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 90.4 93.2 95.7 2.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 90.2 93.2 95.6 2.8

Gender

 Male 90.3 92.1 95.0 3.2

 Female 90.2 94.1 96.1 2.5

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 90.6 93.6 95.8 2.7

 Black, non-Hispanic 87.9 91.3 94.5 3.0

 Hispanic 88.5 91.8 94.8 3.4

 Asian/Pacific Islander 90.1 88.5 93.1 3.4

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 90.4 92.5 95.4 3.0

 Some postsecondary education 89.7 93.5 95.7 2.6

 Bachelor’s degree 90.0 93.3 95.2 3.3

 Advanced degree 91.0 94.2 96.3 2.0

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 89.5 94.5 96.1 2.5

 23–24 90.5 91.8 95.4 2.9

 25–29 89.7 90.4 94.6 3.8

 30 or older 92.5 93.8 95.3 2.7

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 89.0 92.1 94.8 3.1

 2.75–3.74 91.9 94.4 96.6 2.5

 3.75 or higher 93.0 95.8 97.0 1.8

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 92.6 93.0 95.7 2.5

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 85.6 93.8 95.5 3.3

 Other 87.6 92.5 95.1 2.9

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 88.7 94.8 96.0 2.5

 5–6 years 91.0 92.3 95.7 2.6

 More than 6 years 91.5 92.3 94.9 3.4

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 88.2 90.0 94.4 3.9

 Master’s degree 90.9 93.7 95.7 2.5

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 90.0 93.9 95.8 2.9

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

102 

Table III.3.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported that their undergraduate

Table III.3.—education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by selected characteristics: 2003

Table III.3.——Continued

Amount Amount Not worth cost,

Selected characteristics Financial cost of time of effort time or effort

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 90.5 93.4 95.8 2.7

 Currently enrolled 87.6 91.2 93.2 4.4

Ever enrolled in a graduate program

 Did not enroll 89.5 92.0 94.8 3.3

 Enrolled 91.2 94.9 96.6 2.1

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 89.8 92.5 95.0 3.1

 Master’s degree 91.3 94.9 97.0 2.1

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 91.5 96.1 97.9 1.4

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management 93.7 93.6 96.3 2.9

 Education 89.7 95.6 96.5 2.5

 Health 89.9 96.5 96.1 2.2

 Arts and humanities 89.0 94.6 97.1 2.1

 Social and behavioral sciences 88.2 95.9 99.4 0.6

 Science/math/engineering 91.7 95.6 99.1 0.7

 Other 93.7 95.2 97.6 1.2

Occupation3

 Business and management 91.1 93.5 95.5 3.0

 Education 92.1 95.9 97.2 1.4

 Health professions 93.0 93.6 95.8 2.6

 Service industries 90.3 93.4 94.8 3.1

 Research, other professional/

 technical 87.2 92.0 96.0 3.0

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 92.3 92.5 95.3 1.7

 Other 81.9 87.2 91.9 6.5

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

3

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

103 

Table III.4.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by the highest level of 

Table III.4.—education they expect to complete as of 2003, by selected characteristics

Bachelor’s degree/ Master’s degree/

post-baccalaureate post-master’s Professional Doctoral

Selected characteristics certificate certificate degree degree

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 37.6 44.2 5.8 12.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 37.5 44.3 5.8 12.4

Gender

 Male 38.0 42.6 6.9 12.5

 Female 37.2 45.7 4.9 12.4

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 39.2 44.4 5.3 11.1

 Black, non-Hispanic 23.7 43.2 5.9 27.3

 Hispanic 27.4 48.5 6.7 17.4

 Asian/Pacific Islander 37.1 41.5 13.0 8.4

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 44.2 41.8 4.0 10.0

 Some postsecondary education 37.5 46.2 4.9 11.4

 Bachelor’s degree 37.7 44.7 5.7 12.0

 Advanced degree 28.7 46.8 8.5 16.1

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 32.3 44.8 8.3 14.6

 23–24 42.0 44.3 4.2 9.6

 25–29 41.2 45.3 2.3 11.3

 30 or older 44.0 41.6 3.1 11.3

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 42.4 42.8 3.8 11.0

 2.75–3.74 32.2 46.4 8.6 12.9

 3.75 or higher 28.8 45.9 7.8 17.5

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 38.7 44.5 5.0 11.8

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 35.1 43.5 7.3 14.1

 Other 38.5 46.3 6.5 8.8

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 30.5 44.3 9.9 15.3

 5–6 years 40.0 45.4 3.7 10.9

 More than 6 years 43.6 42.4 3.3 10.7

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

104 

Table III.4.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by the highest level of 

Table III.4.—education they expect to complete as of 2003, by selected characteristics—Continued

Bachelor’s degree/ Master’s degree/

post-baccalaureate post-master’s Professional Doctoral

Selected characteristics certificate certificate degree degree

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 67.9 26.0 3.3 2.8

 Master’s degree 38.6 51.9 2.2 7.3

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 16.7 38.3 15.1 29.8

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 40.4 43.6 5.6 10.5

 Currently enrolled 6.4 51.4 7.9 34.3

Ever enrolled in a graduate program

 Did not enroll 60.8 35.4 1.3 2.6

 Enrolled 6.1 56.3 11.9 25.8

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 50.5 40.9 2.4 6.2

 Master’s degree # 70.2 2.4 27.4

 Doctoral/first-professional degree # # 59.1 40.9

Field of advanced degree2

 Business and management # 77.2 0.8 22.0

 Education # 65.2 2.5 32.3

 Health # 37.4 45.7 16.9

 Arts and humanities # 47.9 5.8 46.4

 Social and behavioral sciences # 48.4 2.4 49.2

 Science/math/engineering # 53.9 2.0 44.1

 Other # 32.5 41.1 26.4

Occupation3

 Business and management 44.2 47.0 2.3 6.5

 Education 14.3 59.3 2.3 24.1

 Health professions 26.6 37.1 20.4 15.9

 Service industries 58.9 35.3 1.5 4.3

 Research, other professional/

 technical 32.4 36.6 12.8 18.2

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 44.6 48.9 1.1 5.4

 Other 57.0 30.1 4.8 8.1

#Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree.

3

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. At bachelor’s completion, 15 percent of respondents expected their

highest degree to be a bachelor’s degree, 59 percent expected a master’s, 20 percent expected a professional degree, and 6

percent expected a doctoral degree.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

105 

Table III.5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.5.—being very satisfied with various characteristics of their graduate education, by selected 

Table III.5.—characteristics: 2003

Not very

Faculty/ Courses Course Career satisfied with

Selected characteristics teaching offered availability preparation any listed item

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 71.3 70.2 64.3 58.4 4.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 71.2 70.3 64.2 58.5 4.4

Gender

 Male 70.1 70.6 62.7 60.4 5.0

 Female 72.4 70.2 65.6 57.1 3.6

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 71.5 69.9 63.7 56.2 4.8

 Black, non-Hispanic 71.1 80.8 76.1 72.8 0.9

 Hispanic 68.1 76.7 65.0 70.0 1.7

 Asian/Pacific Islander 70.9 59.7 56.8 70.9 3.3

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 67.6 67.6 68.4 55.2 4.1

 Some postsecondary education 68.9 71.1 61.2 57.1 4.8

 Bachelor’s degree 72.6 67.4 64.0 62.0 4.4

 Advanced degree 73.2 74.0 62.6 58.6 4.1

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 71.0 70.1 61.3 57.7 5.7

 23–24 69.2 68.5 66.0 60.0 1.7

 25–29 68.0 68.0 66.7 55.6 3.2

 30 or older 77.8 76.7 75.2 61.1 2.6

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 70.2 71.6 67.4 54.6 4.0

 2.75–3.74 73.4 71.1 60.7 62.7 4.3

 3.75 or higher 69.9 67.9 63.3 59.7 4.9

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 72.3 71.2 65.3 58.8 4.2

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 70.9 70.3 62.5 57.7 4.7

 Other ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 70.8 69.6 60.7 58.7 5.7

 5–6 years 68.1 69.6 64.3 58.5 3.6

 More than 6 years 78.1 73.6 73.5 57.9 2.2

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

106 

Table III.5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.5.—being very satisfied with various characteristics of their graduate education, by selected 

Table III.5.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Not very

Faculty/ Courses Course Career satisfied with

Selected characteristics teaching offered availability preparation any listed item

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 77.2 71.4 65.2 50.4 11.1

 Master’s degree 68.7 69.9 66.8 57.1 3.1

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 72.4 70.3 61.2 61.4 4.2

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 70.9 70.2 64.0 57.9 4.4

 Currently enrolled 74.8 71.5 66.4 64.7 4.4

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree † † † † †

 Master’s degree 69.8 70.6 65.8 55.3 4.0

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 75.4 69.5 59.6 67.6 5.5

Field of advanced degree

 Business and management 68.5 74.0 66.7 53.0 3.1

 Education 69.4 68.0 67.0 59.2 5.2

 Health 73.2 66.3 63.5 76.5 2.2

 Arts and humanities 78.6 74.0 60.0 56.8 7.6

 Social and behavioral sciences 61.5 65.0 57.4 54.8 7.8

 Science/math/engineering 70.6 72.8 64.9 48.9 3.0

 Other 75.2 70.0 62.1 58.7 5.0

Occupation2

 Business and management 67.4 71.6 66.7 52.4 3.4

 Education 70.5 69.5 66.4 58.4 5.3

 Health professions 70.9 68.8 64.5 78.9 2.5

 Service industries 58.4 71.6 58.5 42.2 11.5

 Research, other professional/

 technical 77.7 69.2 57.6 60.0 5.5

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 70.6 81.0 65.2 34.1 1.4

 Other 75.1 64.0 67.7 46.8 2.0

†Not applicable.

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Graduates whose only graduate education took place before 1997 were not asked about their satisfaction with that 

education. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

107 

Table III.6.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.6.—that various characteristics of their graduate education were very important to their lives now,

Table III.6.—by selected characteristics: 2003

Internship

and other Not very

work important

Course Quality of Interaction oppor- Social for any

Selected characteristics of study instruction with faculty tunities contacts listed item

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 78.5 67.6 57.5 54.9 57.1 4.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 78.5 67.7 57.6 54.9 57.1 4.4

Gender

 Male 76.9 67.2 57.3 51.4 54.3 4.5

 Female 80.2 68.3 57.8 57.7 59.4 4.3

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 78.2 65.6 55.7 53.9 55.6 5.0

 Black, non-Hispanic 80.3 79.9 64.4 60.8 67.9 2.4

 Hispanic 84.4 77.5 67.4 57.0 56.5 1.0

 Asian/Pacific Islander 78.7 73.9 69.0 65.1 67.6 2.7

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 78.9 66.1 56.0 47.6 58.5 4.3

 Some postsecondary education 84.2 66.8 56.4 60.4 58.4 6.2

 Bachelor’s degree 75.3 69.4 61.8 58.2 59.5 4.3

 Advanced degree 77.3 68.6 54.8 56.7 53.8 4.3

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 78.0 68.2 57.5 55.3 58.5 5.3

 23–24 78.2 67.1 57.1 59.2 57.5 2.2

 25–29 82.6 56.0 48.9 42.4 56.6 2.2

 30 or older 79.2 73.3 65.1 54.2 50.4 4.5

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 73.0 65.6 56.4 50.7 58.6 5.4

 2.75–3.74 80.4 72.6 58.3 58.4 57.4 4.1

 3.75 or higher 86.8 62.6 59.9 59.7 55.2 3.0

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 79.1 68.2 59.3 55.6 58.3 3.5

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 77.2 68.4 56.0 53.0 54.8 5.8

 Other ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 78.0 68.9 57.5 58.2 58.6 4.7

 5–6 years 78.7 64.2 56.2 52.4 58.3 4.8

 More than 6 years 79.5 70.5 60.2 49.9 51.1 3.0

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

108 

Table III.6.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.6.—that various characteristics of their graduate education were very important to their lives now,

Table III.6.—by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Internship

and other Not very

work important

Course Quality of Interaction oppor- Social for any

Selected characteristics of study instruction with faculty tunities contacts listed item

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 76.9 72.6 71.6 56.9 59.9 4.7

 Master’s degree 76.3 64.8 53.8 50.0 56.0 4.9

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 82.2 70.4 60.9 61.0 58.4 3.5

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 78.3 67.8 56.9 54.3 57.0 4.5

 Currently enrolled 84.0 65.2 72.3 67.1 59.5 2.7

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree † † † † † †

 Master’s degree 76.9 65.5 54.4 49.6 55.9 4.7

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 82.9 73.4 66.2 69.1 60.3 3.6

Field of advanced degree

 Business and management 70.3 63.9 49.3 40.0 61.8 4.0

 Education 77.4 65.8 55.4 54.8 54.8 6.1

 Health 85.3 80.3 70.2 73.1 59.6 1.4

 Arts and humanities 82.9 71.4 58.6 55.0 50.4 5.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 83.3 56.8 65.4 67.4 69.4 1.5

 Science/math/engineering 82.7 63.9 65.3 54.8 50.5 5.7

 Other 80.7 69.6 55.6 57.9 55.3 4.3

Occupation2

 Business and management 74.7 58.5 45.4 39.6 55.5 4.6

 Education 77.3 65.9 60.0 55.5 55.8 5.0

 Health professions 88.6 81.7 70.7 72.4 57.4 0.2

 Service industries 68.8 48.7 42.6 47.8 56.2 6.5

 Research, other professional/

 technical 79.7 70.7 59.2 63.9 62.5 6.8

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 68.6 65.5 53.3 42.4 54.8 5.4

 Other 81.2 81.0 63.4 30.2 56.4 0.7

†Not applicable.

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Graduates whose only graduate education took place before 1997 were not asked about the relationship of that 

education to their lives in 2003.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

109 

Table III.7.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.7.—that their graduate education was very important preparation for various areas of their lives

Table III.7.—now, by selected characteristics: 2003

Establishing Establishing Taking on Making Not

Work and financial place in new informed important

Selected characteristics career security community challenges choices preparation

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 88.9 70.4 48.4 76.7 60.4 1.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 89.0 70.5 48.4 76.8 60.4 1.8

Gender

 Male 87.2 72.7 47.6 73.7 57.2 2.6

 Female 90.4 68.4 49.3 79.4 63.0 1.2

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 88.4 70.4 46.6 76.3 59.4 2.2

 Black, non-Hispanic 88.5 60.1 47.5 71.5 66.7 0.5

 Hispanic 96.5 75.5 63.8 82.4 58.3 #

 Asian/Pacific Islander 94.0 83.2 65.0 81.5 74.1 #

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 86.9 67.0 48.2 76.1 60.7 1.8

 Some postsecondary education 88.2 74.3 43.8 72.5 53.4 3.1

 Bachelor’s degree 92.4 73.1 50.7 77.8 63.4 1.2

 Advanced degree 86.5 68.0 48.9 78.2 60.3 2.0

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 89.3 73.3 50.7 75.4 59.8 1.8

 23–24 88.5 69.2 41.2 73.5 55.6 1.8

 25–29 88.2 70.8 43.2 79.5 57.0 0.5

 30 or older 87.7 56.6 52.3 88.6 73.9 2.9

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 88.4 68.1 48.4 77.5 63.5 1.7

 2.75–3.74 89.9 75.0 49.0 74.3 57.1 2.0

 3.75 or higher 88.1 70.0 47.8 80.3 60.6 1.7

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 89.9 72.7 48.5 77.5 61.8 1.5

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 86.8 67.0 49.1 75.2 59.5 2.5

 Other ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 87.9 74.3 50.3 76.5 61.1 2.0

 5–6 years 91.0 69.0 45.9 72.7 55.9 1.5

 More than 6 years 88.0 62.0 47.5 84.9 66.0 2.0

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

110 

Table III.7.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.7.—that their graduate education was very important preparation for various areas of their lives

Table III.7.—now, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Establishing Establishing Taking on Making Not

Work and financial place in new informed important

Selected characteristics career security community challenges choices preparation

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 92.8 53.0 52.0 83.3 57.6 2.5

 Master’s degree 86.6 71.1 42.2 75.7 58.4 1.8

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 90.2 72.9 55.6 77.1 62.6 1.7

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 88.9 70.4 48.4 76.7 60.3 1.8

 Currently enrolled ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree † † † † † †

 Master’s degree 87.7 67.4 44.7 76.7 60.0 1.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 92.3 78.6 58.3 76.9 61.3 2.4

Field of advanced degree

 Business and management 81.7 67.5 33.0 76.3 60.9 3.2

 Education 90.5 70.8 50.5 72.4 57.9 0.9

 Health 96.3 82.4 63.7 79.9 59.3 #

 Arts and humanities 83.4 44.5 56.0 81.4 64.9 1.9

 Social and behavioral sciences 92.4 72.8 65.7 80.1 70.2 #

 Science/math/engineering 92.8 73.2 40.7 76.4 52.1 2.1

 Other 89.5 72.3 50.1 78.5 63.2 2.9

Occupation2

 Business and management 84.2 70.3 30.2 76.1 57.2 2.7

 Education 92.0 69.5 51.2 73.7 57.8 1.5

 Health professions 94.2 83.7 62.6 80.8 61.5 0.2

 Service industries 68.4 55.6 33.0 81.8 65.3 6.0

 Research, other professional/

 technical 91.1 69.2 55.8 80.7 65.8 2.3

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 86.0 57.9 39.1 67.1 52.5 1.0

 Other 74.3 54.5 61.1 77.9 78.0 1.4

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Graduates whose only graduate education took place before 1997 were not asked about the relationship of that 

education to their lives in 2003.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education 

111 

Table III.8.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.8.—that their graduate education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by selected

Table III.8.—characteristics: 2003

Selected characteristics Financial cost Amount of time Amount of effort

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 89.5 94.0 95.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 89.6 94.1 95.8

Gender

 Male 90.2 92.5 95.1

 Female 88.9 95.3 96.3

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 89.6 93.7 95.4

 Black, non-Hispanic 88.9 100.0 99.2

 Hispanic 89.9 92.4 96.3

 Asian/Pacific Islander 88.6 98.4 99.3

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 92.4 94.6 97.0

 Some postsecondary education 87.8 95.3 95.6

 Bachelor’s degree 89.8 93.2 94.5

 Advanced degree 89.4 93.6 96.1

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 88.2 93.0 96.2

 23–24 89.7 95.6 94.6

 25–29 94.9 96.3 97.4

 30 or older 93.6 95.7 94.7

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 90.5 93.9 95.5

 2.75–3.74 88.8 95.2 96.3

 3.75 or higher 89.4 92.4 95.5

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 91.4 94.8 95.4

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 86.9 92.7 96.5

 Other ‡ ‡ ‡

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 88.0 93.0 96.5

 5–6 years 89.4 94.3 94.1

 More than 6 years 94.4 96.6 96.6

See notes at end of table. 
Table Compendium—Section III: Opinions About Education

112 

Table III.8.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with advanced degrees, percentage who reported

Table III.8.—that their graduate education was worth the cost, time, and effort required, by selected

Table III.8.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Selected characteristics Financial cost Amount of time Amount of effort

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 90.7 94.9 96.0

 Master’s degree 92.2 93.6 95.2

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 86.7 94.3 96.9

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 89.2 94.4 96.0

 Currently enrolled 96.8 87.0 92.3

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree † † †

 Master’s degree 91.3 94.4 96.2

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 84.7 93.2 94.7

Field of advanced degree

 Business and management 91.3 92.6 95.8

 Education 90.9 94.4 94.8

 Health 82.8 95.2 96.5

 Arts and humanities 93.6 96.3 98.2

 Social and behavioral sciences 87.1 89.5 97.4

 Science/math/engineering 95.4 92.2 94.4

 Other 86.0 95.7 95.7

Occupation2

 Business and management 90.4 92.1 95.7

 Education 91.9 93.9 96.1

 Health professions 84.8 96.2 97.2

 Service industries 89.6 95.5 97.4

 Research, other professional/

 technical 87.5 94.4 94.7

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 92.7 92.4 95.1

 Other 93.4 97.2 91.5

†Not applicable.

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Graduates whose only graduate education took place before 1997 were not asked whether that education was 

worth the time, cost, and effort required.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
113 

Section IV: Family Status 

Table IV.1 

• Graduates whose parents had higher levels of education were more likely than those whose 

parents had lower levels of education to be single and never married in 2003. While 17 percent of graduates whose parents had no education beyond high school were single in 2003, 

24 percent of those whose parents had advanced degrees were single then. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, those who graduated at age 30 or older were 

less likely than their younger counterparts to be single and never married when interviewed 

in 2003 (7 vs. 19–23 percent), and they were more likely than their younger peers to be widowed (2 vs. 0.02–0.3 percent). Those who graduated at age 30 or older were more likely, and 

those who graduated at age 22 or younger were less likely, than others to be divorced in 

2003. 

• In 2003, 1992–93 college graduates with higher grade point averages (GPAs) were more 

likely than those with lower GPAs to be married and were less likely to be single and never 

married. 

• The 1992–93 college graduates who were employed in education were less likely than those 

in other fields to be single and never married in 2003 (15 vs. 20–24 percent). 

• Graduates who had children younger than age 18 were less likely than their counterparts 

without children to be single and never married (2 vs. 39 percent), cohabiting (2 vs. 7 percent), divorced (5 vs. 7 percent), or widowed (0.2 vs. 0.7 percent), and they were more likely 

to be married (90 vs. 45 percent). 

Table IV.2 

• Among 1992–93 graduates in 2003, Asians were less likely than Whites, Blacks, or Hispanics to have children under age 18: about one-third (31 percent) of Asian graduates had children, compared with 52–56 percent of graduates in the other three racial/ethnic groups. 

• Among 1992–93 graduates in 2003, those whose parents had some postsecondary education 

(but not a bachelor’s degree) were more likely than other graduates to have children younger 

than age 18 (56 vs. 49–51 percent). 

• Graduates who completed a bachelor’s degree at age 30 or older were less likely than their 

younger peers to have dependents under age 18 in 2003, while those who graduated at ages 

25–29 were more likely than others to have dependents of this age. 
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

114 

• College graduates who had majored in humanities as undergraduates were generally less 

likely than those who had other undergraduate majors (except social and behavioral sciences) 

to have children 10 years later (40 vs. 48–51 percent). 

• The higher their undergraduate GPA, the less likely 1992–93 college graduates were to have 

dependents in 2003. For example, while 54 percent of graduates with a GPA below 2.75 had 

children, 46 percent of those with a GPA of 3.75 or higher did so. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, those who graduated from public institutions 

were more likely than those who graduated from private not-for-profit institutions to have 

children in 2003 (54 vs. 46 percent). While the former group of graduates also appeared to be 

more likely than graduates of other institutions to have children, the difference was not statistically significant. 

• Among 1992–93 college graduates, those who were self-employed or worked for local or 

state government were more likely than employees in for-profit or in not-for-profit companies to have children (55–56 percent vs. 49 and 45 percent, respectively). 

Table IV.3 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients in 2003, two-fifths (39 percent) had dependents 

age 4 or younger; one-fourth (26 percent) had dependents ages 5–17; and one-tenth (10 percent) had dependents age 18 or older. Asian graduates were less likely than their White, Hispanic, or Black counterparts to have dependents ages 5–17 (13 vs. 25, 35, and 39 percent, 

respectively). White graduates were also less likely than Black or Hispanic graduates to have 

dependents in this age group. 

• Graduates of public 4-year institutions were more likely than graduates of private not-forprofit or other institutions to have dependents ages 0–4 when interviewed in 2003, 10 years 

after completing a bachelor’s degree (43 vs. 33 and 25 percent, respectively). 

• The higher the degree that graduates had obtained by 2003, the less likely they were to have 

dependents ages 5–17. Twenty-nine percent of those holding no more than a bachelor’s degree had dependents in this age group, while 20 percent of master’s degree holders and 12 

percent of doctoral or first-professional degree holders had children this age. 

• Graduates who worked part time at one job in 2003 and those who were out of the labor force 

were more likely than other graduates to have young dependents (age 4 or younger). 

Graduates who worked full time at one job or who had multiple jobs were generally more 

likely than other graduates to have adult dependents (age 18 or older; 11 and 13 percent, respectively, vs. 6–8 percent). 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients in 2003, those who were single and had never 

been married were relatively unlikely (2 percent) to have dependents age 4 or younger. Separated, divorced, or widowed graduates were more likely to have children in this age group 

(19 percent), and married or cohabiting graduates were even more likely to do so (51 percent). Single, never married graduates were also less likely than others to have dependents 

ages 5–17 (3 vs. 32–34 percent). Separated, divorced, or widowed graduates were more 

likely than others to have adult dependents (26 vs. 9–11 percent). 
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

115 

Table IV.4 

• In 2003, 10 years after college graduation, 44 percent of graduates with children under 18 

had children age 4 or younger in daycare, and 22 percent had children ages 5–17 in before- or 

after-school care. Eleven percent of graduates with dependents under 18 had a child ages 5–

17 enrolled in private school. 

• Black graduates with children under 18 were more likely than their White or Hispanic counterparts to have children ages 5–17 in before- or after-school care (44 vs. 20 and 17 percent, 

respectively). Black and Hispanic parents were also more likely than White parents to have 

children of this age in private school (15 and 18 percent, respectively, vs. 10 percent). 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with children under 18 in 2003, those whose 

parents had more education were less likely than their counterparts whose parents had less 

education to have children ages 5–17 in private school. While 12 percent of parents whose 

own parents had no more than a high school education had a child ages 5–17 in private 

school, 7 percent of those whose parents had advanced degrees did. 

• Among graduates who were parents 10 years after bachelor’s degree completion, those 

graduates who achieved higher GPAs in college were less likely than those with lower GPAs 

to have children age 4 or younger in daycare or to have children ages 5–17 in before- or after-school care. 

• Among graduates with dependents under age 18, those who were employed by a local or 

state government were less likely than those in the for-profit or not-for-profit sectors to have 

children age 4 or younger in daycare. 

Table IV.5 

• Among 1992–93 college graduates who had children under age 18 in 2003, 49 percent reported that they had taken leave from work at some point since 1997 for childrearing; of 

those who had taken leave, they averaged 7 months off. About two-fifths (40 percent) had 

taken paid leave, averaging 2.5 months. 

• In 2003, 1992–93 college graduates who had been out of the labor force or worked part time 

at any time since 1997 were asked whether a variety of factors, including childrearing and 

family care, were reasons for their lower level of labor force participation. Overall, 79 percent of those who had been out of the labor force indicated that raising a family was one reason for not working, and 64 percent of those who had worked part time reported the same. 

• While 27 percent of men had taken leave and 24 percent had taken paid leave for childrearing, two-thirds (67 percent) of women had taken leave and about half (54 percent) had taken 

paid leave. Men had taken shorter periods of leave than women as well. 

• Parents who worked part time or were out of the labor force in 2003 were generally more 

likely than others to have taken leave for childrearing at some point since 1997. About threefourths (73 percent) of part-time employees had taken leave, as had 62 percent of those who 

were out of the labor force in 2003. Part-time workers were also more likely than others to 

have taken paid leave from work. 
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

116 

• Among parents who had taken leave, those who were employed full time at one job in 2003 

had taken shorter periods of leave than others. Those who were out of the labor force in 2003 

had taken the longest leave, an average of 19 months (compared with 11 months or less for 

other groups). 

• Parents who were self-employed or worked in the for-profit sector were less likely than those 

in not-for-profit organizations, local or state government, or federal government to have 

taken leave from work for childrearing, and the self-employed were less likely than all other 

employed parents to have taken paid leave. Federal government employees were more likely 

than for-profit or not-for-profit employees to have taken paid leave (59 vs. 38 and 42 percent, 

respectively). 

Table IV.6 

• About 73 percent of college graduates with children were saving money for their children’s 

education in 2003. The most commonly used savings vehicle was a traditional savings account (50 percent), followed by money market accounts, state-sponsored savings plans, and 

Roth IRAs (ranging from 21–24 percent each). Less commonly used were certificates of deposit (12 percent) and tuition prepayment plans (7 percent). About three in ten (31 percent) 

graduates had their children’s education savings in some other form. 

• As their age at bachelor’s degree completion increased, the percentage of graduates with savings for their children’s education decreased, from 75 percent of those 22 or younger to 66 

percent of those 30 or older when they completed a bachelor’s degree. 

• Parents who graduated from private not-for-profit institutions were less likely than others to 

be saving for their children’s education (69 percent). Graduates of public 4-year institutions 

(74 percent) and graduates of other institutions (90 percent) were more likely to have such 

savings. 

• Graduates working in business and management were more likely than average to have any 

savings for their children’s education. Eighty percent of graduates working in a businessrelated job were saving for their children’s education, compared with 73 percent of all employed graduates. 

• About three-fourths (74 percent) of married graduates who were parents were saving money 

for their children’s education, compared with 60–61 percent of parents who were separated, 

divorced, widowed, or never married. 

Table IV.7 

• Both Asian and Black college graduates were less likely than either Hispanic or White 

graduates to own a home in 2003. About one-half (53 percent) of Asian graduates owned a 

home, compared with 77 percent of White and 74 percent of Hispanic graduates. The home 

ownership rate among Black degree holders was 59 percent. 

• About 77 percent of those who earned a bachelor’s degree at public 4-year institutions owned 

a home, a rate that exceeded the 70 percent of those who graduated from private not-for-
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

117 

profit institutions. No difference was detected between the percentages of graduates of public 

universities and of graduates of other types of institutions (69 percent) who owned homes, 

however. 

• The home ownership rate declined as educational attainment increased. A higher proportion 

of college graduates with no further degree owned a home than those had obtained doctoral 

or first-professional degrees (76 vs. 59 percent). 

• Graduates who were unemployed (47 percent) were less likely than others to own a home, 

while those who were out of the labor force (83 percent) were more likely than others to do 

so. In between these two groups were graduates who had multiple jobs (69 percent), those 

who worked full time at a single job (75 percent), and those who worked part time at a single 

job (75 percent). 

• Graduates who were unemployed in 2003 were more likely to neither own nor rent a home 

than those working full time or part time at a single job (12 vs. 3 percent). The unemployed 

were also more likely to neither own nor rent than graduates who were out of the labor force 

(3 percent). 

• A majority of married or cohabiting graduates owned a home (86 percent), a larger proportion than among those who were separated, divorced, or widowed (58 percent) or single (39 

percent). Single graduates were more likely than others to neither own nor rent. 

Table IV.8 

• Ten years after completing a bachelor’s degree, 35 percent of graduates lived in the South, 23 

percent each in the Northeast and Midwest, 18 percent in the West, and 1 percent in outlying 

areas or other countries. 

• The four regions of the United States had varying proportions of graduates from different racial/ethnic backgrounds. For example, about one-half of Asian/Pacific Islander graduates 

lived in the West, and about one-half of Black graduates lived in the South. Black, Hispanic, 

and White graduates were all concentrated more heavily in the South in 2003 than in any of 

the other three regions. 

• In 2003, most graduates lived in the state where their bachelor’s degree institution was located (61 percent) and lived in the same state as their “home” state (for traditional students, 

typically the state in which they attended high school) as well (67 percent). Both types of interstate mobility increased as the educational attainment of graduates’ parents increased (that 

is, the percentages living in the same state decreased). 

• In 2003, those who majored in education while working for a bachelor’s degree were more 

likely than average to be living in the state where that institution was located (71 vs. 61 percent). Graduates who majored in education were more likely than average to live in their 

home state (75 vs. 67 percent), while those who majored in humanities (55 percent) were less 

likely than average to do so. 

• About 65 percent of graduates of public 4-year institutions lived in the state of their bachelor’s degree institution, compared with 53 percent of graduates of private not-for-profit insti-
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

118 

tutions. Sixty-nine percent of graduates from public 4-year institutions and 64 percent of 

graduates from private not-for-profit 4-year institutions lived in their home state as well. 

• Graduates who had attained no degree beyond a bachelor’s by 2003 were more likely than 

those who had attained a doctoral or first-professional degree to live in the same state as their 

bachelor’s degree institution and the same state as their home state. About 64 percent of 

those with a bachelor’s degree lived in the same state as their bachelor’s degree institution 10 

years later, compared with 38 percent of those who had earned a doctoral or first-professional 

degree. 

• Graduates who were single were less likely that others to live in the same state as their 

bachelor’s institution 10 years after completing the degree, followed by married or cohabiting graduates and then separated, divorced, or widowed graduates. 

• Parents with one or more dependents under age 18 were more likely than graduates with no 

dependents to be living in the same state as their bachelor’s degree institution or their home 

state. 
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

119 

Table IV.1.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ marital status, by selected 

Table IV.1.—characteristics: 2003

Single, never Cohabiting,

Selected characteristics married not married Married Separated Divorced Widowed

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 20.1 4.3 68.2 1.2 5.9 0.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 20.0 4.3 68.1 1.2 5.9 0.4

Gender

 Male 22.2 4.3 67.5 1.1 4.9 0.1

 Female 18.2 4.3 68.7 1.3 6.8 0.7

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 18.2 4.4 70.4 1.0 5.7 0.4

 Black, non-Hispanic 32.6 2.8 51.9 3.5 8.9 0.3

 Hispanic 18.6 5.3 64.9 1.3 8.7 1.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 37.3 4.7 54.4 1.2 2.4 #

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 17.0 4.6 69.3 1.7 6.7 0.7

 Some postsecondary education 19.4 4.4 68.6 1.0 6.5 0.2

 Bachelor’s degree 20.1 4.2 68.6 1.0 6.0 0.2

 Advanced degree 24.4 3.8 65.9 1.0 4.8 0.1

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 22.8 4.8 68.2 1.0 3.2 #

 23–24 23.0 3.8 66.9 1.1 5.1 0.1

 25–29 19.1 3.9 69.2 1.8 5.7 0.3

 30 or older 7.2 3.9 68.9 1.5 16.3 2.3

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 20.6 3.3 68.8 0.7 6.5 0.1

 Education 13.2 2.4 75.7 1.6 6.0 1.0

 Engineering 18.7 1.8 76.1 0.2 3.0 0.3

 Health 14.7 4.2 71.3 2.1 6.9 0.8

 Public affairs/social services 14.8 9.1 62.0 2.7 10.0 1.5

 Humanities 27.2 5.7 58.5 1.2 6.9 0.5

 Social and behavioral sciences 21.5 5.4 65.5 2.0 5.2 0.3

 Natural sciences and mathematics 24.0 4.1 67.6 0.2 4.1 #

 Other 20.0 5.9 66.4 1.2 6.2 0.3

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 21.7 4.4 66.5 1.4 5.8 0.3

 2.75–3.74 18.7 4.0 70.4 0.7 5.9 0.4

 3.75 or higher 13.9 4.2 73.6 1.0 6.3 1.0

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 18.6 4.4 69.6 1.3 5.8 0.4

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 22.6 4.2 65.4 0.9 6.5 0.5

 Other 25.0 4.4 63.8 2.3 3.9 0.7

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

120 

Table IV.1.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ marital status, by selected 

Table IV.1.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Single, never Cohabiting,

Selected characteristics married not married Married Separated Divorced Widowed

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 19.3 4.2 68.7 1.2 6.3 0.4

 Master’s degree 20.1 4.8 68.0 1.0 5.6 0.5

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 29.5 4.6 60.7 2.2 3.0 #

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 20.9 4.6 66.8 1.1 6.1 0.4

 Full time, one job 21.6 4.7 66.5 1.2 5.7 0.4

 Part time, one job 12.1 3.1 77.9 1.4 5.1 0.5

 Multiple jobs 23.4 5.5 60.2 0.8 10.0 0.1

 Unemployed 31.0 4.8 53.6 2.4 7.0 1.2

 Out of the labor force 6.6 1.2 86.8 1.3 3.5 0.7

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 18.7 6.8 67.3 1.4 5.8 #

 For-profit 21.8 4.8 66.9 1.2 5.0 0.2

 Not-for-profit 21.6 4.6 66.3 0.6 6.1 0.8

 Local/state government 16.6 3.2 70.1 1.9 7.8 0.4

 Federal government 22.2 3.8 63.8 0.7 8.9 0.7

 Military 21.3 2.2 67.6 0.9 8.1 #

Occupation2

 Business and management 19.5 4.2 69.2 1.2 5.8 0.1

 Education 15.4 2.8 72.9 1.3 6.9 0.7

 Health professions 21.2 3.5 65.9 1.8 6.9 0.8

 Service industries 20.0 7.0 65.9 1.0 6.1 #

 Research, other professional/

 technical 24.3 6.0 61.0 1.6 6.7 0.4

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 21.5 3.8 71.0 0.4 3.0 0.2

 Other 24.0 3.6 65.0 1.0 5.5 0.8

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 38.9 7.1 45.2 1.0 7.2 0.7

 One or more 2.0 1.7 90.1 1.4 4.7 0.2

#Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

121 

Table IV.2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ number of dependents 

Table IV.2.—younger than age 18, by selected characteristics: 2003

Three

Selected characteristics None Total One Two or more

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 49.0 51.0 20.6 21.6 8.8

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 48.9 51.1 20.7 21.6 8.8

Gender

 Male 48.8 51.2 20.8 21.2 9.2

 Female 49.0 51.0 20.6 21.9 8.5

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 48.4 51.6 20.7 22.1 8.8

 Black, non-Hispanic 44.7 55.3 22.8 23.5 9.1

 Hispanic 43.6 56.5 23.3 19.1 14.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 68.6 31.4 15.2 14.4 1.9

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 49.4 50.6 17.6 23.9 9.2

 Some postsecondary education 43.8 56.2 23.1 24.0 9.1

 Bachelor’s degree 49.5 50.5 22.0 20.3 8.2

 Advanced degree 50.9 49.1 21.9 18.4 8.9

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 51.1 48.9 22.1 20.3 6.6

 23–24 44.0 56.0 20.5 24.7 10.8

 25–29 36.2 63.8 18.2 29.7 15.9

 30 or older 60.4 39.6 18.4 14.2 7.0

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 47.3 52.7 21.7 22.7 8.3

 Education 39.1 60.9 22.1 26.9 11.9

 Engineering 44.5 55.5 21.0 25.4 9.1

 Health 43.4 56.6 20.0 26.2 10.4

 Public affairs/social services 43.1 56.9 29.5 20.4 7.1

 Humanities 60.2 39.8 19.2 12.8 7.8

 Social and behavioral sciences 54.3 45.7 19.2 18.3 8.2

 Natural sciences and mathematics 52.3 47.7 20.1 18.7 8.9

 Other 50.5 49.5 18.9 23.1 7.5

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 46.3 53.7 20.9 23.2 9.6

 2.75–3.74 50.2 49.8 20.4 20.8 8.6

 3.75 or higher 53.8 46.2 20.6 18.3 7.3

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 45.8 54.2 21.4 24.0 8.9

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 54.4 45.7 19.9 17.4 8.4

 Other 59.3 40.7 14.2 15.1 11.4

See notes at end of table.

Has dependents younger than age 18
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

122 

Table IV.2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ number of dependents 

Table IV.2.—younger than age 18, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Three

Selected characteristics None Total One Two or more

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 47.1 52.9 20.4 23.1 9.5

 Master’s degree 52.2 47.8 22.0 19.2 6.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 61.5 38.5 20.2 10.8 7.5

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 50.9 49.1 20.8 20.6 7.7

 Full time, one job 52.0 48.0 20.9 19.8 7.4

 Part time, one job 36.0 64.0 24.1 29.3 10.6

 Multiple jobs 55.7 44.3 17.4 19.1 7.8

 Unemployed 59.6 40.4 15.1 16.0 9.3

 Out of the labor force 24.9 75.1 21.6 34.2 19.3

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 44.7 55.3 20.4 23.8 11.1

 For-profit 50.9 49.1 21.2 21.0 7.0

 Not-for-profit 54.5 45.5 19.4 18.2 7.9

 Local/state government 44.4 55.6 21.7 23.2 10.8

 Federal government 54.5 45.5 23.2 14.8 7.6

 Military 39.6 60.4 23.1 33.0 4.3

Occupation2

 Business and management 48.4 51.6 21.8 22.6 7.2

 Education 43.5 56.6 21.4 24.6 10.6

 Health professions 49.1 50.9 22.0 19.6 9.3

 Service industries 48.7 51.3 21.8 20.7 8.7

 Research, other professional/

 technical 58.5 41.5 17.6 16.7 7.3

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 48.4 51.6 21.7 21.8 8.1

 Other 50.1 49.9 20.3 23.1 6.5

Marital status

 Single, never married 95.0 5.0 2.8 1.3 0.9

 Married or cohabiting 35.3 64.7 25.4 27.9 11.4

 Separated/divorced/widowed 57.4 42.6 22.6 15.3 4.7

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

Has dependents under age 18
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

123 

Table IV.3.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents of various ages, and of 

Table IV.3.—those, average number of dependents, by selected characteristics: 2003

Percent Average Percent Average Percent Average

Selected characteristics with any number with any number with any number

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 39.1 1.4 26.2 1.6 10.4 1.4

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 39.1 1.4 26.3 1.6 10.5 1.4

Gender

 Male 39.5 1.4 25.3 1.6 8.9 1.4

 Female 38.7 1.4 27.1 1.5 11.9 1.4

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 40.2 1.4 25.5 1.6 9.2 1.4

 Black, non-Hispanic 32.9 1.3 39.3 1.6 15.6 1.4

 Hispanic 40.2 1.4 34.6 1.7 20.4 1.3

 Asian/Pacific Islander 26.0 1.3 13.5 1.4 13.7 1.6

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 35.4 1.4 31.6 1.6 14.6 1.5

 Some postsecondary education 41.0 1.4 29.3 1.5 11.4 1.4

 Bachelor’s degree 41.5 1.4 22.3 1.5 8.1 1.4

 Advanced degree 41.0 1.4 20.8 1.6 6.7 1.4

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 44.9 1.4 16.9 1.4 5.3 1.3

 23–24 46.9 1.4 27.1 1.5 6.0 1.3

 25–29 39.2 1.3 48.0 1.7 11.6 1.4

 30 or older 7.1 1.2 38.1 1.7 34.1 1.5

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 38.6 1.3 29.2 1.5 13.5 1.3

 Education 46.5 1.4 32.6 1.6 11.5 1.5

 Engineering 45.0 1.4 25.8 1.6 6.9 1.4

 Health 42.0 1.4 30.9 1.6 13.8 1.7

 Public affairs/social services 35.1 1.3 35.6 1.4 11.1 1.4

 Humanities 30.8 1.4 19.4 1.6 8.3 1.4

 Social and behavioral sciences 37.3 1.4 20.6 1.7 9.7 1.3

 Natural sciences and mathematics 37.9 1.4 24.1 1.5 9.7 1.3

 Other 38.5 1.5 23.8 1.5 7.9 1.6

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 42.5 1.4 26.9 1.6 8.7 1.4

 2.75–3.74 37.8 1.4 25.5 1.6 11.7 1.4

 3.75 or higher 30.0 1.4 26.7 1.6 16.6 1.5

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 42.6 1.4 27.0 1.5 10.1 1.4

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 33.3 1.4 24.6 1.6 11.1 1.4

 Other 24.8 1.4 28.3 1.9 12.3 ‡

See notes at end of table.

Dependents Dependents

age 4 or younger Dependents ages 5–17 age 18 or older
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

124 

Table IV.3.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents of various ages, and of

Table IV.3.—those, average number of dependents, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Percent Average Percent Average Percent Average

Selected characteristics with any number with any number with any number

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 39.6 1.4 29.1 1.5 10.4 1.5

 Master’s degree 38.5 1.4 19.9 1.6 11.7 1.3

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 34.1 1.4 11.6 1.8 7.1 1.2

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 36.5 1.4 25.6 1.6 11.1 1.4

 Full time, one job 35.5 1.4 25.0 1.6 11.1 1.3

 Part time, one job 54.8 1.4 27.6 1.5 8.3 1.6

 Multiple jobs 29.2 1.4 28.2 1.6 13.4 1.7

 Unemployed 31.6 1.3 22.4 1.7 7.3 ‡

 Out of the labor force 67.5 1.5 34.6 1.5 6.2 1.8

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 44.9 1.5 27.1 1.6 7.5 1.6

 For-profit 38.5 1.4 23.0 1.5 9.9 1.4

 Not-for-profit 36.4 1.4 22.0 1.5 13.1 1.4

 Local/state government 39.7 1.4 31.1 1.6 11.7 1.3

 Federal government 31.9 1.3 23.6 2.1 10.3 ‡

 Military 39.9 1.2 44.9 ‡ 14.2 ‡

Occupation2

 Business and management 39.8 1.4 24.9 1.6 10.6 1.4

 Education 41.6 1.4 30.2 1.6 11.2 1.4

 Health professions 39.9 1.4 24.8 1.5 11.8 1.5

 Service industries 41.4 1.4 24.5 1.6 11.0 1.3

 Research, other professional/

 technical 31.6 1.4 20.1 1.6 10.1 1.5

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 39.9 1.3 25.7 1.6 7.4 1.5

 Other 36.8 1.3 30.3 1.4 12.3 1.5

Marital status

 Single, never married 2.5 1.3 3.4 1.5 11.2 1.1

 Married or cohabiting 51.3 1.4 31.9 1.6 8.7 1.5

 Separated/divorced/widowed 18.7 1.2 33.5 1.4 25.7 1.3

Number of dependents under age 18

 None † † † † 11.5 1.4

 One or more 75.1 1.4 50.5 1.6 9.6 1.4

†Not applicable.

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

age 4 or younger Dependents ages 5–17 age 18 or older

Dependents Dependents
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

125 

Table IV.4.—Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than age 18, percentage 

Table IV.4.—with dependents in various childcare and educational arrangements, by selected 

Table IV.4.—characteristics: 2003

Age 4 or younger in Ages 5–17 in before- Ages 5–17 in

Selected characteristics day care/preschool or after-school care private school

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 44.3 21.9 10.5

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 44.2 21.9 10.8

Gender

 Male 42.2 19.6 10.3

 Female 45.8 23.7 11.1

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 44.5 19.5 9.9

 Black, non-Hispanic 47.4 43.7 14.5

 Hispanic 43.4 17.3 18.0

 Asian/Pacific Islander 36.1 38.2 12.4

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 40.7 19.6 12.2

 Some postsecondary education 43.8 25.5 12.8

 Bachelor’s degree 44.1 26.1 9.7

 Advanced degree 48.2 17.2 7.3

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 52.5 23.0 7.0

 23–24 47.9 22.5 9.7

 25–29 37.6 25.1 17.4

 30 or older 11.0 16.4 19.3

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 43.5 20.0 11.5

 Education 46.9 22.7 8.6

 Engineering 44.9 22.4 11.1

 Health 47.0 21.7 13.8

 Public affairs/social services 36.7 26.7 12.9

 Humanities 37.6 19.9 8.3

 Social and behavioral sciences 47.5 21.1 10.0

 Natural sciences and mathematics 40.8 25.3 11.6

 Other 45.7 22.1 11.0

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 46.2 23.8 11.1

 2.75–3.74 44.5 21.4 9.3

 3.75 or higher 33.2 11.9 11.8

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 46.3 22.8 10.1

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 40.0 19.9 11.5

 Other 32.5 21.5 19.5

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

126 

Table IV.4.—Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than age 18, percentage 

Table IV.4.—with dependents in various childcare and educational arrangements, by selected 

Table IV.4.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Age 4 or younger in Ages 5–17 in before- Ages 5–17 in

Selected characteristics daycare/preschool or after-school care private school

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 44.2 22.9 11.5

 Master’s degree 45.7 17.0 8.2

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 37.3 17.5 8.0

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 46.0 24.2 11.0

 Full time, one job 46.2 25.9 11.0

 Part time, one job 50.8 18.9 9.4

 Multiple jobs 38.7 16.7 12.5

 Unemployed 39.6 29.8 8.6

 Out of the labor force 33.2 3.4 9.9

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 41.0 14.6 7.5

 For-profit 44.6 24.0 10.4

 Not-for-profit 46.2 22.0 12.3

 Local/state government 37.0 25.9 9.7

 Federal government 52.7 34.4 12.5

 Military 39.1 ‡ 20.9

Occupation2

 Business and management 47.3 24.6 9.4

 Education 46.3 20.4 9.6

 Health professions 44.4 17.5 15.8

 Service industries 43.6 19.8 11.0

 Research, other professional/

 technical 38.8 24.7 7.3

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 44.7 29.4 12.3

 Other 37.4 22.4 14.3

Marital status

 Single, never married 39.2 38.8 19.0

 Married or cohabiting 45.0 20.2 10.4

 Separated/divorced/widowed 32.8 33.1 12.8

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

127 

Table IV.5.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than age 18 who 

Table IV.5.—had taken leave from work for childrearing, by selected characteristics: 2003

Of those ever Of those ever

out of labor worked part

Percent Length of Percent Length of force, percent time, percent

taking total leave taking paid leave did so for did so for

Selected characteristics leave in months paid leave in months childrearing1 childrearing2

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 47.8 6.8 39.2 2.5 78.9 64.6

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 47.8 6.8 39.1 2.5 78.9 64.0

Gender

 Male 26.4 2.0 23.2 1.4 21.7 25.8

 Female 66.4 8.4 53.7 3.0 85.8 73.1

Race/ethnicity3

 White, non-Hispanic 48.3 7.1 39.3 2.5 80.0 66.5

 Black, non-Hispanic 40.2 5.3 35.5 2.9 71.1 44.3

 Hispanic 47.3 4.9 40.1 2.3 83.2 51.9

 Asian/Pacific Islander 48.0 5.7 38.4 2.0 ‡ ‡

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 46.6 6.6 38.3 2.6 79.9 62.6

 Some postsecondary

 education 49.7 6.6 39.5 2.5 77.3 72.5

 Bachelor’s degree 46.4 6.4 38.4 2.4 81.2 58.4

 Advanced degree 48.9 7.5 40.1 2.6 77.5 65.1

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 59.2 7.2 48.7 2.6 81.8 63.9

 23–24 49.2 6.0 41.7 2.4 80.4 62.2

 25–29 39.3 5.7 30.4 2.0 77.7 71.0

 30 or older 10.5 10.1 7.9 3.1 44.8 57.3

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 37.9 5.1 32.6 2.5 77.1 67.8

 Education 58.5 8.1 46.1 2.8 85.8 69.8

 Engineering 35.4 3.4 30.2 1.6 ‡ ‡

 Health 61.6 7.4 52.2 2.7 78.6 74.4

 Public affairs/social services 48.7 5.0 42.3 2.5 ‡ ‡

 Humanities 45.7 8.9 30.7 3.1 75.3 60.0

 Social and behavioral sciences 52.5 8.1 43.4 2.5 83.4 60.9

 Natural sciences and mathematics 46.1 4.7 39.2 2.1 64.9 53.9

 Other 50.0 7.6 41.0 2.6 79.0 62.8

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 45.7 6.4 37.1 2.4 78.5 60.9

 2.75–3.74 53.8 7.2 44.6 2.6 81.2 69.9

 3.75 or higher 43.6 7.2 37.1 2.8 73.8 66.2

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 49.9 6.8 41.4 2.5 80.0 64.4

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 43.0 6.9 34.1 2.5 76.4 62.9

 Other 40.5 4.8 30.5 ‡ ‡ ‡

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

128 

Table IV.5.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than age 18 who 

Table IV.5.—had taken leave from work for childrearing, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Of those ever Of those ever

out of labor worked part

Percent Length of Percent Length of force, percent time, percent

taking total leave taking paid leave did so for did so for

Selected characteristics leave in months paid leave in months childrearing1 childrearing2

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 47.2 7.0 38.6 2.5 83.4 67.3

 Master’s degree 53.5 6.1 44.1 2.3 73.4 60.6

 Doctoral/first-professional 

 degree 33.1 5.3 26.9 3.5 32.5 31.6

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 46.0 4.6 39.0 2.4 69.8 62.5

 Full time, one job 42.0 3.7 37.0 2.3 63.7 53.8

 Part time, one job 72.6 8.0 55.8 3.3 79.0 78.8

 Multiple jobs 46.9 5.2 36.8 2.0 70.9 65.0

 Unemployed 49.5 11.4 32.3 ‡ 92.3 45.8

 Out of the labor force 61.2 18.6 41.6 3.0 90.5 73.0

Type of employer4

 Self-employed 39.7 8.1 23.4 3.1 83.9 66.9

 For-profit 44.2 6.4 37.2 2.4 74.2 66.9

 Not-for-profit 51.8 7.0 41.7 2.5 80.1 57.9

 Local/state government 54.6 8.1 45.8 2.5 83.5 63.2

 Federal government 61.1 4.3 58.4 3.0 ‡ ‡

 Military 41.2 ‡ 41.2 ‡ ‡ ‡

Occupation4

 Business and management 45.7 6.3 38.8 2.5 79.5 73.0

 Education 56.8 8.6 44.0 2.6 86.7 67.6

 Health professions 56.4 7.1 45.6 2.6 68.2 69.8

 Service industries 38.9 6.4 32.1 2.5 89.0 59.3

 Research, other professional/

 technical 47.2 6.3 40.0 2.7 66.8 56.4

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 39.3 3.1 35.1 1.6 73.6 45.1

 Other 42.6 7.1 30.3 2.7 79.5 51.2

Marital status

 Single, never married 34.5 ‡ 22.7 ‡ ‡ ‡

 Married or cohabiting 49.2 6.7 40.3 2.5 80.0 65.5

 Separated/divorced/

 widowed 32.1 6.7 27.0 2.6 52.2 48.0

‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1

Of those who had been out of the labor force at any time since 1997.

2

Of those who had worked part time at any time since 1997.

3

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

4

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Only includes leave taken since 1997.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

129 

Table IV.6.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than age 18 who 

Table IV.6.—are saving for their children’s education, by selected characteristics: 2003

State- Tuition

Traditional Money Certifi- sponsored presavings market cate of savings Roth payment

Selected characteristics Any account account deposit plan IRA plan Other

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 72.8 50.3 24.4 11.9 22.1 21.3 7.0 30.6

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 72.7 50.4 24.3 11.9 22.0 21.2 6.9 30.7

Gender

 Male 73.6 49.3 24.3 11.0 24.9 21.2 6.3 30.1

 Female 72.0 51.3 24.3 12.7 19.5 21.3 7.4 31.1

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 74.0 49.9 25.2 11.6 22.5 21.1 6.5 31.0

 Black, non-Hispanic 66.6 59.5 16.5 10.3 14.7 20.7 10.1 30.6

 Hispanic 67.0 50.1 18.8 16.3 13.1 22.1 12.7 25.4

 Asian/Pacific Islander 70.8 43.9 23.5 13.3 35.7 29.6 3.3 28.5

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 68.7 55.7 26.3 13.8 20.7 21.9 7.0 32.2

 Some postsecondary education 70.8 48.1 23.2 14.1 19.1 22.5 9.5 28.8

 Bachelor’s degree 75.8 48.1 25.0 11.0 24.2 20.3 5.6 29.7

 Advanced degree 76.6 47.2 22.7 8.1 23.3 19.9 6.3 33.0

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 75.3 48.5 23.1 11.1 26.6 20.9 5.2 30.9

 23–24 74.1 53.5 25.1 12.2 19.0 24.0 8.7 27.9

 25–29 67.8 54.8 24.2 15.0 20.7 20.5 7.7 32.6

 30 or older 65.6 44.5 27.6 10.7 10.3 16.1 8.8 34.8

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 74.5 48.3 24.6 12.8 25.3 20.0 7.2 35.7

 Education 71.0 55.9 23.3 14.2 16.4 24.4 6.1 25.3

 Engineering 74.1 47.4 24.1 6.3 29.0 20.7 6.0 38.4

 Health 71.2 50.7 35.9 8.6 18.9 24.5 10.5 25.1

 Public affairs/social services 70.2 52.6 21.6 14.0 15.5 21.2 21.1 24.9

 Humanities 68.9 48.3 24.3 10.2 19.2 16.4 2.1 31.5

 Social and behavioral sciences 77.9 50.1 21.4 10.2 20.7 23.2 6.7 27.3

 Natural sciences and mathematics 64.7 47.7 22.0 14.1 25.3 18.4 4.8 33.2

 Other 75.7 51.8 23.7 13.3 22.7 21.2 6.8 29.3

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 73.5 53.6 23.2 11.6 20.5 21.8 7.5 29.6

 2.75–3.74 71.3 44.9 27.7 12.8 22.4 21.0 5.8 32.2

 3.75 or higher 71.1 50.1 21.7 11.4 31.0 19.6 7.3 30.6

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 73.6 51.6 22.9 12.7 21.4 22.0 7.4 29.8

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 68.9 48.5 26.5 10.3 23.8 19.6 5.0 31.4

 Other 89.8 39.8 36.0 8.7 18.6 17.3 12.9 44.4

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

130 

Table IV.6.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients with dependents younger than age 18 who 

Table IV.6.—are saving for their children’s education, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

State- Tuition

Traditional Money Certifi- sponsored presavings market cate of savings Roth payment

Selected characteristics Any account account deposit plan IRA plan Other

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 73.0 51.2 24.5 13.0 20.4 21.2 6.8 32.2

 Master’s degree 73.3 49.5 25.5 8.6 25.9 22.7 6.6 25.3

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 66.3 38.4 15.6 6.9 34.0 15.4 10.8 26.4

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 72.9 51.5 23.8 12.1 22.2 20.5 6.9 30.2

 Full time, one job 72.1 51.2 22.8 12.4 22.7 20.2 6.8 29.6

 Part time, one job 76.9 50.5 26.4 9.6 25.1 21.9 7.1 31.6

 Multiple jobs 74.6 55.9 28.0 13.3 14.4 21.2 7.2 33.3

 Unemployed 62.7 46.1 38.4 8.0 16.6 24.1 10.7 31.7

 Out of the labor force 73.9 43.9 24.7 11.3 21.6 25.2 6.7 33.2

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 73.8 43.7 20.9 11.1 20.6 28.2 4.2 36.1

 For-profit 76.3 48.3 26.4 11.1 26.2 19.7 7.0 33.7

 Not-for-profit 66.8 47.2 20.8 11.9 20.2 17.8 7.0 28.3

 Local/state government 67.7 60.3 17.6 14.0 15.9 21.5 7.7 24.8

 Federal government 68.3 41.1 28.4 12.5 14.7 29.3 10.1 25.5

 Military 77.0 57.8 20.6 5.4 7.2 37.2 10.4 23.0

Occupation2

 Business and management 79.8 45.5 26.2 11.6 26.1 20.7 7.0 35.5

 Education 69.0 61.2 22.7 15.0 15.9 21.5 7.4 23.2

 Health professions 66.1 43.6 23.2 7.9 28.1 20.9 9.7 27.9

 Service industries 77.5 53.3 28.3 12.6 14.6 22.4 7.9 31.5

 Research, other professional/

 technical 67.8 48.1 22.3 10.6 21.0 17.6 5.7 31.3

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 74.6 50.2 21.2 10.6 31.2 23.8 5.5 32.1

 Other 62.0 60.4 18.8 15.9 11.3 21.1 5.8 21.8

Marital status

 Single, never married 59.5 59.8 19.5 11.5 8.7 12.7 # 36.0

 Married or cohabiting 73.8 49.5 24.8 12.0 22.8 21.6 6.5 30.6

 Separated/divorced/widowed 61.1 63.4 15.9 11.3 11.5 18.1 15.9 30.6

#Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

131 

Table IV.7.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ home ownership, by selected

Table IV.7.—characteristics: 2003

Selected characteristics Own Rent Neither

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 74.4 21.7 3.9

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 74.4 21.6 3.9

Gender

 Male 74.4 21.6 4.0

 Female 74.6 21.6 3.9

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 76.9 19.7 3.4

 Black, non-Hispanic 58.6 36.3 5.1

 Hispanic 73.6 21.7 4.7

 Asian/Pacific Islander 53.1 36.6 10.4

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 76.8 18.9 4.3

 Some postsecondary education 78.6 18.9 2.6

 Bachelor’s degree 73.8 22.1 4.1

 Advanced degree 69.8 26.2 4.0

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 70.8 25.0 4.2

 23–24 73.2 22.8 4.0

 25–29 79.0 17.1 3.9

 30 or older 84.5 12.5 3.1

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 80.1 16.4 3.5

 Education 78.4 18.2 3.5

 Engineering 86.2 11.9 1.9

 Health 82.7 15.4 2.0

 Public affairs/social services 68.2 29.6 2.1

 Humanities 57.6 35.1 7.3

 Social and behavioral sciences 68.1 27.8 4.1

 Natural sciences and mathematics 72.5 22.1 5.5

 Other 74.1 22.3 3.7

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 73.5 22.3 4.2

 2.75–3.74 74.9 21.7 3.4

 3.75 or higher 80.9 16.2 3.0

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 76.8 20.0 3.3

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 70.1 24.7 5.2

 Other 69.0 25.8 5.2

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

132 

Table IV.7.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ home ownership, by selected

Table IV.7.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Selected characteristics Own Rent Neither

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 76.2 20.1 3.7

 Master’s degree 72.4 23.1 4.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 58.7 36.1 5.2

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 74.8 21.6 3.7

 Full time, one job 75.5 21.2 3.3

 Part time, one job 75.3 20.3 4.4

 Multiple jobs 68.8 25.4 5.8

 Unemployed 47.1 40.4 12.5

 Out of the labor force 82.6 14.3 3.1

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 74.2 19.2 6.5

 For-profit 75.0 22.0 2.9

 Not-for-profit 70.7 23.7 5.6

 Local/state government 75.6 21.3 3.1

 Federal government 77.5 19.0 3.5

 Military 58.9 32.6 8.5

Occupation2

 Business and management 79.6 18.1 2.4

 Education 75.1 20.8 4.1

 Health professions 74.7 20.8 4.6

 Service industries 72.4 23.8 3.8

 Research, other professional/

 technical 67.1 27.3 5.5

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 81.2 16.4 2.4

 Other 61.1 31.2 7.7

Marital status

 Single, never married 39.5 49.9 10.6

 Married or cohabiting 86.0 12.1 1.9

 Separated/divorced/widowed 57.5 37.1 5.4

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 60.3 33.6 6.1

 One or more 87.7 10.3 2.0

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status 

133 

Table IV.8.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ region of current residence

Table IV.8.—and percentage living in same state as bachelor’s degree-granting institution and home state,

Table IV.8.—by selected characteristics: 2003

Outlying

areas/ Bachelor’s

Selected characteristics Northeast Midwest South West other institution Home state

 U.S. total (excluding 

 Puerto Rico) 22.9 23.0 35.1 18.3 0.8 61.4 67.3

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 22.7 23.0 34.9 18.2 1.2 61.4 67.3

Gender

 Male 21.9 23.6 35.3 18.1 1.1 59.3 66.1

 Female 23.4 22.5 34.6 18.3 1.3 63.3 68.3

Race/ethnicity1

 White, non-Hispanic 22.6 25.4 34.6 16.9 0.6 61.4 67.2

 Black, non-Hispanic 28.4 13.9 48.5 8.7 0.4 54.4 64.8

 Hispanic 20.2 5.2 42.4 23.3 9.0 69.2 70.8

 Asian/Pacific Islander 20.6 11.9 17.5 47.7 2.4 64.0 69.4

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 22.5 26.8 34.8 14.6 1.3 70.1 74.6

 Some postsecondary education 19.0 24.7 39.0 16.6 0.8 62.3 67.6

 Bachelor’s degree 21.8 18.8 37.3 21.2 1.0 58.7 65.8

 Advanced degree 26.2 21.6 31.3 19.8 1.2 51.3 59.0

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 27.6 22.6 32.5 16.2 1.1 52.2 60.3

 23–24 16.6 23.1 39.0 19.9 1.4 65.5 68.1

 25–29 18.7 22.6 35.9 21.1 1.9 71.4 74.7

 30 or older 20.6 24.3 35.1 19.5 0.5 76.3 82.0

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 18.7 26.3 39.5 14.2 1.2 65.6 71.7

 Education 22.5 26.7 36.5 13.3 1.1 64.7 72.6

 Engineering 20.9 20.7 35.1 22.5 0.7 71.0 75.2

 Health 21.8 21.5 40.7 15.5 0.7 62.7 66.8

 Public affairs/social services 25.3 23.3 29.6 19.2 2.6 55.9 61.3

 Humanities 29.1 14.3 30.9 24.1 1.7 54.5 60.0

 Social and behavioral sciences 25.7 21.1 33.0 19.4 0.9 59.8 64.7

 Natural sciences and mathematics 22.2 23.6 33.9 18.2 2.1 56.9 62.9

 Other 23.0 23.8 30.3 22.3 0.6 59.5 65.5

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 22.5 22.9 37.5 16.0 1.2 62.9 68.4

 2.75–3.74 21.8 23.1 32.7 21.0 1.4 58.6 64.7

 3.75 or higher 25.2 22.4 32.5 19.4 0.5 62.2 68.1

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 17.5 23.6 39.2 18.8 0.9 65.4 68.7

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 35.2 21.0 26.9 15.2 1.8 53.4 64.1

 Other 6.8 30.2 26.8 35.4 0.9 60.2 70.1

See notes at end of table.

Region of current residence Same state as
Table Compendium—Section IV: Family Status

134 

Table IV.8.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ region of current residence

Table IV.8.—and percentage living in same state as bachelor’s degree-granting institution and home state,

Table IV.8.—by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Outlying

areas/ Bachelor’s

Selected characteristics Northeast Midwest South West other institution Home state

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 21.4 23.6 35.6 18.3 1.1 64.1 69.5

 Master’s degree 26.0 21.5 33.0 18.1 1.4 58.7 64.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 28.6 19.4 33.3 17.4 1.4 37.6 46.6

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 22.7 23.6 34.9 17.7 1.1 62.1 68.1

 Full time, one job 22.3 23.6 35.2 18.0 1.0 61.7 67.5

 Part time, one job 24.6 24.2 33.1 15.7 2.3 62.8 69.8

 Multiple jobs 24.2 23.3 34.2 17.6 0.8 65.3 70.7

 Unemployed 23.0 16.5 34.3 24.5 1.7 57.6 62.4

 Out of the labor force 22.8 19.8 35.6 20.0 1.9 56.2 61.3

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 20.4 19.8 36.2 22.7 1.0 58.3 65.5

 For-profit 23.0 24.5 34.0 17.2 1.2 58.9 65.4

 Not-for-profit 26.2 21.2 34.6 16.9 1.2 58.3 65.2

 Local/state government 17.7 24.1 34.4 23.2 0.7 71.2 75.3

 Federal government 32.7 12.6 37.7 15.6 1.4 56.8 53.9

 Military 5.4 7.5 62.9 20.1 4.1 31.3 41.9

Occupation2

 Business and management 22.9 25.7 33.7 16.7 0.9 61.3 69.2

 Education 22.6 23.5 35.8 17.1 1.0 69.2 73.1

 Health professions 22.5 20.4 39.5 16.9 0.7 56.2 61.5

 Service industries 20.0 26.4 35.3 17.2 1.1 60.7 64.6

 Research, other professional/

 technical 26.2 18.7 34.0 19.8 1.3 56.9 63.2

 Engineering/architecture/

 computer science 21.6 24.6 30.8 22.3 0.7 61.5 68.2

 Other 19.7 17.3 39.0 20.6 3.4 63.1 67.3

Marital status

 Single, never married 28.8 20.2 29.1 20.1 1.9 56.1 63.8

 Married or cohabiting 21.5 23.8 36.0 17.8 0.9 61.7 67.5

 Separated/divorced/widowed 18.7 22.3 40.2 17.0 1.9 73.5 74.3

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 26.1 21.0 30.6 21.0 1.3 58.6 64.4

 One or more 19.6 24.8 39.0 15.5 1.1 64.1 69.9

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude

Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native

respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

Region of current residence Same state as
135 

Section V: Civic Participation 

Table V.1 

• Ten years after graduation, Asian bachelor’s degree recipients were less likely than Black or 

White bachelor’s degree recipients to have volunteered in the past year (37 vs. 47 and 48 

percent, respectively). While they appeared to have been less likely to volunteer than Hispanic graduates (45 percent) as well, the difference was not statistically significant. 

• In 2003, 1992–93 college graduates who earned higher GPAs as undergraduates were more 

likely than their peers with lower GPAs to have participated in community service within the 

past year. Among volunteers, GPA was also directly related to education-related volunteer 

work. Fifty-two percent of students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher had volunteered in the past 

year, compared with 44 percent of those with a GPA below 2.75. 

• As of 2003, 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who took more than 6 years to complete a 

bachelor’s degree were more likely than those who took less time to have volunteered in the 

past year (53 vs. 45 percent). In addition, among those who had volunteered, those who took 

more than 6 years also were more likely than those completing in less time to have participated in community service activities related to education or religious institutions. 

• Among graduates who reported doing community service, a greater proportion of those who 

were not enrolled in any postsecondary education in 2003 had volunteered for fundraising 

than those who were currently enrolled. 

• Compared with bachelor’s degree recipients, those 1992–93 graduates who held a master’s, 

doctoral, or first-professional degree were more likely to report having volunteered for education-related activities in the past year. 

Table V.2 

• Among 1992–93 graduates who had volunteered in the past year, 8 percent had done so 

daily, 34 percent had done so weekly, and 29 percent had done so monthly. For 2 percent, the 

volunteer activity had been a one-time event. 

• Overall, older graduates had volunteered more total hours in the past year than their younger 

peers. While 1992–93 college graduates who were age 22 or younger when they received a 

bachelor’s degree had volunteered an average total of about 115 hours in the previous year, 

those who graduated at age 30 or older had volunteered about 234 hours. 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had volunteered in the past year as of 

2003, those who took 4 years or less to complete a bachelor’s degree had volunteered an es-
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation

136 

timated 116 hours, while those who took more than 6 years to complete a bachelor’s degree 

had volunteered 187 hours. 

• College graduates who were enrolled in school in 2003 were less likely than those not enrolled to have volunteered on a weekly basis. For graduates who were not currently enrolled, 

35 percent had volunteered weekly, compared with 28 percent of those who were currently 

enrolled. 

Table V.3 

• College graduates whose baccalaureate major was in the natural sciences or mathematics 

were less likely than others (except those in public affairs) to have voted in the 2002 elections (68 vs. 75–79 percent). However, those who majored in engineering were less likely 

than others (except those in public affairs) to have attended political events in the past year as 

of 2003 (9 vs. 13–22 percent). 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, those who had a GPA of 3.75 or higher were 

more likely than those with a GPA below 2.75 to have voted in the 2002 election (81 vs. 75 

percent). 

• Compared with graduates who took 4 years or less to complete a bachelor’s degree, those 

who took more than 6 years to complete were more likely to have voted in 2002 (84 vs. 72 

percent). Those who earned a bachelor’s degree in 5–6 years were less likely than others to 

have attended a political event in the past year. 

• Ten years after college completion, 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were married 

or cohabiting were more likely than others to have voted in 2002 (78 vs. 71 percent). 

• While graduates with children in 2003 were more likely to have voted in 2002 (78 vs. 74 percent), they were less likely to have attended political events in the past year (13 vs. 17 percent). 

Table V.4 

• About one-fourth (26 percent) of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients reported in 2003 that 

they had written an e-mail to a public official to express an opinion in the last 2 years. 

Smaller proportions had sent a letter (16 percent) or made a telephone call (12 percent). 

Women were slightly more likely than men to have written a letter (18 vs. 15 percent). 

• As of 2003, White graduates were more likely than Asian and Hispanic graduates to have 

written a letter to a public official. Furthermore, 27 percent of White students had written an 

e-mail to a public official, compared with 18 percent of Asian graduates and 17 percent of 

Black graduates. 

• Ten years later, older 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients were more likely than their 

younger peers to have contacted a public official in the past 2 years, particularly by letter or 

e-mail. Twenty-six percent of college graduates in the oldest age group had written a letter in 

the past 2 years, compared with 14–15 percent of graduates who were younger. 
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation 

137 

• Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients, those who majored in humanities were more 

likely than those who majored in other fields (with the exception of social and behavioral 

sciences) to have written an e-mail to a public official. About one-third (35 percent) of humanities majors had sent an e-mail to a public official, compared with 20–26 percent of other 

majors. 

• The higher their undergraduate GPA, the more likely bachelor’s degree holders were to have 

written a letter or e-mail to a public official in the past 2 years. For example, among graduates with a GPA of 3.75 or higher, 32 percent had written an e-mail and 24 percent had written a letter, compared with 23 and 14 percent, respectively, of graduates whose GPA was 

below 2.75. 

• Ten years after completing college, graduates who worked in multiple jobs were more likely 

than those who were employed full time in one job or those who were out of the labor force 

to have contacted a public official by letter, e-mail, or telephone within the past 2 years. 

• Generally, college graduates who were employed by for-profit companies were less likely 

than those who were self-employed, working for not-for-profit organizations, or employed by 

local and state governments to have contacted a public official via a phone call or a written 

letter. However, individuals in the for-profit sector were more likely than those employed by 

the military to have written an e-mail or made a phone call to a public official. One-fourth of 

those employed by for-profit organizations had written an e-mail to a public official, compared with 12 percent of those employed by the military. Graduates employed by the federal 

government were less likely than those who were self-employed or worked for a local or 

state government to have made a phone call to a public official. 
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation

138 

Table V.1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who participated in community service in

Table V.1.—the past year, and of those, percentage doing various types of service, by selected

Table V.1.—characteristics: 2003

Poverty/

neighborEducation- Other work hood im- Religious

Selected characteristics Any related with kids Fundraising provement institution

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 47.0 31.6 29.9 38.7 26.5 44.3

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 46.9 31.6 29.9 38.7 26.5 44.4

Gender

 Male 43.0 24.6 34.1 37.7 31.1 41.2

 Female 50.1 36.5 26.9 39.4 23.2 46.7

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 47.5 30.3 30.0 39.4 26.5 44.3

 Black, non-Hispanic 46.7 44.3 37.0 40.1 32.0 53.0

 Hispanic 45.3 34.8 24.7 32.2 26.0 33.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 36.9 31.2 24.3 27.6 20.4 51.5

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 45.7 34.0 29.0 39.6 27.3 47.5

 Some postsecondary education 47.3 32.7 36.4 42.0 25.3 46.4

 Bachelor’s degree 46.1 28.3 28.1 36.7 25.2 40.3

 Advanced degree 48.6 30.4 27.5 37.2 29.2 43.8

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 46.0 29.4 27.1 38.6 26.1 41.3

 23–24 41.7 29.9 33.8 36.4 28.5 43.0

 25–29 51.0 32.8 35.4 41.1 24.8 48.6

 30 or older 55.0 38.7 28.6 40.1 26.0 51.3

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 48.2 23.3 30.5 39.7 26.3 45.7

 Education 50.8 46.3 31.9 40.1 25.2 56.5

 Engineering 35.4 20.6 28.0 32.2 33.9 42.5

 Health 48.1 30.1 27.9 42.7 25.4 47.1

 Public affairs/social services 45.0 32.0 43.9 38.3 48.2 38.5

 Humanities 48.0 31.4 27.4 33.9 25.2 43.1

 Social and behavioral sciences 47.6 32.5 27.4 41.6 26.7 34.3

 Natural sciences and mathematics 42.3 35.6 27.4 35.6 24.3 45.7

 Other 48.3 31.9 31.3 38.8 23.3 40.7

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 44.2 28.6 32.3 39.7 27.2 42.7

 2.75–3.74 50.6 35.4 26.9 37.6 26.4 44.6

 3.75 or higher 51.9 36.0 27.4 37.4 25.6 52.0

See notes at end of table.

Percent of volunteers in various areas
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation 

139 

Table V.1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who participated in community service in

Table V.1.—the past year, and of those, percentage doing various types of service, by selected

Table V.1.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Poverty/

neighborEducation- Other work hood im- Religious

Selected characteristics Any related with kids Fundraising provement institution

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 44.8 29.1 27.5 37.0 23.9 39.0

 5–6 years 44.6 30.6 30.5 39.2 29.6 44.6

 More than 6 years 53.4 36.0 31.9 40.1 25.8 50.4

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 46.6 31.5 30.0 39.5 26.4 45.0

 Currently enrolled 49.6 32.4 29.0 30.1 27.3 37.5

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 46.2 28.9 30.5 40.1 27.4 45.0

 Master’s degree 49.6 37.6 30.1 36.1 25.5 43.6

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 46.6 43.7 21.6 30.1 17.8 38.6

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 46.5 30.8 30.4 39.0 27.3 43.4

 Full time, one job 45.5 29.2 30.4 38.8 27.4 42.8

 Part time, one job 48.7 35.5 24.3 34.7 22.1 46.9

 Multiple jobs 52.0 37.6 35.6 44.0 31.2 44.2

 Unemployed 37.9 33.9 34.0 46.9 28.9 42.8

 Out of the labor force 54.7 38.0 24.2 33.6 18.6 53.0

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 48.7 29.1 33.2 46.1 23.8 43.6

 For-profit 41.8 22.7 27.7 38.9 27.4 39.8

 Not-for-profit 51.2 30.7 27.3 36.3 28.3 45.3

 Local/state government 52.8 36.7 27.1 35.6 23.8 43.6

 Federal government 43.0 31.6 22.3 35.7 28.2 43.3

 Military 52.9 16.7 40.6 32.2 22.1 38.1

Marital status

 Single, never married 44.9 29.2 23.2 35.4 26.4 27.2

 Married or cohabiting 47.5 32.0 31.0 39.4 26.3 49.2

 Separated/divorced/widowed 46.3 34.3 36.6 40.1 27.8 40.6

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 45.5 29.4 23.4 36.9 27.6 32.8

 One or more 48.2 33.6 35.8 40.2 25.4 54.8

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Types of service are not mutually exclusive; volunteers could participate in multiple activities.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Percent of volunteers in various areas
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation

140 

Table V.2.—Level of participation in community service for 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who 

Table V.2.—volunteered in the past year, by selected characteristics: 2003

Average total

Less than volunteer

One-time once a hours in

Selected characteristics event month Monthly Weekly Daily past year

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 1.8 27.3 29.0 34.1 7.7 147

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 1.8 27.3 29.0 34.1 7.8 148

Gender

 Male 2.2 22.4 29.2 35.8 10.5 150

 Female 1.6 30.9 28.8 32.9 5.9 146

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 1.9 27.0 28.5 35.1 7.6 133

 Black, non-Hispanic 0.6 24.8 36.8 28.3 9.5 156

 Hispanic 1.9 34.3 25.6 28.3 10.0 376

 Asian/Pacific Islander 1.8 31.2 29.2 30.3 7.5 164

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 2.0 31.0 28.5 29.1 9.3 147

 Some postsecondary education 1.4 27.0 26.9 36.4 8.3 140

 Bachelor’s degree 1.4 24.2 31.5 36.2 6.8 132

 Advanced degree 1.8 24.7 29.4 36.6 7.5 139

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 1.1 22.9 29.8 37.8 8.5 115

 23–24 2.0 26.5 29.2 33.6 8.8 149

 25–29 3.3 32.3 28.4 26.7 9.2 146

 30 or older 2.5 36.8 26.9 30.4 3.5 234

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 1.7 26.6 28.6 32.3 10.8 160

 Education 2.9 31.1 30.8 30.3 4.9 163

 Engineering 1.3 25.2 28.4 37.6 7.5 117

 Health 0.4 26.1 29.7 35.0 8.7 160

 Public affairs/social services 2.0 21.7 30.6 39.7 6.1 153

 Humanities 0.7 28.5 30.5 33.7 6.6 119

 Social and behavioral sciences 2.4 25.8 30.4 35.8 5.6 149

 Natural sciences and mathematics 1.8 32.5 23.3 35.0 7.5 139

 Other 2.0 24.8 28.4 35.7 9.0 141

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 1.7 25.3 29.3 34.5 9.1 153

 2.75–3.74 1.7 27.6 29.3 34.3 7.2 136

 3.75 or higher 2.8 33.0 27.5 33.2 3.5 157

See notes at end of table.

Percentage distribution by frequency of volunteer work
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation 

141 

Table V.2.—Level of participation in community service for 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who 

Table V.2.—volunteered in the past year, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Average total

Less than volunteer

One-time once a hours in

Selected characteristics event month Monthly Weekly Daily past year

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 1.2 23.3 30.0 37.1 8.4 116

 5–6 years 1.4 24.4 30.1 35.7 8.4 144

 More than 6 years 3.0 36.0 26.5 28.1 6.4 187

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 2.0 27.3 28.5 34.7 7.6 143

 Currently enrolled # 27.5 34.5 28.0 10.0 194

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 2.2 27.8 29.0 32.9 8.2 148

 Master’s degree 0.8 27.9 28.1 36.6 6.5 154

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 1.0 19.9 32.3 40.2 6.6 124

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 1.7 25.1 29.4 35.3 8.6 141

 Full time, one job 1.6 24.3 28.7 35.9 9.6 135

 Part time, one job 1.9 31.1 35.9 26.3 4.8 174

 Multiple jobs 1.9 26.0 28.4 38.5 5.2 149

 Unemployed 2.6 39.5 27.1 28.5 2.3 253

 Out of the labor force 2.8 42.3 26.6 25.6 2.8 175

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 1.6 28.3 28.1 36.6 5.5 137

 For-profit 1.5 21.9 29.0 36.3 11.4 118

 Not-for-profit 2.0 31.5 30.2 32.5 3.8 194

 Local/state government 2.6 32.3 26.4 33.2 5.6 152

 Federal government 4.4 35.4 20.0 31.7 8.4 168

 Military # 30.8 31.6 29.5 8.2 193

Marital status

 Single, never married 1.0 23.2 25.4 39.5 10.9 139

 Married or cohabiting 2.1 27.8 29.6 33.3 7.2 142

 Separated/divorced/widowed 1.2 33.3 32.5 27.6 5.4 222

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 1.4 23.7 28.2 36.9 9.8 148

 One or more 2.2 30.7 29.7 31.5 6.0 147

#Rounds to zero.

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Percentage distribution by frequency of volunteer work
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation

142 

Table V.3.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported participating in various

Table V.3.—political activities, by selected characteristics: 2003

Registered Voted in Attended political 

Selected characteristics to vote1 2002 election1 meetings/rallies2

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 93.4 76.4 15.2

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 93.1 76.1 15.1

Gender

 Male 92.6 76.0 16.2

 Female 93.5 76.2 14.3

Race/ethnicity

3

 White, non-Hispanic 94.2 77.0 15.2

 Black, non-Hispanic 95.8 84.7 21.5

 Hispanic 85.5 66.1 11.5

 Asian/Pacific Islander 79.0 60.7 8.4

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 92.3 76.0 14.1

 Some postsecondary education 94.3 74.8 14.9

 Bachelor’s degree 92.8 77.4 15.2

 Advanced degree 93.5 76.4 16.0

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 93.3 73.0 15.4

 23–24 91.3 73.8 13.0

 25–29 92.3 77.2 14.1

 30 or older 95.9 89.2 18.7

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 94.0 78.1 12.8

 Education 93.7 78.0 13.4

 Engineering 92.8 76.4 8.9

 Health 95.7 76.4 13.6

 Public affairs/social services 92.2 75.5 14.0

 Humanities 91.6 76.2 19.0

 Social and behavioral sciences 92.9 74.6 22.4

 Natural sciences and mathematics 88.9 67.5 12.9

 Other 94.5 78.6 16.3

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 92.5 75.0 14.2

 2.75–3.74 93.5 76.7 15.7

 3.75 or higher 95.1 80.7 16.8

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation 

143 

Table V.3.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported participating in various

Table V.3.—political activities, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Registered Voted in Attended political 

Selected characteristics to vote1 2002 election1 meetings/rallies2

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 93.6 72.2 16.3

 5–6 years 91.5 74.1 12.9

 More than 6 years 94.6 84.4 17.1

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 93.0 75.9 14.9

 Currently enrolled 94.0 78.8 17.3

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 92.7 76.0 13.4

 Master’s degree 95.6 78.4 18.9

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 89.8 69.5 24.1

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 93.2 76.5 15.2

 Full time, one job 92.9 76.2 15.1

 Part time, one job 94.8 79.1 11.8

 Multiple jobs 93.9 76.5 18.7

 Unemployed 89.5 64.9 17.2

 Out of the labor force 93.6 77.4 13.5

Type of employer4

 Self-employed 90.9 71.7 18.4

 For-profit 92.2 73.9 13.0

 Not-for-profit 93.3 76.8 17.6

 Local/state government 95.0 82.8 19.6

 Federal government 95.7 81.8 15.5

 Military 93.4 71.6 6.2

Marital status

 Single, never married 90.1 71.1 15.8

 Married or cohabiting 94.2 78.0 14.8

 Separated/divorced/widowed 90.0 71.3 16.5

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 92.1 73.6 17.1

 One or more 94.1 78.5 13.3

1

U.S. citizens and nationals only.

2

In the past year.

3

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 4

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation

144 

Table V.4.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported expressing an opinion to a 

Table V.4.—public official in the last 2 years, by selected characteristics: 2003

Wrote Wrote Made

Selected characteristics letter e-mail phone call No contact

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 16.3 25.9 12.1 63.6

 Total (50 states, D.C., 

 and Puerto Rico) 16.3 25.8 12.1 63.7

Gender

 Male 14.8 27.3 11.9 64.6

 Female 17.5 24.5 12.3 63.0

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 16.9 27.0 12.5 62.4

 Black, non-Hispanic 13.1 16.7 11.3 71.7

 Hispanic 12.6 23.4 10.1 68.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 12.1 17.8 8.1 74.1

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 16.0 23.3 13.2 64.9

 Some postsecondary education 15.8 27.7 12.1 62.7

 Bachelor’s degree 15.9 25.7 11.2 63.5

 Advanced degree 17.9 28.6 11.5 62.4

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 14.0 24.0 10.2 66.6

 23–24 15.1 25.8 11.1 65.6

 25–29 15.0 27.6 10.7 64.4

 30 or older 26.3 30.1 21.3 50.8

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 11.8 21.0 10.5 70.3

 Education 18.7 25.7 11.8 61.0

 Engineering 10.0 22.3 8.2 69.5

 Health 22.0 24.9 12.6 60.1

 Public affairs/social services 17.5 20.4 17.7 64.3

 Humanities 21.2 35.3 13.4 53.6

 Social and behavioral sciences 17.6 29.7 16.3 60.9

 Natural sciences and mathematics 15.8 26.3 8.1 65.5

 Other 16.4 25.7 13.3 63.5

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 13.6 23.2 11.2 67.2

 2.75–3.74 18.1 28.9 13.2 60.7

 3.75 or higher 24.3 31.7 13.8 53.9

See notes at end of table.
Table Compendium—Section V: Civic Participation 

145 

Table V.4.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who reported expressing an opinion to a 

Table V.4.—public official in the last 2 years, by selected characteristics: 2003—Continued

Wrote Wrote Made

Selected characteristics letter e-mail phone call No contact

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree

 4 years or less 13.8 22.8 9.9 68.1

 5–6 years 15.9 25.8 11.6 64.3

 More than 6 years 20.5 30.0 15.7 56.8

Enrollment status in 2003

 Not currently enrolled 16.0 25.3 12.1 64.0

 Currently enrolled 19.1 31.4 12.7 59.9

Highest degree attained as of 2003

 Bachelor’s degree 15.4 24.5 11.7 65.1

 Master’s degree 19.4 30.3 13.9 58.8

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 17.1 27.4 12.1 63.0

Labor force participation

 Employed, total 16.5 25.9 12.3 63.4

 Full time, one job 15.9 25.6 11.8 64.1

 Part time, one job 16.2 22.6 13.2 63.9

 Multiple jobs 21.6 30.7 15.4 58.1

 Unemployed 14.5 29.8 13.0 62.8

 Out of the labor force 14.7 23.3 10.0 66.7

Type of employer2

 Self-employed 16.9 28.3 20.6 58.7

 For-profit 12.8 24.5 9.3 66.7

 Not-for-profit 21.1 28.0 14.3 60.9

 Local/state government 21.3 28.8 16.1 59.9

 Federal government 16.2 24.4 9.2 65.5

 Military 10.7 12.0 2.4 82.7

Marital status

 Single, never married 14.5 25.3 9.3 67.5

 Married or cohabiting 16.4 25.8 12.5 63.3

 Separated/divorced/widowed 19.8 26.9 16.2 57.5

Number of dependents under age 18

 None 17.2 28.2 12.1 61.3

 One or more 15.4 23.5 12.2 66.0

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. 2

Only includes respondents who have worked at any time since 1997. Applies to current or most recent job.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
A-1 

Appendix A—Glossary 

This glossary describes the variables used in this report. The items were taken directly from the NCES B&B:93/03 

Data Analysis System (DAS), a web-based NCES analysis tool that generates tables from the B&B:93/03 data. (See 

appendix B for a description of the DAS.) In the index below, the variables are organized by general topic and, 

within topic, listed in the order they appear in the report. The glossary is in alphabetical order by variable name (displayed in capital letters to the right of the label below). 

GLOSSARY INDEX

STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

Gender ............................................................ GENDER 

Race/ethnicity .............................................. B2ETHNIC 

Parents’ highest education ................................. PEDUC 

Age at bachelor’s degree completion........... CCAGEBA 

Marital status .....................................................B3MAR 

Number of dependents younger than age 18 

 ...................................................................B3NUMCH 

Dependents: 

Dependents age 4 or younger ...................... B3D3AG1 

 Dependents ages 5–17 ................................ B3D3AG2 

 Dependents age 18 or older ........................ B3D3AG3 

Dependents age 4 or younger in day care/ 

 preschool.................................................. B3CHCNUM 

Child in before/afterschool care..................B3CH1CAR 

Child attends private school............................ B3PRIVT 

Saving for children’s education .................... B3EDSAV 

Savings methods: 

Traditional savings account........................ B3EDSVA 

Money market account ................................B3EDSVB 

Certificate of deposit ...................................B3EDSVC 

State-sponsored savings plan....................... B3ESSVD 

Roth IRA .....................................................B3EDSVE 

Tuition prepayment plan.............................. B3EDSVF 

Other savings methods ............................... B3EDSVX 

Home ownership......................................B3HOMOWN 

Region of current residence .........................B3REGION 

Same state as bachelor’s institution ................. B3STBA 

Same state as home state..................................B3STHM 

Puerto Rico indicator ..................................COMPTO87 

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

Baccalaureate degree major......................... BAMAJOR 

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution........ SECTOR_B 

Time between college entry and bachelor’s 

degree ........................................................B2BATIM2 

Enrolled in diploma/certificate program since 

 1993 ..............................................................B3ATTCT 

Enrolled in associate’s degree program since 

 1993 ............................................................. B3ATTAA 

Enrolled in bachelor’s degree program since 

 1993..............................................................B3ATTBA 

Enrolled in any undergraduate program since 

 1993..............................................................B3ATTUG 

Completed undergraduate program since 

 1993.............................................................B3CMPUG 

Cumulative undergraduate GPA.....................GPACUM 

Educational expectations at bachelor’s 

completion................................................ ANYHILVL 

Prior attainment .......................................... HIOTHDEG 

EMPLOYMENT

Labor force participation................................. B3LFP03 

Average salary of current/most recent job 

2003 ............................................................ B3CRSAL 

Enrolled for occupational license .................B3ENRLIC 

Enrolled for professional certification...........B3ENRCT 

Participated in work-related classes ...........B3WRKCLS 

Took personal enrichment classes ............... B3ENRICH 

Average hours worked per week ................ B3CHRTOT 

Occupation ....................................................B3OCCAT 

Type of employer ....................................... B3CURTYP 

Telecommuting allowed ............................. B3CURTLC 

Flexible scheduling .................................... B3CURFLX 

Supervise work of others............................. B3SUPRVS 

Assist in hiring/firing decisions.........................B3HIRE 

Set salary rates for others .............................B3SETSAL 

Job is part of career .................................... B3CAREER 

Current job benefits: 

Medical insurance ..................................... B3CURBA 

Other health insurance ................................B3CURBB 

Life insurance..............................................B3CURBC 

Retirement benefits ................................... B3CURBD 

Flexible spending account........................... B3CURBF 

Child care facility/subsidy ......................... B3CURBH 

Receiving unemployment compensation... B3CURUEM 

Average total months unemployed................ B3UTIMT 

Out of labor force for childrearing ................B3RSNOB 

Worked part time for childrearing................. B3RSNPC 

Took leave from work ...................................B3CLEAV 

Took paid leave ............................................. B3PLEAV 
Appendix A—Glossary 

A-2 

GRADUATE EDUCATION

Ever enrolled in a graduate program..............B3ENRPG 

Ever completed graduate program.................B3ATTEN 

Current enrollment status............................B3CURENR 

Highest degree attained as of 2003 ................B3HDG03 

Field of advanced degree ........................... B3HDGMAJ 

Detailed degree program................................B3PGTYP 

Financial aid for graduate education: 

 Student loans ........................................... B3GRLOAN 

 Grants/scholarship/fellowships...................B3GRANT 

 Tuition waiver ........................................... B3TUIRED 

 Teaching assistantship .............................. B3TEAAST 

 Research assistantship ...............................B3RESAST 

 Tuition reimbursement from employer.... B3EMBNFT 

CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND ATTITUDES

Any volunteer work ...................................B3COMSRV 

Type of volunteer work: 

Education-related.........................................B3VLTPA 

Other work with kids...................................B3VLTPB 

Fundraising..................................................B3VLTPC 

Homeless/other poverty-related...................B3VLTPD 

Service to religious institution..................... B3VLTPE 

Frequency of volunteer work.........................B3VLFRQ 

Average volunteering hours in past year...... B3VLAMT 

Registered to vote in 2003 ............................ B3VTREG 

Voted in 2002 election...................................B3VTNEL 

Attended political meetings/rallies ................. B3POLIT 

Made phone call to public official ................. B3TELPN 

Wrote letter.................................................... B3LETTR 

Wrote e-mail .................................................. B3EMAIL 

No political contacts made............................B3POLTW 

Aspects of undergraduate education that are 

very important now: 

Major ..........................................................B3UGVLA 

Liberal arts courses.....................................B3UGVLB 

Professional courses ...................................B3UGVLC 

Quality of instruction..................................B3UGVLD 

Internship/other work opportunities ........... B3UGVLE 

None .......................................................... B3UGVLF 

Undergraduate education was very important 

preparation for: 

Work and career..........................................B3UGPRA 

Further education ........................................B3UGPRB 

Financial security ........................................B3UGPRC 

None ...........................................................B3UGPRD 

Undergraduate education worth cost, time, 

and/or effort: 

Financial cost ............................................ B3UGWRA 

Amount of time ......................................... B3UGWRB 

Amount of effort ....................................... B3UGWRC 

None ......................................................... B3UGWRN 

Educational expectations in 2003.................B3HIGHE2 

Satisfied with graduate schools attended: 

Faculty/teaching.......................................... B3GSAFT 

Courses offered ...........................................B3GSACO 

Course availability ......................................B3GSACA 

Career preparation....................................... B3GSACP 

None .......................................................... B3GSANO 

Aspects of graduate education that are very 

important now: 

Course of study .......................................... B3GRVLA 

Quality of instruction ..................................B3GRVLB 

Interaction with faculty ...............................B3GRVLC 

Internship/other work opportunities........... B3GRVLD 

Social contacts ............................................B3GRVLE 

None ........................................................... B3GRVLF 

Graduate education was very important 

preparation for: 

Work and career..........................................B3GRPRA 

Establishing financial security ....................B3GRPRB 

Establishing a place in community ............. B3GRPRC 

Taking on new challenges...........................B3GRPRD 

Making informed choices............................ B3GRPRE 

None ........................................................... B3GRPRF 

Graduate education worth cost, time, 

and/or effort: 

Financial cost ............................................ B3GRWRA 

Amount of time ......................................... B3GRWRB 

Amount of effort ........................................B3GRWRC 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-3 

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion ANYHILVL

Response to the question “What is the highest level of education you ever expect to complete?” This question was 

asked when respondents were first surveyed in 1993. 

Bachelor’s degree 

Master’s degree 

Doctoral/first-professional degree 

Time between college entry and bachelor’s degree B2BATIM2

The number of months between the date the respondent first entered college and the date he or she received the 

bachelor’s degree, shown in years. 

4 years or less 

5–6 years 

More than 6 years

Race/ethnicity B2ETHNIC

Indicates the race and ethnicity of the respondent. Created by combining two items respondents reported, their race 

(American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, White, and Other) and whether or not they were of 

Hispanic origin. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown. The resulting categories are as follows. 

White, non-Hispanic 

Black, non-Hispanic 

Hispanic 

Asian/Pacific Islander

Enrolled in associate’s degree program since 1993 B3ATTAA

Indicates whether the respondent ever enrolled in an associate’s degree program after attaining the bachelor’s degree 

in 1992–93. (yes/no) 

Enrolled in bachelor’s degree program since 1993 B3ATTBA

Indicates whether the respondent ever enrolled in another bachelor’s degree program after completing the bachelor’s 

degree in 1992–93. (yes/no) 

Enrolled in diploma/certificate program since 1993 B3ATTCT

Indicates whether the respondent has enrolled in a technical diploma or certificate program since 1992–93. (yes/no) 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-4 

Ever completed graduate program B3ATTEN

Indicates the respondent’s current attainment status and enrollment status at the graduate level (including postbaccalaureate certificates and master’s, doctoral, and first-professional degrees). The resulting categories are as follows. 

Completed graduate program Completed program, currently enrolled 

 Completed program, not currently enrolled 

Did not complete graduate program No graduate attainment, currently enrolled 

 No graduate attainment, not currently enrolled 

Enrolled in any undergraduate program since 1993 B3ATTUG

Indicates whether the respondent enrolled in, since earning the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree, any of the following 

types of undergraduate degree or certificate programs: diploma or certificate, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s 

degree program. (yes/no) 

Job is part of career B3CAREER

Response to the question “Do you consider your current job to be part of a career you are pursuing in your occupation or industry?” (yes/no) 

Child in before/afterschool care B3CH1CAR

For respondents with children ages 5–17, response to the question “Do any of your dependent children, ages 5–17, 

attend before-school or after-school care?” (yes/no) 

Dependents age 4 or younger in day care/preschool B3CHCNUM

For respondents with dependents ages 0–4, response to the question “How many of your dependent children under 

age 5 are in day care or preschool?” 

Average hours worked per week B3CHRTOT

Indicates the respondent’s reported hours worked per week by adding the hours reported for the primary job to the 

hours reported for the nonprimary job. This variable was only calculated for respondents who were working at the 

time of the interview in 2003. Those who were not working at the time of the interview were assigned a 0. 

Took leave from work B3CLEAV

Average total leave, in months 

The length of any leave the respondent took from work (in months) to care for a child or children. This variable is 

used both to determine those who took any leave (a value greater than 0) and, for those who did, the average length 

of the leave they took. 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-5 

Completed undergraduate program since 1993 B3CMPUG

Indicates whether the respondent completed, since earning the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree, any of the following 

types of undergraduate degree or certificate programs: diploma or certificate, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s 

degree program. (yes/no) 

Any volunteer work B3COMSRV

Response to the question “In the past year, have you participated in any community service or volunteer work? 

Court-ordered service not included.” (yes/no) 

Average salary of current/most recent job 2003 B3CRSAL

Current/most recent salary for all respondents, including teachers. Respondents who have not worked since 1997 are 

not included. The categories for this variable were created by converting dollar values to percentiles and then grouping the bottom 25 percent, the middle 50 percent, and the top 25 percent together. The ranges are as follows: 

Low Bottom 25 percent; below $34,934 

Middle Middle 50 percent; $34,934 to $68,000 

High Top 25 percent; above $68,000

Current job benefits: 

 Medical insurance B3CURBA

 Other health insurance B3CURBB

 Life insurance B3CURBC

 Retirement benefits B3CURBD

 Flexible spending account B3CURBF

 Child care facility/subsidy B3CURBH

Response to the question “[Does/did] your employer provide you with any of the following benefits?” Refers to the 

current (2003) job or, for those not working in 2003 but who have worked since 1997, the most recent job. Selfemployed respondents are excluded. 

Current enrollment status B3CURENR

Identifies whether respondents were enrolled in a graduate (including master’s, doctoral, first-professional, and 

postbaccalaureate certificate programs) or undergraduate (technical diploma or certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s) 

degree program (or both) at the time of the interview in 2003. 

Currently enrolled 

Not currently enrolled 

Flexible scheduling B3CURFLX

Response to the question “Some employers allow their employees flexibility in the hours they work, that is, they do 

not have to work a set schedule as long as a minimum number of hours are worked in a pay period. Would you say 

that in your [current/most recent] job, your schedule [is/was] very flexible, somewhat flexible, or not flexible?” Refers to the current (2003) job or, for those not working in 2003 but who have worked since 1997, the most recent 

job. Self-employed respondents are not included. (“Somewhat” or “Very” vs. “Not”) 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-6 

Telecommuting allowed B3CURTLC

Response to the question “In your most recent job, did your employer allow you to telecommute?” Refers to the 

current (2003) job or, for those not working in 2003 but who have worked since 1997, the most recent job. Selfemployed respondents are not included. (yes/no) 

Type of employer B3CURTYP

Response to the question “How would you describe your current employer?” Refers to the current (2003) job or, for 

those not working in 2003 but who have worked at some time since 1997, the most recent job. 

Self-employed 

For-profit 

Not-for-profit 

Local/state government 

Federal government 

Military 

Receiving unemployment compensation B3CURUEM

Response to the question “Are you currently receiving unemployment compensation?” This question was asked of 

people who were not working when interviewed in 2003. (yes/no) 

Dependents: 

 Dependents age 4 or younger B3D3AG1

 Dependents ages 5–17 B3D3AG2

 Dependents age 18 or older B3D3AG3

In 2003, respondents were asked how many people in each of the three age categories the respondent and his or her 

spouse or partner supported financially, both within and outside the household. These derived variables were created 

by summing the number of dependents in each age group from within and outside the household. These variables 

determine whether respondents have any dependents in each age group (a value greater than 0) and, among those 

respondents, the number of dependents in each age group. 

Saving for children’s education B3EDSAV

For respondents who had dependents younger than age 18 either within or outside the household, this variable reflects the response to the question “Are you currently saving for [that child’s/their] college education?” (yes/no) 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-7 

Savings methods: 

 Traditional savings account B3EDSVA

 Money market account B3EDSVB

 Certificate of deposit B3EDSVC

 State-sponsored savings plan B3ESSVD

 Roth IRA B3EDSVE

 Tuition prepayment plan B3EDSVF

 Other savings methods B3EDSVX

Respondents who had dependents younger than age 18 and who indicated that they were currently saving for their 

children’s education were asked to identify which of the listed methods they were using to do so (“What method[s] 

are you using to save for [that child’s/their] college education?”) Respondents could select multiple savings methods. 

Wrote e-mail B3EMAIL

Response to the question “In the last two years, have you done any of the following to express your opinion to a 

public official?” The activities listed were writing a letter, writing an e-mail, and making a telephone call. This variable refers to writing an e-mail. (yes/no) 

Tuition reimbursement from employer B3EMBNFT

Indicates whether the respondent ever received tuition reimbursement in the form of employee benefits to cover the 

costs of graduate school. (yes/no) 

Enrolled for professional certification B3ENRCT

Indicates whether the respondent enrolled in a professional certification program after attaining the bachelor’s degree in 1992–93. (yes/no) 

Took personal enrichment classes B3ENRICH

Response to the question “In the last twelve months, have you participated in any classes for personal enrichment?” 

(yes/no) 

Enrolled for occupational license B3ENRLIC

Indicates whether the respondent enrolled in an occupational license program after attaining the bachelor’s degree in 

1992–93. (yes/no) 

Ever enrolled in a graduate program B3ENRPG

Indicates whether the respondent had enrolled in a graduate program (postbaccalaureate certificate or master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree program) after attaining a bachelor’s degree in the 1992–93 school year. 

Never enrolled 

Enrolled 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-8 

Grants/scholarship/fellowships B3GRANT

Indicates whether the respondent ever received grants, scholarships, or a fellowship to cover the costs of graduate 

school. (yes/no) 

Student loans B3GRLOAN

Indicates whether the respondent ever received loans to cover the costs of graduate school. (yes/no) 

Graduate education very important preparation for: 

 Work and career B3GRPRA

 Establishing financial security B3GRPRB

 Establishing a place in community B3GRPRC

 Taking on new challenges B3GRPRD

 Making informed choices B3GRPRE

 None B3GRPRF

Respondents who had any graduate education were asked “For which of the following aspects of your life now 

would you say your graduate education was very important preparation?” (yes/no for each item) B3GRPRF indicates respondents who did not say that their graduate education was very important preparation for any item listed. 

Aspects of graduate education that are very important now: 

Course of study B3GRVLA

Quality of instruction B3GRVLB

Interaction with faculty B3GRVLC

Internship/other work opportunities B3GRVLD

Social contacts B3GRVLE

None B3GRVLF

Respondents who had any graduate education since 1997 were asked “Which of the following aspects of your 

graduate education would you consider to be very important to your life now?” (yes/no for each item) B3GRVLF 

indicates respondents who did not report that any item listed was very important to their lives now. 

Graduate education worth cost, time, or/and effort: 

Financial cost B3GRWRA

Amount of time B3GRWRB

Amount of effort B3GRWRC

Respondents who had any graduate education since 1997 were asked to indicate whether their graduate education 

was worth the financial cost, amount of time, and amount of effort it took to complete. (yes/no for each item) 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-9 

Satisfied with graduate schools attended: 

Faculty/teaching B3GSAFT

Courses offered B3GSACO

Course availability B3GSACA

Career preparation B3GSACP

None B3GSANO

Respondents who had any graduate education since 1997 were asked whether they were “very satisfied” with these 

aspects of their graduate education. (yes/no for each item) B3GSANO indicates respondents who did not report that 

they were very satisfied with any item listed. 

Highest degree attained as of 2003 B3HDG03

The highest degree the respondent had attained as of 2003. 

Bachelor’s (includes postbaccalaureate certificates) 

Master’s (includes post-master’s certificates) 

Doctoral/first-professional 

Field of advanced degree B3HDGMAJ

For respondents who completed a master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree, this variable indicates the respondent’s major field of study for the highest degree program that the respondent completed. If the highest degree program information was collected in 2003, the major code was recoded to match the major codes collected in 1997. 

The major field for the most recent degree program was used if there were two or more programs that qualified for 

the highest degree. 

Business and management 

Education 

Health 

Arts and humanities 

Social and behavioral sciences 

Science/mathematics/engineering 

Other 

Educational expectations in 2003 B3HIGHE2

Indicates the educational expectations as of the final interview in 2003. Response to the question “What is the highest level of education you ever expect to complete?” Respondents who indicated an expected level of education 

lower than their current level of education were recoded to their current level of education as the highest they expect 

to complete. 

Bachelor’s degree (includes postbaccalaureate certificates) 

Master’s degree (includes post-master’s certificates) 

Doctoral/first-professional degree 

Assist in hiring/firing decisions B3HIRE

Response to the question “In your current/most recent job, do/did you participate in hiring and/or firing decisions?” 

(yes/no) Refers to the current (2003) job or, for those not working in 2003 but who have worked at some point since 

1997, the most recent job. 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-10 

Home ownership B3HOMOWN

Response to the question “Do you own or rent your primary residence?” 

Own 

Rent 

Neither own nor rent 

Wrote letter B3LETTR

Response to the question “In the last two years, have you done any of the following to express your opinion to a 

public official?” The activities listed were writing a letter, writing an e-mail, and making a telephone call. This variable refers to writing a letter. (yes/no) 

Labor force participation B3LFP03

The type of labor force participation at the time of the interview in 2003. This variable was used both to indicate 

labor force participation (all categories listed) and, when only employed respondents are included, their employment 

status (full-time, one job; part-time, one job; and multiple jobs). 

Employed, total 

Full-time, one job 

Part-time, one job 

Multiple jobs 

Unemployed 

Out of the labor force 

Marital status B3MAR

Respondents were asked “Are you currently: single, never married; married; cohabiting/living with a partner; separated; divorced; or widowed?” This report presents both the distribution across all of these categories, as well as 

other estimates using the following groups: 

Single, never married Single, never married 

Married or cohabiting Married; Cohabiting/living with a partner 

Separated/divorced/widowed Separated; Divorced; Widowed

Number of dependents younger than age 18 B3NUMCH

Indicates the total number of dependent children younger than age 18 the respondent had in 2003. Used to identify 

both the distribution of respondents who had none, one, two, or three or more, as well as the percentage who had any 

dependents (value greater than 0). 

Occupation B3OCCAT

Indicates the occupational category that best describes the respondent’s job in 2003. Refers to the current (2003) job 

or, for those not working in 2003 but who have worked since 1997, the most recent job. Respondents who did not 

work at any time since 1997 are excluded from this item. 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-11 

Occupation—continued B3OCCAT 

Business and management Business/financial support services, Financial services professionals, Executive manager, Mid-level manager, Supervisory, 

office, and other administrators, Business–other, Managers–

other 

Education K–12 teachers, Instructors other than K–12, Education–other 

Health professions Medical practice professional, Medical licensed professional, 

Medical services, Medical–other 

Service industries Personal services, Cooks, chefs, bakers, cake decorators, 

Sales/purchasing, Customer service, Health/recreation services 

Research, other professional/technical Scientist, statistician professionals, Research assistant/lab 

technicians, Technical/professional workers, Computer and 

computer equipment operators, Computer–other, Professional/technical/sciences–other, Protective services, Legal professionals, Human services, Communication specialists, 

Performers/artists 

Engineering/architecture/computer science Engineers, architects, software/systems engineers, Computer 

systems/related professional/technical, Computer programmers 

Other Secretary/receptionist, Legal support, Cashiers, tellers, sales 

clerks, Clerks–data entry, Clerical–other, Farmers, foresters, 

farm laborers, Laborers (other than farm), Mechanics, repairers, service technicians, Craftsmen, Skilled operatives, Transport operatives (other than pilot), Military, 

Craftsmen/laborers–other, Law–other, Operatives–other 

Detailed degree program B3PGTYP

Applies to respondents who had completed an advanced degree since 1997. This variable identifies the program type 

for the highest such degree the respondent attained since 1997. The most recent program was used if there were two 

or more degrees that qualified for the highest graduate degree. Categories used were as follows: 

M.B.A. Master of Business Administration 

Master’s in education Master of Education (M.Ed.) 

Other master’s Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of 

Public Administration (M.P.A.), Master of Library Science 

(M.L.S.), Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), Master of Fine 

Arts (M.F.A.), Master of Applied Arts (M.A.A.), Master of 

Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), Other 

unspecified master’s, Post-master’s certificate 

Law L.L.B., J.D. 

Medicine Medicine, osteopathic medicine 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-12 

Detailed degree program—continued B3PGTYP

Other first-professional Ministry, dentistry, chiropractic, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, veterinary medicine, Other unspecified professional 

Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy 

Other doctoral Education (Ed.D.), Doctor of Science (D.Sc./S.C.D.), Doctor 

of Psychology (Psy.D.), Doctor of Business or Public Administration, Doctor of Fine Arts, Doctor of Theology, other unspecified doctorate 

Took paid leave 

Average paid leave, in months B3PLEAV

The length of paid leave the respondent took from work (in months) to care for a child or children. This variable is 

used both to determine those who took any paid leave (a value greater than 0) and, for those who did, the average 

length of the leave they took. 

Attended political meetings/rallies B3POLIT

Response to the question “In the last 2 years, did you attend any political meetings, rallies, dinners, or similar types 

of events?” (yes/no) 

No political contacts made B3POLTW

Response to the question “In the last two years, have you done any of the following to express your opinion to a 

public official?” The activities listed were writing a letter, writing an e-mail, and making a telephone call. This variable identifies respondents who did not report having made any of these types of political contacts. (yes/no) 

Child attends private school B3PRIVT

Respondents with dependents ages 5–17 were asked “Does your child/Do any of your children attend a private elementary or secondary school?” (yes/no) 

Research assistantship B3RESAST

Indicates whether the respondent ever received a research assistantship to cover the costs of graduate school. 

(yes/no) 

Region of current residence B3REGION

Indicates region of respondent’s current residence as of 2003. The resulting regions are as follows: 

Northeast Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-13 

Region of current residence—continued B3REGION 

Midwest Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin 

South Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, 

Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia 

West Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming 

Outlying areas Armed Forces Africa, Armed Forces Pacific, Marshall Islands, 

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

Out of labor force for childrearing B3RSNOB

Respondents who reported having been out of the labor force for any time since 1997 were asked whether a number 

of items were reasons that they had been out of the labor force. This variable indicates whether the respondent reported that one reason for being out of the labor force was to raise a family. (yes/no) 

Worked part time for childrearing B3RSNPC

Respondents who had worked part time at any time since 1997 were asked whether a number of items were reasons 

they had done so. This variable indicates whether the respondent reported that one reason for working less than full 

time was for family responsibilities. (yes/no) 

Set salary rates for others B3SETSAL

Response to the question “In your current/most recent job, do/did you participate in setting salary rates for other 

employees?” (yes/no) Refers to the current (2003) job or, for those not working in 2003 but who have worked since 

1997, the most recent job. 

Same state as bachelor’s institution B3STBA

Indicates whether the respondent lived, in 2003, in the same state where the baccalaureate institution is located 

(yes/no). 

Same state as home state B3STHM

Indicates whether respondents lived, in 2003, in the same state as the state they identified as their “home” state during the time that they were working on their 1992–93 bachelor’s degree. (yes/no) (In the case of traditional students, 

this is typically the state in which they attended high school or in which their parents lived.) 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-14 

Supervise work of others B3SUPRVS

Response to the question “In your current/most recent job, do/did you supervise the work of others?” (yes/no) Refers 

to the current (2003) job or, for those not working in 2003 but who have worked since 1997, the most recent job. 

Teaching assistantship B3TEAAST

Indicates whether the respondent ever received a teaching assistantship to cover the costs of graduate school. 

(yes/no) 

Made phone call to public official B3TELPN

Response to the question “In the last two years, have you done any of the following to express your opinion to a 

public official?” The activities listed were writing a letter, writing an e-mail, and making a telephone call. This variable refers to making a telephone call. (yes/no) 

Tuition waiver B3TUIRED

Indicates whether the respondent ever received a tuition waiver or reduction to cover the costs of graduate school. 

(yes/no) 

Undergraduate education was very important preparation for: 

Work and career B3UGPRA

Further education B3UGPRB

Financial security B3UGPRC

None B3UGPRD

Response to the question “For which of the following aspects of your life now would you say your undergraduate 

education was very important preparation?” (yes/no for each item) B3UGPRD indicates respondents who reported 

that their undergraduate education was very important to none of these areas. 

Aspects of undergraduate education that are very important now: 

Major B3UGVLA

Liberal arts courses B3UGVLB

Professional courses B3UGVLC

Quality of instruction B3UGVLD

Internship/other work opportunities B3UGVLE

None B3UGVLF

Response to the question “Which of the following aspects of your undergraduate education would you consider to be 

very important to your life now?” (yes/no for each item) B3UGVLF indicates respondents who reported that none of 

these aspects of their undergraduate education were very important to their lives now. 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-15 

Undergraduate education worth cost, time, and/or effort: 

Financial cost B3UGWRA

Amount of time B3UGWRB

Amount of effort B3UGWRC

None B3UGWRN

Respondents were asked to indicate whether their undergraduate education was worth the financial cost, amount of 

time, and amount of effort it took to complete the bachelor’s degree (yes/no for each item). B3UGWRN indicates 

respondents who reported that their undergraduate education was worth none of the investments listed. 

Average total months unemployed B3UTIMT

The total number of months the respondent reported being unemployed since 1997 for respondents who reported 

they had been unemployed at least once since 1997. 

Average volunteering hours in past year B3VLAMT

The total number of hours volunteered in the past year as of the 2003 interview. This variable was calculated based 

on the frequency of volunteer work and the average number of hours per volunteer episode, as reported by the respondent. 

Frequency of volunteer work B3VLFRQ

Response to the question “How frequently did you volunteer last year?” This question was asked of those who reported as of 2003 that they had done any community service in the last year. 

One-time event 

Less than once a month 

Monthly 

Weekly 

Daily 

Type of volunteer work: 

Education-related B3VLTPA

Other work with kids B3VLTPB

Fundraising B3VLTPC

Homeless/other poverty-related B3VLTPD

Service to religious institution B3VLTPE

Respondents who had done community service in the past year as of 2003 were asked “What type of community 

service or volunteer work did you do? Donations (blood, food, clothing, money, etc.) not included.” (yes/no for each 

item) 

Voted in 2002 election B3VTNEL

Respondents who were U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals were asked in 2003 “Did you vote in the November 2002 

election?” (yes/no) 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-16 

Registered to vote in 2003 B3VTREG

Respondents who were U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals were asked in 2003 “Are you registered to vote in U.S. elections?” (yes/no) 

Participated in work-related classes B3WRKCLS

Respondents were asked in 2003 “In the last twelve months, have you participated in any work-related training or 

other professional development classes?” (yes/no) 

Baccalaureate degree major BAMAJOR

Major field of study for the bachelor’s degree. “Other” includes such fields as agriculture, communications, consumer and personal services, home economics, interdisciplinary studies, industrial arts, and general or basic studies. 

Business and management 

Education 

Engineering 

Health 

Public affairs/social services 

Humanities 

Social and behavioral sciences 

Natural science and mathematics 

Other 

Age at bachelor’s degree completion CCAGEBA

Indicates the respondent’s age when he or she received the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree. The following categories are 

used: 

22 or younger 

23–24 

25–29 

30 or older 

Puerto Rico indicator COMPTO87

This variable identifies whether the institution at which the respondent was sampled was located in Puerto Rico or 

not. (yes/no) 

Gender GENDER

Student’s gender. 

Male 

Female 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable name 

A-17 

Cumulative undergraduate GPA GPACUM

Student’s grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. The following categories are used: 

Less than 2.75 

2.75–3.74 

3.75 or higher

Prior attainment HIOTHDEG

The highest degree the respondent had completed before completing the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree. This variable 

was used to restrict the sample used in the main analysis to those who did not hold a bachelor’s degree before the 

degree completed in 1992–93. 

 Held a bachelor’s degree Bachelor’s degree 

 Did not hold a bachelor’s degree No prior attainment 

 Certificate or license 

 Associate’s degree 

Parents’ highest education PEDUC

The highest level of education of either parent. 

High school diploma or less 

Some postsecondary education 

Bachelor’s degree 

Advanced degree 

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution SECTOR_B

Describes the type of institution from which respondents had received the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree. This variable 

takes into account both institutional level (the institution’s highest offering, length of program, and type of certificate, degree, or award), and control (the institution’s source of revenue and control of operations). 

Public 4-year Public non-doctorate-granting 4-year, Public doctorategranting 4-year 

Private not-for-profit 4-year Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 4-year, Private 

not-for-profit doctorate-granting 4-year 

Other Private for-profit, unknown (a small percentage of respondents 

were selected from institutions that were not the bachelor’s 

degree-granting institution)
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
B-1 

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

The 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

The estimates and statistics reported in the tables and figures of this report are based on 

data from the first, second, and third follow-ups of the 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond 

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03). This study tracks the experiences of a cohort of college 

graduates who received a baccalaureate degree during the 1992–93 academic year and were first 

interviewed as part of the 1992–93 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:93), 

conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. 

NPSAS:93 was based on a nationally representative sample of all students in postsecondary 

education institutions, including undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional students. For 

NPSAS:93, information was obtained from more than 1,000 postsecondary institutions on about 

53,000 undergraduates and over 13,000 graduate students. For B&B:93/03, those members of the 

NPSAS:93 sample who completed a bachelor’s degree between July 1, 1992 and June 30, 1993 

were identified and contacted for a 1-year follow-up interview in 1994. The second follow-up of 

the B&B cohort occurred 4 years after graduation in 1997. The final follow-up 10 years after 

graduation, in 2003, is the focus of this report. The estimates in this report are based on the 

results of surveys with approximately 9,000 bachelor’s degree recipients, representing about 1.2 

million bachelor’s degree completers from 1992–93. For more information on the final 2003 data 

collected in the B&B series, consult the 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

(B&B:93/03) Methodology Report (Wine et al. 2005). 

The NPSAS:93 sample, while representative and statistically accurate, was not a simple 

random sample. Instead, the survey sample was selected using a more complex three-step 

procedure with stratified samples and differential probabilities of selection at each level. 

Postsecondary institutions were initially selected within geographic strata. Once institutions were 

organized by zip code and state, they were further stratified by control (i.e., public, private notfor-profit, or private for-profit) and degree offering (less-than-2-year, 2- to 3-year, 4-year nondoctorate-granting, and 4-year doctorate-granting). For more information about the NPSAS:93 

survey, refer to the Methodology Report for the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 

1992–93 (Loft et al. 1995). 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-2 

The 1994 B&B survey was the first follow-up interview of NPSAS:93 participants who 

received their bachelor’s degrees between July 1992 and June 1993. Of 12,500 NPSAS:93 

respondents who were identified as potentially eligible for the first follow-up survey, about 1,500 

were determined to be ineligible. A total of about 10,000 eligible individuals completed the 1994 

interview. Data collection for the second follow-up interview of the B&B cohort took place 

between April and December 1997. A total of over 11,000 individuals in the B&B cohort were 

determined eligible for follow-up in 1997. For the second follow-up, over 10,000 individuals 

completed the interview, yielding a response rate of 90 percent. For more information on 

procedures for the first and second follow-ups, consult the respective methodology reports 

(Green et al. 1996 for the first follow-up and Green et al. 1999 for the second follow-up). 

In spring 2003, the third and final follow-up of the 1992–93 cohort of bachelor’s degree 

recipients was conducted. For the first time, students were offered the opportunity to conduct 

their own B&B interview via the Internet. A single, web-based interview was designed and 

programmed for use as a self-administered interview, a telephone interview, and an in-person 

interview. All respondents to the 1997 interview were included for participation in B&B:93/03. 

A subsample of about one-third of nonrespondents from 1997 was also included, for a final 

sample of about 10,400. Almost 9,000 individuals responded, yielding a weighted overall 

response rate of 74 percent, reflecting an institution response rate (in 1992) of 88 percent and a 

student response rate (in 2003) of 83 percent. For more details about these and other 

methodological procedures, consult the B&B:93/03 methodology report (Wine et al. 2005). 

The B&B:93/03 data provide a current profile of the 1992–93 cohort of college graduates, 

including degree recipients who have been enrolled sporadically over time as well as those who 

went to college right after completing high school. The data set contains comprehensive data on 

graduate enrollment, attendance, attainment, and student demographic characteristics. It provides 

a unique opportunity to understand variations in labor force participation, career stability, and 

financial worth over the past 10 years. There are data limitations, however. This follow-up was 

the conclusion of a 10-year study, and some attrition from the study is to be anticipated, although 

bachelor’s degree recipients are likely to be relatively easier to locate than other populations and 

considerable efforts were undertaken both to minimize the extent of this problem and to adjust 

for its effects in the data (see Wine et al. 2005). Second, the previous waves of data collection for 

B&B:93/03 collected detailed information about complete education and employment histories 

for periods of 1 and 3 years, respectively; the final follow-up collected information for a period 

of 6 years, from the second follow-up in 1997 to the third in 2003. To ease respondent burden, 

summary information about employment histories was collected rather than complete, detailed 

information about each job held in the interim. For information on steps taken to ensure data 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-3 

quality by evaluating instrument usability, effectiveness of the instrument in different modes, and 

data collection design, consult the B&B:93/03 methodology report (Wine et al. 2005). 

Weighting 

All estimates in this report are weighted to compensate for unequal probability of selection 

into the B&B sample and to adjust for nonresponse. Two weights were developed. Crosssectional weights were constructed for analyzing respondents to B&B:93/03. In addition, a panel 

(longitudinal) weight was constructed for analyzing those students who responded to all four 

surveys: NPSAS:93 (computer-assisted telephone interview component) and the 1994, 1997, and 

2003 B&B interviews. The weights for the B&B:93/03 respondents were constructed by 

applying a series of adjustments to the 1994 B&B base weight. Adjustments were made to 

account for subsampling of nonrespondents from 1997, for sample members not located, for 

refusals among those who were located, and for types of nonresponse other than refusals among 

those who were located and did not refuse. Construction of the panel weight to be used for 

analyzing those who responded to all four surveys consisted of an additional adjustment for 

nonresponse for the B&B:93/03 respondents who did not respond to all three of the previous 

surveys. The weight variable used in this report is WTC00. For more information on weighting, 

consult chapter 6, “Weighting and Variance Estimation,” of the 2003 methodology report (Wine 

et al. 2005). 

Quality of Estimates 

Survey weights are computed with the goal of removing any bias that might result due to 

differential nonresponse and undercoverage. In order to measure the efficacy of bias-reducing 

adjustments, a series of analyses were conducted at the item and record levels. In the subsequent 

sections highlights of these analyses are summarized. 

Unit Response Rates and Bias Analysis 

For the approximately 10,400 sample students who were still eligible for B&B, the unweighted response rate was 86.3 percent, and the weighted response rate was 83.4 percent. For 

some items, the weighted response rate at the national level was also less than 85 percent. The 

effects of any potential bias due to nonresponse can influence overall data quality with greater 

proportions of missing information. Consequently, nonresponse bias analyses were conducted at 

the student and item levels when the corresponding weighted response rates were below 85 percent. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-4 

The bias in an estimated mean based on respondents, R y , is the difference between this estimate and the target parameter, μ, which is the mean that would result if a complete census of 

the target population was conducted and all units responded. This bias can be expressed as follows: 

B(yR ) = yR − μ

However, for variables that are available from the frame and base year (NPSAS:93) respondents, 

μ can be estimated by μˆ (the sample estimate of the population parameter) without sampling error, in which case the bias in R y can then be estimated by: 

( ) μˆ Bˆ yR = yR −

Moreover, an estimate of the population mean based on respondents and nonrespondents can be 

obtained by: 

( ) R NR μˆ = 1−ηˆ y +ηˆ y

whereηˆis the weighted unit nonresponse rate, based on weights prior to nonresponse adjustment. 

Consequently, the bias in R y can then be estimated by: 

( ) R R NR B(y ) = ˆ y − y ˆ η 

That is, the estimate of the nonresponse bias is the difference between the mean for respondents 

and nonrespondents multiplied by the weighted nonresponse rate, using the student base weight 

prior to nonresponse adjustment. 

Student-Level Nonresponse Bias Analysis 

A student respondent is defined as any sample member who is determined to be eligible for 

the study and has valid data for the selected set of analytical variables. As noted earlier, the unweighted student response rate was 86.3 percent, and the weighted response rate was 83.4 percent. A nonresponse bias analysis was conducted as a part of the nonresponse adjustment for the 

analysis weight. The nonresponse bias was estimated for the variables known for both respondents and nonrespondents within each institution type. These variables included the following: 

• Age in the base year (NPSAS:93), 

• Race/ethnicity, 

• Gender, 

• U.S. citizenship status, 

• Attendance status in the base year, 

• Institution control, 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-5 

• Bureau of Economic Analysis Code (OBE) Region, 

• Type of institution/enrollment category, 

• B&B institution stratum, 

• B&B student stratum, 

• Whether applied for aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of federal aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of Pell Grant in the base year, 

• Receipt of Stafford Loan in the base year, 

• Receipt of state aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of institution aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of any aid in the base year, 

• Prior respondent to either 1994 or 1997 interview, 

• Income in the base year (parent income for dependent students and student income for independent students), 

• Number of telephone numbers available during B&B:93/03 data collection, 

• Number of times an answering machine was encountered during B&B:93/03, and 

• Whether the student was located in a field cluster for B&B:93/03. 

The steps for nonresponse bias analysis included estimating the nonresponse bias and testing (adjusting for multiple comparisons) to determine if the bias is significant at the 5 percent 

level. Second, nonresponse adjustment factors were computed using a subset of variables listed 

above. The nonresponse adjustments were designed to significantly reduce or eliminate nonresponse bias for variables included in the corresponding models. Third, after the weights were 

computed, any remaining bias was estimated for the variables listed above and statistical tests 

were performed to determine the significance of any remaining nonresponse bias. 

The weighting adjustments reduced, and in some cases eliminated, bias for students. Prior 

to the nonresponse weighting adjustment, the response bias was statistically significantly different from zero for 21 percent of the variables; the mean of the absolute values of the biases was 

0.40 and the median was 0.20. After the nonresponse weighting adjustment, none of the biases 

were significantly different from zero; the mean of the absolute values of the biases was 0.01 and 

median was 0.002. 

Item-Level Bias Analysis 

Item response rates (RRI) are calculated as the ratio of the number of respondents for whom 

an in-scope response was obtained (I

x

 for item x) to the number of respondents who are asked to 

answer that item. The number asked to answer an item is the number of unit level respondents (I) 

minus the number of respondents with a valid skip item for item x (Vx

). 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-6 

x

x

x

I V

I RRI − =

As indicated above, nonresponse bias analysis was conducted for the variables with item 

response rates below 85 percent. This analysis was further restricted to items with at least 50 students who were either eligible to answer the item based on their response to the gate question, or 

who did not respond to the gate question for an item. This bias analysis compared the distributions of respondents and nonrespondents to the item for the variables age, race/ethnicity, gender, 

control of the base year institution, and OBE region of the base year institution. Overall, item 

nonresponse analysis was conducted for 117 items, but 106 of these had response rates below 85 

percent because the respondent did not respond to the gate question. The nonresponse bias analysis indicated that some items do have statistically significant bias due to item nonresponse, but 

the magnitude of the bias is generally small. None of the 117 items were used in this publication. 

Response rates for items used in this report that had weighted item response rates below 90 percent are shown in table B1. For detailed information about the items analyzed for nonresponse 

bias, see the B&B:93/03 methodology report (Wine et al. 2005). 

Table B1.—Variables used in this report with weighted response rates below 90 percent

Item 

response

Variable name Variable label rate

B3EDSVA Respondents reported using a traditional savings account to save for their child’s

college education. 88.0

B3EDSVB Respondents reported using a money market account to save for their child’s 

college education. 88.0

B3EDSVC Respondents reported using a certificate of deposit to save for their child’s college

education. 88.0

B3ESSVD Respondents reported using a state-sponsored savings plan to save for their child’s

college education. 88.0

B3EDSVE Respondents reported using a Roth IRA to save for their child’s college education. 88.0

B3EDSVF Respondents reported using a tuition prepayment plan to save for their child’s

college education. 88.0

B3EDSVX Respondents reported using other savings methods to save for their child’s college

education. 88.0

NOTE: Weighted item response rates were calculated by dividing the total weighted number of valid responses by the total

population for whom the question was applicable.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-7 

Imputation 

Selected variables from the 2003 interview had missing values imputed for nonresponse. 

The imputations were performed in three steps. In the first step, the interview variables were 

imputed using the procedures described in the next section. Then, using the interview variables, 

including the newly imputed variable values, derived variables (created by combining 

information from two or more interview variables) were constructed. In the final step, selected 

derived variables with remaining missing cases were imputed again, using the procedures 

described below. Table B2 lists the interview variables and table B3 lists the derived variables 

used in this report that were imputed, showing the percentage of cases imputed for each variable. 

Table B2.—B&B:93/03 interview variables used in this report that were imputed, with percentage of cases 

Table B2.—imputed

Variable label (variable name) Percent imputed

Marital status (B3MAR) 1.24

Community service or volunteer past year (B3COMSRV) 0.99

Volunteer: education-related (B3VLTPA) 1.04

Volunteer: other work with kids (B3VLTPB) 1.04

Volunteer: fundraising (B3VLTPC) 1.04

Volunteer: help for homeless/community (B3VLTPD) 1.04

Volunteer: service to the church (B3VLTPE) 1.04

Volunteer: frequency (B3VLFRQ) 1.08

Registered to vote (B3VTREG) 1.68

Voted in the November 2002 National Election (B3VTNEL) 8.79

Political activities past 2 years (B3POLIT) 1.16

Make a telephone call (B3TELPN) 0.85

Undergraduate value: particular major(s) chosen (B3UGVLA) 0.02

Undergraduate value: professional courses taken (B3UGVLC) 0.02

Undergraduate value: quality of instruction (B3UGVLD) 0.02

Undergraduate value: internship and other work (B3UGVLE) 0.02

Undergraduate value: none of the above (B3UGVLF) 0.02

Undergraduate preparation: work and career (B3UGPRA) 0.02

Undergraduate preparation: further education (B3UGPRB) 0.02

Undergraduate preparation: financial security (B3UGPRC) 0.02

Undergraduate education worth cost (B3UGWRA) 0.37

Undergraduate education worth time (B3UGWRB) 0.21

Undergraduate education worth effort (B3UGWRC) 0.76

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-8 

Sequential hot deck imputation, a common procedure for managing item nonresponse, uses 

respondent data as donors to provide surrogate values for records with missing data. In 

sequential hot deck imputation, imputation classes are defined, generally consisting of a crossclassification of covariates, and then missing values are replaced sequentially from a single pass 

through the data within the imputation classes. A related procedure, weighted sequential hot deck 

imputation, takes into account the unequal probabilities of selection into the original sample by 

using the sampling weights to specify the expected number of times a particular respondent’s 

answer will be used to replace a missing item. The expected selection frequencies are specified 

such that, over repeated applications of the algorithm, the expected value of the weighted 

distribution of the imputed values will equal in expectation, within imputation class, the 

weighted distribution of the reported answers. 

Weighted sequential hot deck imputation was selected for B&B:93/03 in part because it has 

the advantage of controlling the number of times a respondent record can be used for imputation 

and gives each respondent record the chance to be selected for use as a hot deck donor. To 

implement the procedure, imputation classes and sorting variables relevant to each item being 

imputed were defined. If more than one sorting variable was used, a serpentine sort was 

performed in which the direction of the sort (ascending or descending) changed each time the 

value of the previous sorting variable changed. The serpentine sort minimized the change in 

student characteristics every time one of the sorting variables changed its value. 

Imputation classes for the B&B:93/03 interview variables, and some of the derived 

variables, were developed using a Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analysis 

where only respondent data were modeled (Kass 1980). The CHAID segmentation process first 

divided the data into groups based on categories of the most significant predictor of the item 

being imputed, and then split each of the groups into smaller subgroups based on the other 

Table B3.—B&B:93/03 derived variables used in this report that were imputed, with percentage of cases 

Table B3.—imputed

Variable label (variable name) Percent imputed

Labor force in participation 2003 (B3LFP03) 0.75

Occupational category (collapsed) (B3OCCAT) 0.23

Total number of dependent children in 2003 (B3NUMCH) 2.99

Wrote letter or e-mail to public official 2003 (B3WROTE) 0.85

Highest degree attained (B3HDG03) 1.95

Had ever enrolled in a degree program after BA in 1993 (B3ENRPG) 6.53

Currently enrolling in a degree program (B3CURENR) 0.46

Current salary 2003, all respondents (B3CRSAL) 3.02

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-9 

predictor variables. The CHAID process also merged categories for variables found not to be 

significantly different. This splitting and merging process continued until no additional 

statistically significant predictors were found. Imputation classes for B&B:93/03 were then 

defined from the final CHAID segments. 

Imputation of Interview Variables 

The B&B:93/03 computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) variables were separated 

into two groups depending on the respondent base (or variable conditions). The first, unconditional group consisted of variables that applied to all respondents. The second, conditional group 

consisted of variables that applied to only a subset of respondents. Within the unconditional 

group, variables were sorted by percentage missing and then imputed in order, from lowest percentage missing to highest. Within the conditional group, the variables were first sorted by conditionality and percentage missing, then imputed in the appropriate sequence. Since all CATI 

variables had less than 10 percent missing, a constant set of predictor variables was used in a 

CHAID analysis to determine imputation classes for each imputation variable. The analysis used 

the following set of predictor variables: age, gender, race/ethnicity, U.S. citizenship, dependency 

status, prior respondent, receipt of federal aid, and institutional region, institutional type, and institutional level. Some of these predictor variables were missing for a small percentage of cases 

and were imputed first with a weighted sequential hot deck imputation. 

Imputation of Derived Variables 

Selected derived variables for B&B:93/03 were imputed sequentially in four batches, using 

a specific order determined by the variable conditions resulting from the longitudinal nature of 

this study. Imputing sequentially allowed these derived variables (or further derived variables 

resulting from them) to be used as class variables for imputing variables in subsequent batches. 

The process helped to ensure consistency across derived variables. 

Most of the derived variables had several constraints defined by different combinations of 

data collected in prior rounds of the study. Therefore, a procedure for finding appropriate donor 

cases was developed before the imputation was performed. The procedure involved defining 

mutually exclusive groups or classes of respondents that met the constraints. The groups were 

used as the imputation classes for the weighted sequential hot deck imputation procedure. For the 

derived variables that did not have any constraints, a CHAID analysis was performed. The 

predictor variables included any prior imputed variables, including interview variables. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-10 

Evaluation of Imputations 

Comparing distributions within imputation classes before and after imputation is a key 

measure for determining whether or not the weighted sequential hot deck imputation procedure 

produced acceptable results. The distribution of a variable before missing cases are imputed is 

compared to the distribution of the variable after missing cases are imputed. The more similar the 

distributions, the more successful the imputation process. For evaluation of the B&B:93/03 imputation results, distributions were considered to be similar when absolute differences were less 

than 5 percent. For categorical variables, absolute differences were calculated by subtracting the 

before-imputation weighted percentage from the after-imputation weighted percentage for each 

category and summing the absolute values of the differences. For continuous variables, absolute 

differences were calculated by comparing the before and after imputation means. If absolute differences greater than 5 percent were found, then the unweighted distributions were examined to 

see if the large differences were due to small sample sizes. No absolute differences greater than 5 

percent were found for any comparison. 

Data Analysis System 

The estimates presented in this report were produced using the B&B:93/03 Data Analysis 

System Online (DAS) which includes data from the NPSAS:93 base year and the 1994, 1997, 

and 2003 B&B interviews. The web-based DAS application makes it possible for users to 

specify and generate their own tables. With the DAS, users can replicate or expand upon the 

tables presented in this report. In addition to the table estimates, the DAS calculates proper 

standard errors1 and weighted sample sizes for these estimates. For example, table B4 contains 

standard errors that correspond to estimates in table 1 of the report. Table B5 provides 

distributions of demographic and educational variables frequently used in this report. If the 

number of valid cases is too small to produce a reliable estimate (fewer than 30 cases), the DAS 

prints the message “low-n” instead of the estimate. All standard errors for estimates presented in 

this report can be viewed at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp. In addition to tables, the 

DAS will also produce a correlation matrix of selected variables to be used for linear regression 

models. Included in the output with the correlation matrix are the design effects (DEFTs) for 

each variable in the matrix. Since statistical procedures generally compute regression coefficients 

based on simple random sample assumptions, the standard errors must be adjusted with the 

design effects to take into account the stratified sampling method used in the survey. 

 

1 The B&B sample is not a simple random sample, and therefore, simple random sample techniques for estimating sampling error 

cannot be applied to these data. The DAS takes into account the complexity of the sampling procedures and calculates standard 

errors appropriate for such samples. 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-11 

The DAS can be accessed electronically at http://nces.ed.gov/das/. For more information 

about the B&B:93/03 Data Analysis System, contact: 

Aurora D’Amico 

Postsecondary Studies Division 

National Center for Education Statistics 

1990 K Street NW 

Washington, DC 20006–5652 

(202) 502-7334 

aurora.d’amico@ed.gov

Table B4.—Standard errors for table 1: Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who enrolled in

Table B4.—an advanced degree program, by demographic and educational characteristics: 2003

Total Currently Left without

Selected characteristics ever enrolled Completed enrolled completing

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 0.81 0.67 0.39 0.44

 

 Total (50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico) 0.79 0.65 0.39 0.44

Gender

 Male 0.97 0.93 0.51 0.56

 Female 1.20 1.02 0.53 0.60

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 1.44 1.05 0.63 0.69

 Some postsecondary education 1.73 1.53 0.98 1.10

 Bachelor’s degree 1.40 1.31 0.88 0.81

 Advanced degree 1.33 1.52 0.60 0.80

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 1.57 1.49 0.51 0.92

 Education 1.66 1.76 0.73 1.18

 Engineering 2.59 2.65 1.36 1.23

 Health 2.61 1.99 1.86 1.37

 Public affairs/social services 4.45 3.07 2.01 1.98

 Humanities 2.44 1.93 0.91 1.33

 Social and behavioral sciences 2.34 1.60 1.35 1.17

 Natural sciences and mathematics 2.39 2.08 0.98 1.52

 Other 1.61 1.35 0.73 1.06

Cumulative undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.75 0.90 0.85 0.46 0.52

 2.75–3.74 1.28 1.03 0.78 0.69

 3.75 or higher 2.36 2.27 0.98 1.36

Educational expectations at bachelor’s completion

 Bachelor’s degree 1.29 1.09 0.87 0.57

 Master’s degree 0.92 0.90 0.56 0.51

 Doctoral/first-professional degree 1.72 1.38 0.73 0.93

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

All graduates
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-12 

Table B5.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by selected demographic and 

Table B5.—educational characteristics: 2003

Characteristic Total

 Total 100.0

Gender

 Male 45.3

 Female 54.7

Race/ethnicity

1

 White, non-Hispanic 83.5

 Black, non-Hispanic 6.1

 Hispanic 5.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 4.9

Parents’ highest education

 High school diploma or less 31.2

 Some postsecondary education 18.8

 Bachelor’s degree 24.4

 Advanced degree 25.7

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 47.9

 23–24 25.4

 25–29 11.7

 30 or older 15.0

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 22.4

 Education 12.8

 Engineering 6.5

 Health 6.6

 Public affairs/social services 3.3

 Humanities 10.6

 Social and behavioral sciences 13.3

 Natural sciences and mathematics 10.2

 Other 14.3

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public 4-year 65.3

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 31.6

 Other 3.2

1

Black includes African American, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories

exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race not shown.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-13 

Statistical Procedures 

Two types of statistical procedures were used in this report: testing differences between 

means (or proportions) and testing linear trends. Each procedure is described below. 

Differences Between Means 

The descriptive comparisons were tested in this report using Student’s t statistic. 

Differences between estimates are tested against the probability of a Type I error,2 or 

significance level. The significance levels were determined by calculating the Student’s t values 

for the differences between each pair of means or proportions and comparing these with 

published tables of significance levels for two-tailed hypothesis testing. 

Student’s t values may be computed to test the difference between estimates with the 

following formula: 

2

2

2

1

1 2

se se

E E

t

+

− = (1) 

where E1 and E2 are the estimates to be compared and se1 and se2 are their corresponding 

standard errors. This formula is valid only for independent estimates. When estimates are not 

independent, a covariance term must be added to the formula: 

t =

1 2

2

2

2

1

1 2

se + se - 2(r)se se

E - E (2) 

where r is the correlation between the two estimates.3 This formula is used when comparing two 

percentages from a distribution that adds to 100. If the comparison is between the mean of a 

subgroup and the mean of the total group, the following formula is used: 

t =

2 2 2

sub tot 2 sub

sub tot

se se p se

E E

+ −

− (3) 

where p is the proportion of the total group contained in the subgroup.4 The estimates, standard 

errors, and correlations can all be obtained from the DAS. 

 

2 A Type I error occurs when one concludes that a difference observed in a sample reflects a true difference in the population 

from which the sample was drawn, when no such difference is present. 

3 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, A Note from the Chief Statistician, no. 2, 1993. 

4 Ibid. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-14 

There are hazards in reporting statistical tests for each comparison. First, comparisons 

based on large t statistics may appear to merit special attention. This can be misleading since the 

magnitude of the t statistic is related not only to the observed differences in means or percentages 

but also to the number of respondents in the specific categories used for comparison. Hence, a 

small difference compared across a large number of respondents would produce a large t

statistic. 

A second hazard in reporting statistical tests is the possibility that one can report a “false 

positive” or Type I error. In the case of a t statistic, this false positive would result when a 

difference measured with a particular sample showed a statistically significant difference when 

there is no difference in the underlying population. Statistical tests are designed to control this 

type of error, denoted by alpha. The alpha level of .05 selected for findings in this report 

indicates that a difference of a certain magnitude or larger would be produced no more than one 

time out of twenty when there was no actual difference in the quantities in the underlying 

population. When we test hypotheses that show t values at the .05 level or smaller, we treat this 

finding as rejecting the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the two quantities. 

Failing to detect a difference, however, does not necessarily imply the values are the same or 

equivalent. 

Linear Trends 

While many descriptive comparisons in this report were tested using Student’s t statistic, 

some comparisons across categories of an ordered variable involved a test for a linear trend 

across all categories, rather than a series of tests between pairs of categories. In this report, when 

differences among percentages were examined relative to one of these variables, Analysis of 

Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for a linear relationship between the two variables. To do 

this, ANOVA models included orthogonal linear contrasts corresponding to successive levels of 

the independent variable. The squares of the standard errors, the variance between the means, 

and the unweighted sample sizes were used to partition total sum of squares into within- and 

between-group sums of squares. These were used to create mean squares for the within- and 

between-group variance components and their corresponding F statistics, which were then 

compared with published values of F for a significance level of .05.5 Significant values of both 

the overall F and the F associated with the linear contrast term were required as evidence of a 

linear relationship between the two variables. Means and standard errors were calculated by the 

DAS. Unweighted sample sizes were provided by NCES through a restricted use data license 

agreement. 

 

5 More information about ANOVA and significance testing using the F statistic can be found in any standard textbook on statistical methods in the social and behavioral sciences.