U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Field of Bachelor’s Degree in the 

United States: 2009

American Community Survey Reports

By

Julie Siebens 

and 

Camille L. Ryan 

ACS-18

Issued February 2012

This report provides information on 

fields of bachelor’s degrees in the 

United States using data from the 

2009 American Community Survey 

(ACS).1 It includes estimates of fields 

of bachelor’s degree by demographic 

characteristics including age, sex, 

race, Hispanic origin, nativity, and 

educational attainment. This report 

also looks at geographic and earnings 

differences across fields of degree.

The ACS provided data on field of 

bachelor’s degree for the first time in 

2009. Respondents who held a 

bachelor’s degree or above were 

asked to write in the specific field(s) 

of any bachelor’s degrees earned 

(Figure 1). The U.S. Census Bureau 

coded these responses into 188 

majors.2 These 188 majors were then 

collapsed into two overlapping sets of 

fields: one broad set containing five 

distinct fields and one detailed set with 

fifteen distinct fields. The broad set of 

fields includes: science and engineering; 

science- and engineering-related; business; education; and arts, humanities, 

and other. The detailed set of fields 

retains three of the five broad sets of 

fields: science- and engineering-related, 

business, and education. The detailed set 

of fields also breaks down the two broad 

fields of science and engineering and 

arts, humanities, and other into smaller 

fields. The organization of the detailed 

1 “Field of bachelor’s degree” refers to the specialized area of study in which a bachelor’s degree was 

awarded. It does not refer to the type of bachelor’s 

degree, such as bachelor’s of science or bachelor’s 

of arts. 2 Many respondents listed more than one major. 

Each of these majors was coded, but this report only 

uses the first listed major.

fields of degree relative to the broad 

fields of degree can be seen in the chart 

titled “Organization of Field of Degree 

Groups.” This chart also includes examples of common majors within these 

fields. A full list of the 188 individual 

majors and their grouping into fields can 

be found in Appendix A.3

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

•	 Of the 56 million people aged 25 and

over with a bachelor’s degree, nearly 

20 million of them held a degree in a 

science and engineering field.

• 	 Men held 87 percent of the degrees in

engineering fields, while women held 

3 This classification scheme of majors into 

detailed fields was intended to be similar to the 

classification of majors used by the National 

Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the 

National Science Foundation (NSF). These classifications are not identical and care should be exercised 

when comparing data tabulations from the ACS, 

NCES, and NSF.

Figure 1.

Reproduction of the Question on 

Field of Degree From the 2009 

American Community Survey

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community 

Survey.
2 U.S. Census Bureau

76 percent of the degrees in

education fields.

• 	 Sex distribution within fields

varied by age. Fields with large 

proportions of men in the 65

years and over age group had 

smaller proportions of men in 

the 25 to 39 years age group.

• 	 Science and engineering was

the most popular field of 

degree for each race and 

Hispanic origin group. 

Education fields were the least 

common among Asian college 

graduates, while science- and 

engineering-related fields were 

the least common among all 

other race and Hispanic origin 

groups.4 The foreign-born 

population was much more 

likely to have a degree in 

4 “The college-educated” and “college 

graduates” refer to people who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher.

a broad science and engineering field or in a science- and 

engineering-related field than 

the native-born population.

• 	 The proportion of bachelor’s

degrees in a given field varied 

by geography. The proportion 

of science and engineering 

degrees was highest in coastal 

states, while science- and 

engineering-related degrees 

had the largest proportions in 

the South and Midwest. The 

highest proportions of degrees 

What Is the American Community Survey? 

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey 

designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data for the nation, states, 

congressional districts, counties, places, and other localities every 

year. It has an annual sample size of about 3 million addresses 

across the United States and Puerto Rico and includes both housing 

units and group quarters (e.g., nursing facilities and prisons). The 

ACS is conducted in every county throughout the nation, and every 

municipio in Puerto Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico 

Community Survey. Beginning in 2006, ACS data for 2005 were

released for geographic areas with populations of 65,000 and

greater. For information on the ACS sample design and other topics, 

visit <www.census.gov/acs/www>.

Organization of Field of Degree Groups 

Broad fields Detailed fields (and examples of majors)

Science and engineering Computers, mathematics, and statistics (includes computer science, 

mathematics, computer and information systems)

Biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences (includes biology, 

general agriculture, animal sciences)

Physical and related science (includes chemistry, physics, geology 

and earth science)

Psychology (includes psychology, counseling psychology)

Social sciences (includes sociology, economics, anthropology and 

archeology, political science and government)

Engineering (includes mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, 

civil engineering)

Multidisciplinary studies (includes multidisciplinary or general science, 

nutrition science, interdisciplinary social sciences)

Science- and engineering-related Science- and engineering-related (includes nursing, architecture, 

mathematics teacher education)

Business Business (includes business management, accounting, general 

business)

Education Education (includes elementary education, general education)

Arts, humanities, and other Literature and languages (includes English language and literature, 

French, German, Latin and other foreign languages)

Liberal arts and history (includes history, liberal arts, philosophy and 

religious studies)

Visual and performing arts (includes fine arts, commercial art, music)

Communications (includes communications, journalism, mass media)

Other (includes criminal justice and fire protection, social work, family 

and consumer sciences)
U.S. Census Bureau 3

in business were in the South, 

while education degrees were 

the most common in the 

Midwest. People in the New 

England states had the highest 

proportion of degrees in the 

arts, humanities, and 

other fields.

• 	 People with an undergraduate degree in a physical and 

related sciences field were the 

most likely to hold an advanced 

degree. People with an undergraduate degree in a communications field were the least 

likely to do so.

• 	 Degrees in the field of science

and engineering were associated with the highest median 

earnings; degrees in an education field were associated with 

the lowest median earnings. 

FIELD OF DEGREE 

BY DEMOGRAPHIC 

CHARACTERISTICS

Fifty-six million people held bachelor’s degrees in 2009 (Table 1). 

Nearly 20 million of these degrees 

were in the broad field of science 

and engineering. Most of these 

science and engineering degrees 

were in the detailed fields of social 

sciences (4 million); engineering 

(4 million); and biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences 

(3 million). Over 1 million people 

held a degree in multidisciplinary 

studies, making it the least common detailed field among the science and engineering fields. Over 

1 in 5 college-educated adults, or

11 million people, held a bachelor’s 

degree in business. This total is 

larger than the number of people 

with education degrees (8 million), 

but smaller than the number of 

people with a degree in the arts, 

humanities, and other fields 

(13 million).

Sex Distribution Within Field 

of Degree

The sex distribution varied across 

detailed fields of degree (Figure 

2). Although 49 percent of bachelor’s degree holders were male, 

men were a clear majority in some 

fields. Engineering was the most 

male-dominated field, with 87

percent of these graduates being 

men. The physical and related sciences and computers, mathematics, and statistics were the second 

and third most heavily male fields. 

Two-thirds or more of their degree 

holders were men.

Conversely, men were underrepresented in certain detailed fields, 

relative to their proportion of bachelor’s degree holders. This is particularly true in education, where 

fewer than 1 in 4 degree holders 

were male. Women also held more 

than 60 percent of the bachelor’s

degrees in psychology, science- and 

engineering-related fields, literature 

Table 1.

Detailed Field of Bachelor’s Degree for First Major for the Population 25 Years and 

Over: 2009

(Numbers in thousands)

Field of bachelor’s degree Estimate

Margin of 

error1 (±) Percent

Margin of 

error1 (±)

 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,336 172 100.0 (X)

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,640 88 34.9 0.1

Computers, mathematics, and statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,342 25 4.2 –

Biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences . . . . . . 3,446 31 6.1 –

Physical and related sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,338 21 2.4 –

Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,571 25 4.6 –

Social sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,447 33 7.9 0.1

Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,452 33 7.9 0.1

Multidisciplinary studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,045 16 1.9 – 

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,936 34 8.8 0.1

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,305 51 20.1 0.1

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,723 47 13.7 0.1

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,732 54 22.6 0.1

Literature and languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,569 23 4.6 –

Liberal arts and history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,143 27 5.6 –

Visual and performing arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,207 25 3.9 –

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,023 24 3.6 –

Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,790 26 5.0 –

(X) Not applicable.

– This margin of error rounds to, but is not equal to, zero. 1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimates, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
4 U.S. Census Bureau

and language, and visual and performing arts.

Differences by Sex and Age

The sex distribution within detailed 

field of degree also varied by age. 

Table 2 contains the number of 

degree holders and the proportion female within fields across 

three age groups: 25 to 39 years,

40 to 64 years, and 65 years and

over. The percentage of bachelor’s 

degree holders that were female 

was larger in the younger age 

groups. Although women made 

up only 44 percent of the college 

educated population 65 years and

over, they were approximately 

half of degree holders aged 40 to 

64 and this proportion climbed to

nearly 55 percent in the youngest

age group. This reflects increased 

educational attainment by women 

in the past four decades.

Although younger women were a 

majority of all bachelor’s degree 

holders, their presence was not 

uniform across detailed field of 

degree. Some of the fields that had 

the biggest differences in proportion female between the youngest 

and oldest age groups were also 

the fields that were heavily male 

among the oldest degree holders.5

5 The field of computers, mathematics, 

and statistics is an exception to this pattern. 

There was no significant difference between 

the youngest and oldest age group.

Note: Data are for the population 25 years and over with at least a bachelor's degree.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.

Female

Figure 2.

Sex Distribution Within Field of Bachelor's Degree: 2009

Percent

0 20 40 60 80 100

Engineering

Physical and 

related sciences

Computers, mathematics,

 and statistics

Business

Biological, agricultural, and

 environmental sciences

Liberal arts and history

Social sciences

Multidisciplinary studies

Communications

Other

Visual and performing arts

Literature and languages

Psychology

Science- and engineeringrelated fields

Education

Male
U.S. Census Bureau 5

Table 2.

Sex by Age and Field of Bachelor’s Degree for First Major for the Population 25 Years and 

Over: 2009 

(Numbers in thousands)

Field of bachelor’s degree Total

Margin of 

error1

 (±) Percent female

Margin of 

error1 (±)

 25 to 39 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,321 96 54.7 0.3

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,173 56 45.9 0.8

Computers, mathematics, and statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 985 15 30.6 0.6

Biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences . . . . . . . 1,376 21 52.9 1.2

Physical and related sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 11 39.6 0.7

Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,069 16 74.9 0.7

Social sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,592 22 50.7 0.5

Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,410 19 20.1 1.3

Multidisciplinary studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382 10 60.7 0.6

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,552 19 71.6 0.4

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,922 34 48.8 0.5

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,757 24 78.5 0.4

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,916 36 58.5 0.8

Literature and languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 834 14 68.5 0.9

Liberal arts and history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 981 18 47.3 0.9

Visual and performing arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 921 18 61.0 0.7

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 991 18 60.3 0.8

Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,189 19 57.3 0.1

 40 to 64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,018 101 50.1 0.2

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,880 51 36.0 0.7

Computers, mathematics, and statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,165 20 35.7 0.5

Biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences . . . . . . . 1,691 19 37.8 0.8

Physical and related sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694 13 25.3 0.6

Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,258 18 63.5 0.5

Social sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,293 24 43.1 0.3

Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,252 25 11.6 1.2

Multidisciplinary studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526 11 52.1 0.4

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,700 29 69.6 0.3

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,190 41 41.6 0.3

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,056 33 75.8 0.3

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,192 36 55.9 0.6

Literature and languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,268 15 66.3 0.6

Liberal arts and history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,593 18 42.1 0.8

Visual and performing arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,056 17 62.8 0.9

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 936 14 54.8 0.8

Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,340 19 57.5 0.1

 65 years and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,997 38 44.4 0.2

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,587 19 23.0 0.3

Computers, mathematics, and statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 6 29.9 1.4

Biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences . . . . . . . 378 9 23.0 0.9

Physical and related sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 8 16.8 0.9

Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 7 52.3 1.4

Social sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 10 34.8 0.9

Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790 12 3.2 0.3

Multidisciplinary studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 5 40.9 1.8

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683 12 64.5 0.9

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,193 14 21.1 0.5

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,911 19 72.6 0.4

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,623 18 53.8 0.6

Literature and languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467 9 65.9 0.9

Liberal arts and history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569 13 37.7 1.0

Visual and performing arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 6 64.2 1.5

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 5 39.4 2.2

Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 7 63.3 1.2

1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimates, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
6 U.S. Census Bureau

The four detailed fields of biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences; physical and related 

sciences; engineering; and business had the lowest percentages of 

women in the 65 years and older

age group. In the 25 to 39 years

age group, these same fields also 

had percentages female that were 

more than double the percentages 

female in the 65 years and over

age group. 

The engineering field had the 

largest relative percent change 

across age groups.6 In this field, the 

percentage female in the youngest 

group was about six times larger 

than the percentage female in the 

oldest group. The fields of multidisciplinary studies and communications were majority male among 

the 65 years and over age group

(both approximately 60 percent

male), but these sex distributions 

were reversed in the 25 to 39 years

age group (both fields approximately 60 percent female). Fields

that were heavily female in the 65

years and over age group were 

also heavily female in the younger 

age groups, although two of these 

fields (visual and performing arts 

and other) had a smaller percentage of women in the 25 to 39 years

age group compared to the 65

years and older age group.7

The proportion female within the 

two broad fields of science and 

engineering and arts, humanities, and other varied both across 

age groups and across detailed 

fields within the broad fields. The 

percentage female in the broad 

field of science and engineering 

6 “Relative percent change” refers to the 

difference in percent female within fields 

across age groups. 7 The percent female in the visual and 

performing arts field for the 40 to 64 years

age group was not significantly different from 

the percent female in 65 years and older age

group. The percent female in the other field 

for the 25 to 39 years age group was not

significantly different from the percent female 

in the 40 to 64 years age group.

was 23 percent in the 65 years

and older age group but nearly 

50 percent in the 25 to 39 years

age group. Although the percentage female in the detailed field of 

biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences differed by 30 

percent between the youngest and 

oldest age groups, the detailed 

field of computers, mathematics, 

and statistics changed by only 

1 percent across the same age 

groups.8 Within the broad field of 

arts, humanities, and other, the 

proportion of women differed by 

only 5 percent across the youngest and oldest age groups. The 

biggest change was in the detailed 

field of biological, agricultural, and 

environmental sciences, where 23 

percent of degree holders 65 years

and over were female, but this 

percentage was 53 in the 25 to 39

years age group. 

Race and Hispanic Origin

The distribution of broad fields 

of degree varied by race and 

Hispanic origin groups (Table 3). 

Science and engineering was the 

most common field in each group, 

ranging from 31 percent of bachelor’s degrees among Blacks to 

50 percent among Asians. Arts,

humanities, and others was the 

second most common field among 

Whites and non-Hispanic Whites. 

Business was the second most 

common field for Asians and 

Hispanics. Among Blacks, business 

and arts, humanities, and other 

were the second and third most 

common fields, although the difference between these two fields was 

not statistically significant. Scienceand engineering-related fields were 

the least common among Whites 

and non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, 

and Hispanics. Only 5 percent of

Asians held a degree in education, 

8 The difference between these two age 

groups in the computers, mathematics, and 

statistics was not significant.

making it the least common field 

for that group. 

Nativity

Table 4 shows the frequency and 

percentage of broad fields of bachelor’s degree within nativity groups. 

Although degrees in the science 

and engineering field were common across all groups, the foreign 

born (both citizen and noncitizen) 

were much more likely to hold a 

degree in a science and engineering 

field or a science- and engineeringrelated field than the native-born 

population. The college-educated 

native born were about twice as 

likely as foreign-born, naturalized 

citizens and more than twice as 

likely as foreign-born noncitizens 

to have a degree in an education 

field. Degrees in business fields 

were more evenly distributed: 20 

percent or more of the collegeeducated native-born and foreignborn, naturalized citizen population 

held such a degree, while only a 

smaller proportion (19 percent) of 

the foreign-born noncitizen did. 

Degrees from the arts, humanities, 

and others field were held by over 

23 percent of the native-born population, compared to around 16 percent of both foreign-born citizens 

and foreign-born noncitizens.

GEOGRAPHY AND FIELD OF 

DEGREE

State-Level Differences in Field 

of Degree

Figures 3a through 3e show the 

distribution of the five broad fields 

of degree for each state and the 

District of Columbia.9 The values 

represent the proportion of the 

college-educated population 25

years and over with a bachelor’s 

degree in a given field.

9 “State” and “metropolitan area” refer to 

the current residence of the respondent, not 

the location of the respondent’s undergraduate education.
U.S. Census Bureau 7

Science and engineering was the 

most popular broad field for every 

state, with at least 1 in 4 college 

graduates holding such a degree at 

the bachelor’s level (Figure 3a). The 

proportion of college graduates 

holding a science and engineering 

bachelor’s degree was particularly 

high in many coastal states. Forty 

percent or more of bachelor’s 

degree holders 25 years and over

held a degree in a science and engineering field in the District 

of Columbia and the states of 

California, Washington, and 

Maryland. The Atlantic coastal 

areas of Connecticut, Delaware, 

the District of Columbia, Maryland,

Massachusetts, New Jersey, New 

York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, 

and Virginia were home to 28 

percent of the nation’s science 

and engineering degree holders. 

Nineteen percent of all science and 

engineering degree holders lived in 

the Pacific coast states of 

California, Oregon, and 

Washington. Science and engineering degrees were less common in 

some Southern and Midwestern 

states. Louisiana, Mississippi, 

Nebraska, North Dakota, and 

Oklahoma each had less than 29 

percent of their bachelor’s degrees 

in science and engineering.

Many of the states with low proportions of graduates in science and 

engineering fields also had relatively high proportions of degrees 

in science- and engineering-related 

fields (Figure 3b). Of the five states 

with less than 29 percent of college graduates holding science and 

engineering degrees, none had less 

than 10 percent of its collegeeducated population holding science- and engineering-related 

Table 3. 

Race and Hispanic Origin by Field of Bachelor’s Degree for First Major for the Population 

25 Years and Over: 2009

(Numbers in thousands)

Race and Hispanic origin Estimate

Margin of 

error1

 (±) Percent

Margin of 

error (±)

White Alone

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,438 70 33.6 0.1

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . 3,905 29 8.5 0.1

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,130 45 19.9 0.1

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,712 40 14.6 0.1

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,705 48 23.3 0.1

Non-Hispanic White Alone

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,624 63 33.6 0.1

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . 3,722 27 8.5 0.1

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,572 42 19.7 0.1

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,415 38 14.7 0.1

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,203 47 23.4 0.1

Black Alone

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,242 21 30.7 0.4

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . 381 12 9.4 0.3

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 927 19 23.0 0.4

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 13 14.4 0.3

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 908 17 22.5 0.4

Asian Alone

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,334 23 50.0 0.4

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . 512 12 11.0 0.2

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 894 15 19.1 0.3

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 8 5.1 0.2

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 692 15 14.8 0.3

Hispanic (of any race)

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,135 21 34.5 0.5

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . 259 7 7.9 0.2

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 773 16 23.5 0.4

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 12 12.3 0.3

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717 16 21.8 0.4

1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
8 U.S. Census Bureau

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

HI

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE 

MD 

DC 

NJ 

Figure 3a.

Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in 

a Science and Engineering Field, by State: 2009

VT NH

40.0 percent and higher

30.0 to 39.9 percent

20.0 to 29.9 percent

10.0 to 19.9 percent

Less than 10.0 percent

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy

/ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf)

Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.

Table 4. 

Nativity Status by Field of Bachelor’s Degree for First Major for the Population 25 Years 

and Over: 2009

(Numbers in thousands)

Nativity status Estimate

Margin of 

error1

 (±) Percent

Margin of 

error (±)

Native Born

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,582 73 32.7 0.1

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . 4,021 29 8.4 0.1

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,589 47 20.1 0.1

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,096 45 14.9 0.1

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,328 52 23.8 0.1

Foreign Born, Naturalized Citizen

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,293 26 45.4 0.4

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . 576 12 11.4 0.2

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,009 16 20.0 0.3

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 10 7.5 0.2

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 799 16 15.8 0.3

Foreign Born, Not a U.S. Citizen

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,765 23 48.2 0.5

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . 339 8 9.3 0.2

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707 17 19.3 0.4

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 8 6.8 0.2

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605 14 16.5 0.3

1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 9

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

HI

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE 

MD 

DC 

NJ 

Figure 3b.

Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in a 

Science- and Engineering-Related Field, by State: 2009

VT NH

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy

/ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf)

Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.

40.0 percent and higher

30.0 to 39.9 percent

20.0 to 29.9 percent

10.0 to 19.9 percent

Less than 10.0 percent

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

HI

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE 

MD 

DC 

NJ 

Figure 3c.

Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in a 

Business Field, by State: 2009

VT NH

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy

/ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf)

Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.

40.0 percent and higher

30.0 to 39.9 percent

20.0 to 29.9 percent

10.0 to 19.9 percent

Less than 10.0 percent
10 U.S. Census Bureau

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

HI

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE 

MD 

DC 

NJ 

Figure 3d.

Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in an 

Education Field, by State: 2009

VT NH

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy

/ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf)

Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.

40.0 percent and higher

30.0 to 39.9 percent

20.0 to 29.9 percent

10.0 to 19.9 percent

Less than 10.0 percent

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

HI

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE 

MD 

DC 

NJ 

Figure 3e.

Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in an Arts, 

Humanities, or Other Field, by State: 2009

VT NH

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy

/ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf)

Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.

40.0 percent and higher

30.0 to 39.9 percent

20.0 to 29.9 percent

10.0 to 19.9 percent

Less than 10.0 percent
U.S. Census Bureau 11 0 200 mi 0 400 km 0 300 km 0 150 mi 0 300 mi 0 600 km 40.0 percent and higher 30.0 to 39.9 percent 20.0 to 29.9 percent 10.0 to 19.9 percent Less than 10.0 percent Figure 4a. Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in a Science and Engineering Field, by Metropolitan Statistical Area: 2009 (For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy /ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf) Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
12 U.S. Census Bureau 0 200 mi 0 400 km 0 300 km 0 150 mi 0 300 mi 0 600 km Figure 4 . ercent of Ba lor's egrees H lders With a Degree in a Science- and Engin ring-Related Field, by Metropolitan40.0 percent and higher 30.0 to 39.9 percent 20.0 to 29.9 percent 10.0 to 19.9 percent Less than 10.0 percent Figure 4b. Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in a Science- and Engineering-Related Field, by Metropolitan Statistical Area: 2009 (For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy /ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf) Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 13 0 200 mi 0 400 km 0 300 km 0 150 mi 0 300 mi 0 600 km Figure 4c. Percent of Bachelor's Degrees Holders With a Degree in a Business Field, by Metropolitan Statistisical Area: 2009 40.0 percent and higher 30.0 to 39.9 percent 20.0 to 29.9 percent 10.0 to 19.9 percent Less than 10.0 percent Figure 4c. Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in a Business Field, by Metropolitan Statistical Area: 2009 (For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy /ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf) Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
14 U.S. Census Bureau 0 200 mi 0 400 km 0 300 km 0 150 mi 0 300 mi 0 600 km Figure 4d. Percent of Bachelor's Degrees Holders With a Degree in an Education Field, by Metropolitan Statistisical Area: 2009 40.0 percent and higher 30.0 to 39.9 percent 20.0 to 29.9 percent 10.0 to 19.9 percent Less than 10.0 percent Figure 4d. Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in an Education Field, by Metropolitan Statistical Area: 2009 (For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy /ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf) Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 15 0 200 mi 0 400 km 0 300 km 0 150 mi 0 300 mi 0 600 km Figure 4e. Percent of Bachelor's Degrees Holders With a Degree in an Arts, Humanities, or Other Field, by Metropolitan Statistisical Area: 2009 40.0 percent and higher 30.0 to 39.9 percent 20.0 to 29.9 percent 10.0 to 19.9 percent Less than 10.0 percent Figure 4e. Percent of Bachelor’s Degree Holders With a Degree in an Arts, Humanitites, or Other Field, by Metropolitan Statistical Area: 2009 (For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy /ACS_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf) Note: Data are for the total population 25 years and older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
16 U.S. Census Bureau

degrees.10 Of the eight states where 

science- and engineering-related 

fields were above 10 percent, only 

Maine and Wisconsin had proportions of science and engineering 

degrees above 30 percent.11

The proportion of the collegeeducated population with degrees 

in a business field was highest in 

the southern states of Florida and 

Georgia (Figure 3c).12 This proportion was among the lowest in the 

District of Columbia (11 percent) 

10 These five states are Louisiana, 

Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, and 

Oklahoma. 11 These eight states are Indiana, 

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North 

Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 12 The percentage of degrees in business 

in Georgia was not significantly different from 

Alabama. The percentage of degrees in business in Florida was not significantly different 

from Alabama and Nevada.

and Vermont (12 percent).13 Business fields made up more than 23 

percent of bachelor’s degrees in 

Florida and Georgia, making that 

field nearly twice as common in 

those states as in the District of 

Columbia and Vermont.

The proportion of bachelor’s 

degrees in an education field was 

20 percent or more in some Midwestern and Southern states (Figure 

3d). North Dakota was among the 

highest percentages (23 percent), 

making an education degree more 

than three times as common 

among college graduates there 

than in the area with the smallest 

percentage of degrees in an education field (the District of Columbia 

13 The percentages of degrees in a business field in the District of Columbia and 

Vermont were not significantly different from 

the percentage of degrees in a business field 

in Alaska, and percentage of degrees in a 

business field in Vermont was not significantly different from Wyoming.

at 6 percent). Generally speaking,

states with the lowest percentage 

of degrees in education fields were 

the same states that had the lowest 

percentage of degrees in scienceand engineering-related fields. Of 

the ten states in the lowest quintile 

of degrees in an education field 

(California, Colorado, Connecticut, 

District of Columbia, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, New York, New 

Jersey, Virginia, and Washington), 

all but Maryland and New York 

were also in the lowest quintile of 

degrees in the science- and 

engineering-related fields.

The arts, humanities, and other 

field, which includes such majors 

as history, public administration, 

literature, and philosophy, was 

most common in two Northeastern 

states, two Pacific states, and the 

District of Columbia (Figure 3e). In 

California, the District of Columbia, 

Table 5.

Detailed Field of Bachelor’s Degree for the First Major and Highest Degree Attained for 

the Population 25 Years and Over: 2009

(Numbers in thousands)

Field of bachelor’s degree

Estimate

Highest degree attained

Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree

Professional 

degree beyond 

a bachelor’s 

degree

Doctorate degree

Percent

Margin 

of error1 

(±) Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±) Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±) Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±)

 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,336 63.0 0.1 25.9 0.1 6.9 0.1 4.2 –

Highest Degree Attained 

Science and engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,640 55.5 0.2 27.1 0.2 10.2 0.1 7.2 0.1

Computers, mathematics, and statistics . . . . . . . . . . 2,342 64.7 0.5 27.6 0.5 3.1 0.2 4.6 0.2

Biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences . 3,446 48.3 0.5 20.6 0.4 20.5 0.4 10.6 0.3

Physical and related science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,338 39.6 0.6 28.0 0.6 12.6 0.4 19.8 0.5

Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,571 51.9 0.5 32.8 0.5 7.6 0.3 7.7 0.3

Social sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,447 56.4 0.4 26.2 0.3 13.0 0.3 4.4 0.2

Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,452 60.4 0.4 30.7 0.3 3.7 0.1 5.2 0.2

Multidisciplinary studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,045 63.6 0.7 19.9 0.6 12.0 0.5 4.5 0.3

Science- and engineering-related fields . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,936 65.7 0.3 22.7 0.3 8.1 0.2 3.4 0.1

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,305 78.0 0.2 17.7 0.2 3.4 0.1 0.9 –

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,723 54.2 0.3 39.7 0.2 3.4 0.1 2.7 0.1

Arts, humanities, and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,732 65.5 0.2 24.2 0.1 6.7 0.1 3.6 0.1

Literature and languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,569 53.2 0.5 31.3 0.4 9.4 0.3 6.0 0.3

Liberal arts and history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,143 56.9 0.4 26.3 0.4 11.0 0.3 5.9 0.2

Visual and performing arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,207 73.7 0.5 21.0 0.4 3.0 0.2 2.3 0.1

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,023 78.9 0.5 16.0 0.4 3.8 0.2 1.3 0.1

Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,790 70.4 0.4 23.7 0.4 4.4 0.2 1.5 0.1

– This margin of error rounds to, but is not equal to, zero. 1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 17

New York, Oregon, and Vermont, 

more than 25 percent of collegeeducated adults held a degree in an 

arts, humanities, or other field.

Detailed fields of degree also varied 

across states (Appendix B). New 

York had the highest percentage of 

degrees in visual and performing 

arts (6 percent), although this was

not significantly different from the 

District of Columbia. While 

Michigan had more than 10 percent 

of its bachelor’s degrees in engineering, Nebraska was among the 

lowest at only 4 percent. The 

District of Columbia was distinguished by the highest presence of 

social science degrees, with 26 percent of all bachelor’s degrees being 

in that field. All other areas had a 

percentage of degrees in social science fields that ranged from 4 percent (Mississippi and North Dakota) 

to 11 percent (Virginia). 

Metropolitan-Level Differences 

in Field of Degree

Figures 4a through 4e show the 

percentage of bachelor’s degrees in 

various broad fields within metropolitan statistical areas. These 

metropolitan-level maps can be 

compared to the state-level maps 

to illustrate the within-state variation of field of degree. For example, 

although 33 percent of the bachelor’s degrees in the state of Illinois 

were in a science and engineering 

field, this percentage was just 19 

percent in Danville, Illinois, but 

was 42 percent in the ChampaignUrbana metropolitan area.

The percentage of degrees in a 

business field ranged from just 8 

percent in Fairbanks, Alaska, and 

Charlotte, Virginia, to 32 percent 

in Hinesville-Fort Stewart, Georgia. 

The percentage of business degrees 

also varied widely within states. 

Just 12 percent of the bachelor’s 

degrees in Victoria, Texas, were in 

a business field, but that number 

rose to 30 percent in nearby Laredo. Business fields made up 23 

percent of bachelor’s degrees in 

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan. In 

the adjacent metropolitan area of 

Ann Arbor, business fields made up 

only 12 percent of the degrees.

Eight percent of the bachelor’s 

degrees in the state of California 

were in an education field, but this 

percentage was much higher (20 

percent) in the El Centro metropolitan area. Nationally, the San JoseSunnyvale-Santa Clara metropolitan 

area had among the lowest percentage of degrees in an education field 

at 5 percent.

FIELD OF DEGREE 

AND EDUCATIONAL 

ATTAINMENT 

Although millions of people with 

bachelor’s degrees go on to earn 

higher degrees (Table 5), most

do not. Sixty-three percent of the 

college-educated population did 

not hold an advanced degree.14

Over 1 in 4 of the college-educated 

population had a master’s degree 

as their highest degree. Far fewer 

people went on to obtain a professional (7 percent) or doctoral

degree (4 percent).

The probability of obtaining an 

advanced degree after earning a 

bachelor’s varied by detailed field 

of undergraduate degree. People 

with undergraduate degrees in 

the business and communications 

fields were the least likely to hold 

an advanced degree. Of the 2 million people with a bachelor’s degree 

in a communications field, 79 percent did not hold a higher degree. 

Similarly, 78 percent of those who

held a bachelor’s degree in a business field did not hold a higher 

degree. This contrasted sharply 

with people holding an undergraduate degree in physical and related 

14 “Advanced degree” includes master’s, 

professional, or doctoral degrees.

sciences, where 3 in 5 graduates

held an advanced degree. 

Physical and related sciences was 

also the field most likely to lead to 

a doctorate degree with 20 percent 

of its holders eventually earning 

that degree. A similar proportion of 

people with undergraduate degrees 

in biological, agricultural, and 

environmental sciences earned a 

professional degree. The field most 

likely to culminate in a master’s 

degree was education, with nearly 

40 percent of its holders doing so. 

FIELD OF DEGREE AND 

EARNINGS

Table 6 shows the median earnings

of full-time, year-round, collegeeducated workers aged 25 and over

by educational attainment, sex, 

race, and Hispanic origin. Earnings 

varied by broad field of bachelor’s 

degree and by whether or not a 

person also completed an advanced 

degree. The median earnings for 

workers with just a bachelor’s 

degree in 2009 was $56,000, while

people with an advanced degree 

earned on average $74,000. People

with only a bachelor’s degree in 

science and engineering tended 

to earn much more than people 

with only a bachelor’s degree in 

education ($63,000 compared with

$42,000). This difference in earnings was more pronounced among 

advanced degree holders, with 

the science and engineering fields 

being associated with median earnings about $30,000 greater than 

the median earnings associated 

with the education fields.

Sex and Earnings by Field 

of Degree

Among all full-time, year-round 

workers with a bachelor’s degree or 

higher, men with a degree in a science and engineering field earned 

43 percent more ($24,000) than 

women, but in the education field 
18 U.S. Census Bureau

this gap fell to 16 percent ($8,000).

Men earned more than women 

at both bachelor’s and advanced 

degrees as well as within each field 

of degree. The sex differences in 

earnings were largest in the highest 

paying field of science and engineering and smallest in the lowest 

paying field of education. Among 

workers with only a bachelor’s 

degree, men earned approximately 

35 percent more than women. The

gender gap in earnings ratio was 

greater among holders of advanced 

degrees, with male workers earning 

Table 6.

Median Earnings by Field of Bachelor’s Degree, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for FullTime, Year-Round Workers 25 Years and Over: 2009

Characteristic

Field of bachelor’s degree

Any field Science and 

engineering

Science- and

 engineeringrelated fieldsBusiness Education

Arts, 

humanities, and 

other

Earnings 

(dollars)

Margin 

of 

error1 

(±)

Earnings 

(dollars)

Margin 

of 

error 

(±)

Earnings 

(dollars)

Margin 

of 

error 

(±)

Earnings 

(dollars)

Margin 

of 

error 

(±)

Earnings 

(dollars)

Margin 

of 

error 

(±)

Earnings 

(dollars)

Margin 

of 

error 

(±)

Highest Level of Educational 

Attainment: Bachelor’s 

Degree or Higher

Full-time, year-round workers . 62,066 103 72,415 218 66,489 498 64,553 308 49,152 174 52,691 296

Sex

Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,854 193 81,437 325 74,880 1,034 73,155 358 55,061 735 59,720 324

Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,384 109 57,177 388 62,387 366 54,466 394 47,522 249 48,439 207

Race and Hispanic origin

White alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,505 163 74,407 279 66,806 534 68,713 291 49,411 183 54,298 303

Non-Hispanic White alone . . 64,330 170 75,540 351 67,218 542 69,902 296 49,689 186 54,731 303

Black alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51,204 350 55,371 1,260 60,146 1,230 50,411 763 48,902 598 47,059 802

Asian alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67,667 473 77,545 700 72,407 1,098 56,587 1,365 42,350 1,832 49,340 656

Hispanic (of any race) . . . . . . . 50,336 438 55,364 1,282 57,547 2,421 49,752 509 44,246 811 47,792 790

Highest Level of Educational 

Attainment: Bachelor’s 

Degree Only

Full-time, year-round workers . 56,472 181 62,807 353 61,442 384 60,437 264 42,042 209 48,726 196

Sex

Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64,919 234 71,146 318 68,298 765 68,375 411 48,810 472 54,097 577

Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,220 118 49,028 250 59,230 417 51,523 346 40,257 219 43,595 353

Race and Hispanic origin

White alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58,149 134 65,330 457 61,619 417 63,552 351 42,339 213 49,604 200

Non-Hispanic White alone ... 58,779 138 66,588 472 61,903 411 64,824 362 42,539 265 49,860 202

Black alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,155 556 48,714 631 55,956 2,104 48,135 694 41,560 778 42,177 724

Asian alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58,210 427 64,302 943 68,787 1,054 52,111 713 36,961 1,978 44,809 1,561

Hispanic (of any race) . . . . . . . 46,774 553 49,329 657 52,406 1,863 48,071 549 39,664 573 43,322 1,052

Highest Level of Educational 

Attainment: Advanced Degree

Full-time, year-round workers . 74,248 242 87,094 655 77,685 750 82,429 742 57,011 408 63,440 433

Sex

Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89,431 323 98,279 310 91,498 1,647 94,270 1,450 63,320 825 72,703 769

Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61,532 199 67,681 440 71,478 770 68,278 947 54,515 376 57,518 446

Race and Hispanic origin

White alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75,273 327 88,924 481 77,731 759 88,678 734 57,037 411 64,969 531

Non-Hispanic White alone ... 75,982 349 89,690 497 77,866 733 89,914 828 57,217 398 65,343 601

Black alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61,791 730 68,871 1,010 70,864 2,309 60,465 1,974 57,537 1,319 55,712 2,091

Asian alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82,653 917 88,952 662 85,873 3,604 72,389 2,988 58,239 3,589 58,758 1,318

Hispanic (of any race) . . . . . . . 62,018 1,079 68,627 2,190 68,209 4,704 64,261 2,617 53,764 1,719 58,534 1,757

Note: Data are for full-time, year-round, college-educated workers. 1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error in 

relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 19

45 percent more than similarly

educated female workers. 

Race and Hispanic Origin 

Of those with only a bachelor’s 

degree, non-Hispanic White workers 

had the highest median earnings 

across all broad fields of degree 

except science- and engineeringrelated.15 Asian workers with 

science- and engineering-related 

degrees had the highest median 

earnings of $69,000 compared

with non-Hispanic White workers’ 

median earnings of about $62,000.

However, Asian workers with only a 

bachelor’s degree in education had 

the lowest median earnings of any 

race or Hispanic origin group

15 The median earnings of White alone and 

non-Hispanic White alone were not significantly different among holders of an arts, 

humanities, and other degree.

($37,000). Among advanced degree

holders, non-Hispanic White workers had the highest median earnings in business and arts, humanities, and other fields.16

Figure 5 expresses the median

earnings of Black, Asian, and 

Hispanic workers as a percent of 

non-Hispanic White workers earnings. This comparison includes 

only full-time, year-round workers 

with at least a bachelor’s degree. 

The biggest differences in median 

earnings relative to non-Hispanic 

White workers earnings were in 

the science and engineering and 

business fields. Hispanic and Black 

workers’ median earnings were 

approximately 73 percent of nonHispanic White workers’ earnings in 

the science and engineering fields. 

16 Median earnings for non-Hispanic 

Whites were not statistically different from 

Whites in the science- and engineering-related 

and arts, humanities, and others fields.

In business fields, Black, Hispanic, 

and Asian workers had median 

earnings that were between 71 and

81 percent of non-Hispanic White 

workers’ earnings.

SOURCE OF THE DATA

The estimates in this report are 

from the 2009 American 

Community Survey (ACS). The 

population represented (the 

population universe) in the 2009 

ACS includes both the household 

and the group quarters populations 

(that is, the resident population). 

The group quarters population 

consists of the institutionalized 

population (such as people in correctional institutions or nursing 

homes) and the noninstitutionalized population (most of whom are 

in college dormitories).

Figure 5.

Median Earnings as a Percentage of Non-Hispanic White Alone Earnings: 2009

Note: Data are for the population 25 years and over with at least a bachelor's degree.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey.

Asian alone

Black alone

Hispanic (of any race)

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Arts, humanities, and other

Education

Business

Science- and engineeringrelated fields

Science and engineering

Percent
20 U.S. Census Bureau

ACCURACY OF THE 

ESTIMATES

Statistics from sample surveys 

are subject to sampling error and 

nonsampling error. All comparisons 

presented in this report have taken 

sampling error into account and 

are significant at the 90 percent 

confidence level. This means the 

90 percent confidence interval for 

the difference between estimates 

being compared does not include 

zero. Nonsampling error in surveys 

may be attributed to a variety of 

sources, such as how the survey 

was designed, how respondents 

interpret questions, how able and 

willing respondents are to provide 

correct answers, and how accurately answers are coded and classified. To minimize these errors, the 

U.S. Census Bureau employs quality 

control procedures in sample 

selection, the wording of questions, 

interviewing, coding, data processing, and data analysis.

The final ACS population estimates 

are adjusted in the weighting procedure for coverage error by controlling specific survey estimates to 

independent population controls by 

sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin. 

This weighting partially corrects for 

bias due to over- or undercoverage, 

but biases may still be present, for 

example, when people who were 

missed differ from those interviewed in ways other than sex, age, 

race, and Hispanic origin. How this 

weighting procedure affects other 

variables in the survey is not precisely known. All of these considerations affect comparisons across 

different surveys or data sources. 

For information on sampling and 

estimation methods, confidentiality 

protection, and sampling and 

nonsampling errors, please see the 

“2009 ACS Accuracy of the Data” 

document located at <www.census

.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data

_documentation/Accuracy/ACS

_Accuracy_of_Data_2009.pdf>.

MORE INFORMATION

Detailed tabulations, related information, and historic data are available on the Internet at the 

Educational Attainment page on 

the Census Bureau’s Web site at 

<www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo

/education/index.html>. For 

additional questions or comments, 

contact Julie Siebens or Camille L. 

Ryan at 301-763-2464 or via e-mail

at <Julie.Siebens@census.gov> or 

<Camille.L.Ryan@census.gov>.
U.S. Census Bureau 21

APPENDIX A.

Grouping of Majors Into Broad and Detailed Fields 

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FIELDS

Computers, Mathematics, and Statistics Fields

Computer and Information Systems—General

Computer Science

Computer Systems Analysis

Information Sciences

Computer Administration Management and Security

Computer Networking and Telecommunications

Miscellaneous Computer Sciences

Mathematics

Applied Mathematics

Statistics

Decision Science

Miscellaneous Mathematics

Biological, Agricultural, and Environmental 

Sciences Fields

General Agriculture

Agriculture Production and Management

Agricultural Economics

Animal Sciences

Food Science

Plant Science and Agronomy

Soil Science

Miscellaneous Agriculture

Environmental Science

Forestry

Natural Resources Management

Biology

Biochemical Sciences

Botany

Molecular Biology

Ecology

Genetics

Microbiology

Pharmacology

Physiology

Zoology

Epidemiology

Miscellaneous Biology

Physical and Related Science Fields

Physical Sciences

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Physical and Related Science Fields—Con.

Chemistry

Geology and Earth Science

Geosciences

Oceanography

Physics

Miscellaneous Physical Sciences

Psychology Fields

Psychology

Educational Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Counseling Psychology

Experimental Psychology

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Social Psychology

Miscellaneous Psychology

Social Science Fields

Area Ethnic and Civilization Studies

General Social Sciences

Economics

Anthropology and Archeology

Criminology

Geography

International Relations

Political Science and Government

Sociology

Miscellaneous Social Sciences

History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

Engineering Fields

General Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

Biological Engineering

Architectural Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Computer Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Engineering Mechanics Physics and Science

Environmental Engineering

Geological and Geophysical Engineering

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
22 U.S. Census Bureau

Engineering Fields—Con.

Materials Engineering and Materials Science

Mechanical Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering

Mining and Mineral Engineering

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

Nuclear Engineering

Petroleum Engineering

Operations Research

Miscellaneous Engineering

Multidisciplinary Studies Fields

Intercultural and International Studies

Nutrition Sciences

Neuroscience

Accounting and Computer Science

Mathematics and Computer Science

Cognitive Science and Biopsychology

Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Multidisciplinary or General Science

SCIENCE- AND ENGINEERING-RELATED 

FIELDS

Science- and Engineering-Related Fields

Architecture

Computer Programming

Data Processing

Computer Teacher Education

Mathematics Teacher Education

Science Teacher Education

Engineering Technologies

Engineering and Industrial Management

Electrical Engineering Technology

Industrial Production Technologies

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies

Miscellaneous Engineering Technologies

Applied Biotechnology

Nuclear and Industrial Radiology Technologies

General Medical and Health Services

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services

Health and Medical Administrative Services

Medical Assisting Services

Medical Technologies Technicians

Health and Medical Preparatory Programs

Nursing

Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration

Treatment Therapy Professions

Community and Public Health

Energy and Biologically Based Therapies

Miscellaneous Health Medical Professions

BUSINESS FIELDS

Business Fields

Court Reporting

Medical Office Assistance and Administration

General Business

Accounting

Actuarial Science

Business Management and Administration

Operations Logistics and E-Commerce

Business Economics

Marketing

Finance

Marketing Research

Human Resources and Personnel Management

International Business

Hospitality Management

Management Information Systems and Statistics

Miscellaneous Business

EDUCATION FIELDS

Education Fields

General Education

Educational Administration and Supervision

School Student Counseling

Elementary Education

Physical and Health Education Teaching

Early Childhood Education

Secondary Teacher Education

Special Needs Education

Social Science or History Teacher Education

Teacher Education: Multiple Levels

Language and Drama Education

Art and Music Education

Miscellaneous Education

ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND OTHER FIELDS

Literature and Languages Fields

Linguistics and Comparative Language and Literature

French, German, Latin, and Other Common Foreign 

Language Studies

Other Foreign Languages

English Language and Literature

Composition and Speech
U.S. Census Bureau 23

Liberal Arts and History Fields

Liberal Arts

Humanities

Philosophy and Religious Studies

Theology and Religious Vocations

History

U.S. History

Visual and Performing Arts

Fine Arts

Drama and Theater Arts

Music

Visual and Performing Arts

Commercial Art and Graphic Design

Film Video and Photographic Arts

Art History and Criticism

Studio Arts

Miscellaneous Fine Arts

Communications Fields

Communications

Journalism

Mass Media

Advertising and Public Relations

Communication Technologies

Other Fields

Cosmetology Services and Culinary Arts

Family and Consumer Sciences

Technology Education Industrial Arts

Pre-Law and Legal Studies

Library Science

Military Technologies

Physical Fitness, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure

Criminal Justice and Fire Protection

Public Administration

Public Policy

Human Services and Community Organization

Social Work

Construction Services

Electrical and Mechanic Repairs and Technologies

Precision Production

Transportation Sciences and Technologies
24 U.S. Census Bureau

Appendix B. 

Percent of Bachelor’s Degrees in Each Detailed Field of Degree, by State: 2009

State

Computers, 

mathematics, and 

statistics

Biological, 

agricultural, 

and 

environmental sciences

Physical 

and related 

sciences Psychology

Social 

science Engineering

Multidisciplinary 

studies

Science- and 

engineeringrelated fields 

Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 6.1 2.2 3.3 4.7 8.0 1.6 10.0 

Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0 11.0 3.2 5.5 7.4 7.1 1.8 9.7 

Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0 5.2 2.3 4.1 6.6 9.7 1.8 9.1 

Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6 7.6 1.8 3.7 4.6 4.4 2.4 10.7 

California . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8 6.5 2.7 5.0 10.0 10.1 1.7 7.7 

Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9 7.0 3.1 4.9 8.7 8.6 1.7 7.3 

Connecticut . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 5.3 2.6 5.7 10.0 7.9 1.8 7.7 

Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6 6.0 3.0 4.5 7.4 7.9 2.8 9.0 

District of Columbia . . . . . 3.1 5.6 2.5 4.0 26.0 4.4 2.3 4.2 

Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4 5.0 1.9 4.4 7.1 7.9 2.0 9.5 

Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7 5.3 1.9 4.6 6.8 7.1 1.7 8.8 

Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.9 6.9 2.7 5.2 8.5 6.5 1.6 8.7 

Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8 9.6 3.1 3.2 6.3 7.8 1.9 9.2 

Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6 5.5 2.1 4.2 7.4 7.4 1.9 8.7 

Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.7 5.8 2.3 3.6 5.1 7.0 1.5 11.7 

Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5 7.7 1.6 4.2 5.5 5.7 2.0 8.8 

Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0 7.8 2.0 3.7 5.1 6.1 1.6 9.4 

Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5 7.1 1.9 4.6 5.6 5.5 1.5 10.6 

Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5 6.2 2.2 3.8 4.9 5.5 2.2 11.9 

Maine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.4 7.8 1.7 5.1 8.7 5.3 2.2 11.3 

Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.7 7.1 3.2 4.8 10.7 8.1 1.9 8.1 

Massachusetts . . . . . . . . . 4.2 6.2 2.9 5.5 10.5 8.7 1.9 7.7 

Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6 5.5 2.0 3.7 5.4 10.6 1.9 9.8 

Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0 6.4 2.3 4.9 7.7 6.5 1.5 9.3 

Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7 7.6 2.2 3.5 4.1 4.5 1.6 12.0 

Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0 7.0 1.9 4.3 5.2 5.6 1.7 9.7 

Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7 11.1 3.2 4.1 7.0 4.8 1.8 9.1 

Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 8.5 1.7 4.2 4.4 3.9 1.8 10.0 

Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0 5.1 2.8 3.5 7.2 7.7 1.7 9.5 

New Hampshire . . . . . . . . 4.6 6.5 2.4 4.5 7.6 9.3 2.0 8.4 

New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 5.3 2.7 4.7 8.8 8.9 1.8 7.9 

New Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8 7.0 4.0 4.7 7.4 9.3 1.8 8.6 

New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 4.7 2.2 5.4 10.4 6.0 2.0 8.4 

North Carolina . . . . . . . . . 4.3 6.5 2.5 5.1 7.4 6.9 1.7 8.4 

North Dakota . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 8.1 1.7 2.2 4.1 5.4 1.8 12.0 

Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6 5.2 2.2 4.2 6.3 7.5 1.9 10.0 

Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 6.2 2.0 3.7 4.7 5.5 2.1 9.6 

Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 8.4 2.3 5.4 9.4 7.1 2.4 8.0 

Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 6.2 2.5 4.9 6.9 7.3 2.1 9.6 

Rhode Island . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 5.7 2.0 5.8 8.9 7.3 1.7 8.5 

South Carolina . . . . . . . . . 3.5 6.5 2.2 4.4 7.1 7.2 1.6 8.4 

South Dakota . . . . . . . . . . 2.0 9.9 1.5 3.8 5.6 4.2 1.7 10.8 

Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 6.7 2.1 4.4 5.4 6.4 2.0 9.2 

Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 6.2 2.4 3.6 5.8 9.4 2.2 8.2 

Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 6.2 2.6 4.2 8.2 6.8 1.6 8.3 

Vermont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0 8.1 2.6 6.5 8.2 6.2 2.4 7.9 

Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5 5.4 2.6 4.7 11.1 9.0 1.8 7.1 

Washington . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9 7.0 2.7 5.1 9.5 9.7 1.8 8.0 

West Virginia . . . . . . . . . . 2.0 6.0 2.7 4.2 4.9 6.6 1.2 11.7 

Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 7.3 1.9 4.2 6.3 6.7 1.5 11.1 

Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 12.2 3.9 3.6 6.5 7.1 2.0 9.4 
U.S. Census Bureau 25

Appendix B. 

Percent of Bachelor’s Degrees in Each Detailed Field of Degree, by State: 2009—Con.

Business Education

Literature and 

languages

Liberal arts 

and history

Visual and 

performing 

arts

Communications Other

State

23 .7 18 .2 3 .1 4 .2 2 .4 2 .4 6 .1 Alabama

13 .0 16 .7 5 .0 5 .2 3 .6 2 .2 6 .7 Alaska

21 .5 14 .9 3 .9 5 .2 3 .3 3 .5 4 .9 Arizona

21 .3 21 .1 3 .2 4 .8 2 .2 2 .9 5 .7 Arkansas

18 .5 7 .5 5 .4 6 .5 5 .4 3 .8 4 .6 California

20 .2 11 .0 4 .8 5 .0 3 .9 3 .8 5 .2 Colorado

19 .5 11 .6 6 .3 6 .0 4 .3 3 .1 4 .2 Connecticut

18 .4 15 .2 4 .3 5 .4 2 .5 3 .4 6 .4 Delaware

11 .1 6 .0 8 .8 8 .8 5 .5 5 .0 2 .9 District of Columbia

24 .0 15 .1 3 .4 4 .8 3 .2 3 .5 4 .8 Florida

24 .6 14 .0 3 .6 4 .5 3 .3 4 .1 5 .1 Georgia

21 .3 13 .1 4 .9 5 .5 3 .7 3 .5 5 .0 Hawaii

17 .4 18 .5 2 .6 3 .9 3 .0 3 .5 6 .3 Idaho

20 .9 14 .1 4 .3 5 .3 4 .0 4 .5 4 .9 Illinois

20 .4 18 .3 3 .6 6 .0 2 .8 3 .2 5 .1 Indiana

20 .0 20 .7 3 .1 5 .3 3 .2 3 .1 5 .9 Iowa

21 .2 19 .2 3 .1 5 .3 3 .5 3 .7 5 .3 Kansas

18 .4 18 .6 4 .3 5 .9 2 .6 3 .6 6 .3 Kentucky

20 .5 19 .0 3 .0 7 .0 2 .7 3 .0 5 .6 Louisiana

14 .3 16 .5 6 .4 6 .0 4 .0 3 .1 5 .2 Maine

17 .5 10 .3 5 .1 5 .8 3 .4 3 .6 4 .7 Maryland

17 .4 10 .2 6 .7 6 .6 4 .3 2 .9 4 .3 Massachusetts

21 .0 16 .2 3 .4 4 .5 3 .1 3 .5 5 .8 Michigan

19 .9 15 .3 4 .3 4 .5 4 .0 4 .1 5 .4 Minnesota

21 .2 21 .0 3 .0 4 .6 2 .5 2 .9 6 .8 Mississippi

21 .4 17 .4 3 .4 5 .1 3 .6 4 .0 5 .9 Missouri

16 .3 18 .9 4 .2 5 .4 3 .7 3 .0 4 .8 Montana

20 .9 20 .1 3 .2 4 .1 2 .5 4 .4 7 .0 Nebraska

22 .9 13 .8 4 .7 4 .6 3 .1 4 .3 6 .2 Nevada

19 .2 12 .7 5 .9 5 .6 3 .4 2 .8 5 .2 New Hampshire

21 .5 11 .8 4 .8 5 .3 3 .9 3 .6 3 .8 New Jersey

15 .2 17 .0 4 .5 5 .2 5 .5 2 .7 4 .5 New Mexico

18 .2 11 .8 6 .5 6 .6 6 .3 3 .6 4 .1 New York

20 .4 14 .1 4 .5 5 .7 3 .1 3 .4 6 .1 North Carolina

21 .3 22 .8 2 .3 3 .4 2 .1 2 .4 7 .3 North Dakota

21 .4 17 .7 3 .6 4 .8 3 .2 4 .0 4 .5 Ohio

21 .8 21 .2 2 .8 5 .0 2 .9 3 .6 5 .8 Oklahoma

15 .2 12 .8 6 .2 6 .8 5 .2 3 .9 3 .8 Oregon

18 .6 16 .5 4 .2 5 .4 3 .5 3 .5 4 .9 Pennsylvania

16 .7 13 .5 6 .1 5 .9 5 .3 3 .3 5 .4 Rhode Island

21 .3 16 .4 4 .1 6 .5 3 .2 2 .7 5 .1 South Carolina

19 .2 22 .4 3 .3 3 .6 2 .0 2 .5 7 .6 South Dakota

22 .3 16 .3 3 .4 6 .0 3 .5 3 .9 5 .3 Tennessee

23 .2 14 .4 3 .7 4 .9 3 .0 3 .5 5 .1 Texas

19 .6 14 .3 4 .6 3 .9 4 .4 4 .3 6 .7 Utah

11 .9 16 .3 7 .0 6 .9 5 .3 2 .6 5 .0 Vermont

18 .9 10 .8 5 .5 6 .8 3 .1 2 .9 5 .1 Virginia

15 .6 11 .4 5 .2 6 .2 4 .5 4 .0 4 .5 Washington

19 .4 21 .4 2 .9 5 .3 2 .4 2 .9 6 .4 West Virginia

19 .2 18 .0 3 .6 4 .6 3 .3 4 .0 5 .3 Wisconsin

13 .6 21 .2 2 .3 5 .0 2 .8 2 .9 5 .5 Wyoming

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey .