During the 2008-2009 school year there were a total of 1,601,367 Bachelor's Degrees handed out, according to a recent report released in August. Of those degrees received, nearly 60% were earned by women.
The federal government (Dept. of Education) requires all postsecondary institutions who receive federal aid (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, etc.) to complete the survey every year. It is this survey data that the public has access to when researching colleges.
Most Popular Bachelor's Degrees for Men
Total number of Bachelors Degrees earned by Men (2008-2009): 685,381
| Degree | # of degrees | % of total |
| Business Administration and Management | 66,190 | 9.7 |
| Finance | 22,931 | 3.3 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 21,906 | 3.2 |
| Political Science and Government | 20,947 | 3.2 |
| Accounting | 20,446 | 3.0 |
| Psychology | 20,432 | 3.0 |
| History | 20,088 | 2.9 |
| Economics | 17,756 | 2.6 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 15,424 | 2.3 |
| Marketing/Marketing Management | 14,613 | 2.1 |
Most Popular Bachelors Degrees for Women
Total number of Bachelors Degrees earned by Women (2008-2009): 915,986
| Degree | # of degrees | % of total |
| Psychology | 68,808 | 7.5 |
| Business Administration and Management | 64,122 | 7.0 |
| Nursing (RN,ASN,BSN,MSN) | 61,405 | 6.7 |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 36,358 | 4.0 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 33,950 | 3.7 |
| English Language and Literature | 28,945 | 3.2 |
| Accounting | 24,068 | 2.6 |
| Communication Studies/Speech Communication | 22,000 | 2.4 |
| Sociology | 20,064 | 2.2 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 19,396 | 2.1 |