Millions of college degrees are earned every year. Find out how many of those are associate degrees.

Answer: 25%

Questions:

• Is that percentage lower or higher than you expected? Why do you think that is?
• What do you know about associate degrees? Consider the program length, cost, and common careers. 
• Why might someone choose an associate degree over a bachelor's degree?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (EDI):

Report Highlights. College graduation statistics indicate that bachelor’s degrees are the most sought-after, with 2.02 million conferred in 2022.

• 49.1% of all college graduates earn bachelor’s degrees.
• 22.3% of bachelor’s degree-earners take more than four (4) years to complete their program.
• 24.5% of college graduates earn associate’s degrees.
• The total number of graduates has increased at an annual rate of 1.0% over the last 10 years.
• 4.11 million or 22.1% of all college students graduated in 2022.

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Want more resources to help your students prepare for their professional journey? Visit NGPF's Alternatives to 4-Year Colleges min unit.

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About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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