Nearly Half a Million African Americans Earned Degrees in the 2008-09 Academic Year

The U.S. Department of Education has released preliminary data on degree attainments during the 2008-09 academic year. That year more than 467,000 African Americans were awarded higher education degrees.

The survey reports that 94,409 associate’s degrees were awarded to blacks. Blacks accounted for 12 percent of all associate degree awards.

In the 2008-09 academic year, 145,834 bachelor’s degrees were earned by African Americans. This was 9.1 percent of all bachelor’s degrees.

In the same period, 62,169 master’s degrees were awarded to blacks. Blacks were 9.4 percent of all master’s degree recipients.

Another 9,300 blacks earned doctoral or professional degrees. Blacks were 6 percent of the degree earners at this level.