The U.S. Census Bureau released a new report showing a growing national trend in college degree attainment; Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees are on the rise. One Arizona university is keeping up.
NADINE ARROYO RODRIGUEZ: According to Census figures from 2002 to 2012, the number of people with Doctorate degrees grew by 45 percent. The number of Masters degrees increased even more – by 43 percent. The University of Arizona has also seen growth in the past decade, but not quite as fast. The number of PhDs at UofA grew by 20 percent, Masters degrees by 21 percent. Katie Paquet is with the Arizona Board of Regents – the agency that governs the state’s public universities.
KATIE PAQUET: We’re not keeping pace with a lot of other countries in terms of degree production so any step in uptake in degree attainment is a positive in terms of our competitiveness our ability to attract industry, to grow industry, to innovate, and compete on a global scale.
ARROYO RODRIGUEZ: The Census report also shows women got more bachelor’s and master’s degrees than men. But women still lagged a little behind in PhDs. Complete data from other Arizona public universities were not immediately available.