The pie charts compare the distribution of graduate students across different degree levels in arts and science fields between 1980 and 2008. Overall, the percentage of science graduates surpassed that of art graduates in this country, with a substantial increase observed from 1980 to 2008. Another significant trend was the growing inclination of students towards pursuing PhDs in both arts and science disciplines.
For arts graduates, the proportion of Bachelor’s degree recipients decreased notably from 25% in 1980 to 11% in 2008, marking a significant decline. Conversely, there was a slight increase in the percentage of Master’s degree holders in arts, rising from 12% in 1980 to 13% in 2008. Although arts PhD programs remained at the bottom of the rankings, there was an increase from 2% in 1980 to 7% in 2008.
In contrast, for science graduates, the percentage of PhD candidates experienced a remarkable surge from 13% in 1980 to 30% in 2008, making it the dominant category in 2008. Meanwhile, the proportions of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree recipients in science remained unchanged at 19% and 29% respectively throughout the period.