Bachelor’s degrees in Kentucky flat while graduate degrees are on the rise, new report shows

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education reports that total degrees and credentials grew slightly in the 2021-22 school year, while bachelor’s degrees declined and graduate-level degrees made impressive gains.

Total degrees and credentials grew six-tenths of a point over the previous year, following a slight dip at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2016-17, total degrees and credentials have risen 16.6 percent.

In other findings, bachelor’s degrees fell 1.1 percent from last year and have remained essentially flat over the last five years.

At the graduate level, total degrees jumped 9.7 percent from the previous year and have risen 62.2 percent over the last five years.

At the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, which includes Hopkinsville Community College, undergraduate degrees and credentials decreased 3.5 percent in 2021-22 over the previous year, although total credentials have risen 10.4 percent since 2016-17.