Table 5-18. Percent distribution of the college majors 

 of National Merit Scfiolars, 1966-74 



Percent distribution 



Field 



Total 



Science and engineering 



Engineering 



Science 



Physical and natural sciences 



Physical sciences 



Chemistry 



Physics 



Other physical sciences 



Life sciences 6.2 5.2 



Mathematics 14.1 15.4 



Unspecified physical and 

 natural sciences 



Pre-medicine 



Social sciences 



All other fields and undecided 



Health professions 1.5 1.0 



All other fields 24.1 23.3 



Undecided 12.1 11.8 



NOTE Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. 



SOURCE National Merit Scholarship Corporation, National Merit Scholarship Corporation Annual Report, annual series. 



Table 5-19a. Bachelor's and first-professional degrees awarded, 

 by field, 1960-72 



Science and engineering 



Year All fields 



1960 394,889 



1961 401,784 



1962 420,485 



1963 450,592 



1964 502,104 



1965 538,930 



1966 555.613 



1967 594,862 



1968 671,591 



1969 769,683 



1970 833,322 



1971 884,386 



1972 937,884 



SOURCE: National Center for Educational Statistics. Earned Degrees Conferred, annual series, and National Science Foundation, special tabulations. 



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