Trends in degrees conferred by Connecticut institutions of higher education from 1970-1971 to 1979-1980 are reviewed. After rising steadily to 1973-1974, the number of degrees conferred has fluctuated between 26,000 and 27,000 for the balance of the decade. The proportion of degrees awarded by institutions in the public sector rose from 52.4 percent of all degrees conferred in 1970-1971 to 55.3 percent in 1979-1980, and public institutions awarded 89.6 percent of all certificates, 75.1 percent of all associates degrees, and 51.7 percent of the bachelors degrees in 1979-1980. The independent sector conferred the majority of masters degrees (51.8 percent), doctoral degrees (61.9 percent), and first-professional degrees (64.2 percent) in the same year. In 1979-1980, the largest number of bachelors degrees was awarded in business and management, followed by social sciences and education. Masters degrees in education ranked first in the number of awards over the 10-year period. They peaked at 3,337 in 1975-1976 then fell to 2,325 in 1979-1980--200 less than the 1970-1971 level. Masters degrees in business and management have quadrupled from 314 to 1,249 during this same period. The number of masters degrees awarded in education, however, was still almost double the number of masters degrees awarded in business and management in 1979-1980. While women were proportionately underrepresented at all six degree levels in the combined public and independent sectors in 1970-1971, their representation was close to parity at the associates and masters degree levels by 1974-1975. By 1979-1980, women were the majority of degree recipients at all but the first-professional and doctoral degree levels. Minority students received 4.9 percent of the awards in 1975-1976 and by 1978-1979 minority students received 5.2 percent of all awards. (SW)