Why isn't there a degree symbol on keyboards?

There are far more symbols than could be represented on any keyboard with a reasonable size, so a compromise had to be implemented.

But with alternatives so that many more could be typed with a minimum of user intervention.

These are accessed by using the Alt key and a numeric input

Please see this link for most of them

link

http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/ALTchrc.html

Many more characters exist than will fit on a 101-key keyboard. How about ¢ and § and ®? To get them, Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Character Map.

Limit of the number of keys but if you hold the alt and type 0176 then release alt this should give you the sign°

Hold alt and type 155 should be the cents sign. That's my 2¢.

Character map has the keystrokes for a whole bunch of symbols.

Start-All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Character Map. Keystrokes are in lower right corner.

start

accessories

system tool

character map

then click any character to get the combination of keys to click for that character

For the same reason there's no cent symbol.

Because for some reason, the person who designed it thought you'd use ^ or } more often.

°Because it is an entity