The best master's degree for getting a job was considered to be Physicians Assistant with a mid-career median salary of ****** U.S. dollars in 2021. Salaries for nurse practitioner and computer science master's were also high.

In the academic year of 2020/21, about 202,334 Master's degrees were earned in business across the United States, making it the most common master's degree earned. In that same year, another 47,257 Master's degrees were earned in engineering.

Introduction This STEM advising outreach program was developed for undergraduate students who are contemplating future applications to PhD programs in the life sciences. The audience of ~20 students ranged in academic stage, and was composed mostly of life sciences undergraduates enrolled at Bowdoin College.

We have previously described two similar outreach events (ref. 1,2); this 90-minute combination of seminar and discussion built on that pilot program. This session at Bowdoin College was intended to complement the advising that students receive from their primary research mentors on campus. Although undergraduates at many excellent institutions have access to extensive pre-professional advising for careers in medicine, law and some other directions, the structure of advising for scientific research and the many career options that rely on PhD training is less consistent. Independent study or thesis research mentors are often a student’s primary source of advice. Career advisors have confirmed that reiteration and reinforcement of advising principles by professionals external to the school environment is helpful. Therefore, this outreach program’s content was developed with a goal of demystifying PhD programs and the benefits that they provide. The topics covered included (a) determining the key differences between programs, (b) understanding how PhD admissions works, (c) preparing an effective application, (d) proactive planning to strengthen one’s professional portfolio (internships, independent research, cultivating mentors), (e) key transferable skills that most students learn in graduate school, (f) what career streams are open to life science PhDs, and, (g) some national and institutional data on student career aspirations and outcomes (ref. 3). Methods The approach of bringing a faculty member and an administrative staff member who both have life science PhD training backgrounds was intentional. This allowed the program to portray different perspectives and experience to guide student career development, while offering credible witnesses to the types of experiences, skills and knowledge gained through PhD training. Central to the method of this outreach program is the willingness of graduate educators to meet the students on their own ground. The speakers guided students through a process of identifying national graduate programs that might best serve their individual interests and preferences. In addition to recruiting prospective applicants to Harvard Medical School (HMS) summer internships and PhD programs, the speakers made an explicit appeal to students to hone their professional portfolio proactively by discussing important skills that undergraduates need to be competitive in admissions and the career workplace including acquiring training in statistics and programming, soliciting diverse mentorship, acquiring authentic research experiences/internships, conducting thesis research, and obtaining fellowships). By reinforcing much of the anecdotal and formal advising content that is made available by faculty mentors and career counselors, our host saw the value of external experts to validate guidance.

This event built off our most recent event (ref. 2); we delivered a presentation covering the relevant topics and transitioned into an open discussion featuring a third visitor in our team. In contrast to the aforementioned previous event, the time constraint at lunch time prevented us from doing a formal panel. Our third speaker was a HMS Curriculum Fellow (ref. 4) whose career goals included teaching at a comparable institution (primarily undergraduate institution, PUI).

Students were encouraged to have lunch during the session, as the program was held at midday to avoid conflicts with other academic or extracurricular events. ResultsAs the principal goal of the session was to encourage and engage students, not to evaluate them, and the students ranged widely in stage and long-term career objectives, there were no assessment surveys of learning gains. Informally, student engagement was excellent as judged by the frequency and thoughtful nature of questions asked during the discussion phase of the session. Ad hoc student feedback directly following the event was extremely positive, as was our host’s follow up by email after the event. The success of the program was also evident by an invitation for a repeat of the program or other forms of collaboration in the future, including the possibility of reciprocal visits to HMS.DiscussionThis advising session was a continued refinement of our prototype, and thus served to prepare us for a series of similar events across a larger network of colleges. Our decision to incorporate a HMS Curriculum Fellow served three purposes: (1) to engage speaker who pursued doctoral training at three different institutions (UCLA, Tufts University, Harvard University), (2) to broaden the range of career trajectories presented as outcomes from doctoral programs, and (3) to provide networking and career development opportunities for the Curriculum Fellow.

Data on the top universities for Computer Science in 2025.

Data on the top universities for Physical Sciences in 2025, including disciplines such as Chemistry, Geology, and Physics & Astronomy.

Data on the top universities for Social Sciences in 2025, including disciplines such as Communication & Media Studies, Geography, and Sociology.

This paper investigates the dynamics of discrimination in Political Science PhD programs with a survey of current political science graduate students in the top 50 departments. We focus on mentorship, funding, sexual harassment, racism, homophobia, and labor exploitation: 20% of respondents report labor exploitation, 19% experienced racial discrimination, 9% report sexual harassment and 6% experienced homophobia. Discrimination is uneven across individuals: Some groups of graduate students experience widespread discrimination, especially racial discrimination, while other groups are largely unaware of these issues. We ran a survey experiment to gauge the impact of misconduct on formal reporting mechanisms and find that hearing about racial discrimination has a chilling effect on reporting. Importantly, we find that experiencing discrimination harms how satisfied students are in their programs. We find that factors linked to student vulnerability, like international status and funding, are significantly associated with harassment, and that reporting discrimination predicts more discrimination.

The number of graduates by institution type, program type, credential type, gender and Classification of Instructional Programs, Primary groupings (CIP_PG).

In 2024, it was projected that people in the United States with a Master’s degree in Computer Science would have the highest average starting salary, at 85,403 U.S. dollars. People who held a Master’s degree in Engineering were projected to have the second-highest starting salary, at 83,628 U.S. dollars. An abundance of Masters As higher education in the United States has become more common, and even expected, the number of Master’s degrees awarded has increased. During the 1949-50 academic year, about 58,180 Master’s degrees were awarded to students, with the vast majority being earned by male students. In the 2018-19 academic year, this figure increased to about 833,710 Master’s degrees awarded, with the majority being earned by female students. The right career While Engineering might have the highest starting pay for Master’s degree holders, those with a Master’s degree as a Physician Assistant had the highest mid-career median pay in 2021. Engineering continues to be one of the most popular fields for those seeking their Master’s degree, and STEM fields continue to dominate the field in number of Master’s degrees awarded.

The global market for integrated medicine and engineering education is experiencing robust growth, projected at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is driven by several key factors. Firstly, the increasing demand for healthcare professionals skilled in both medical science and engineering principles is fueling the need for specialized programs. Advances in medical technology, such as robotics, AI, and bioprinting, require professionals with a holistic understanding of both engineering design and its biological applications. Furthermore, the integration of data science and informatics into healthcare necessitates professionals capable of managing and interpreting vast datasets for improved patient care and medical research. The growing aging population, coupled with a rising prevalence of chronic diseases, further intensifies the demand for such skilled individuals. The market is segmented by subject areas including biomedical engineering, health informatics, clinical engineering, and robotics in healthcare; and by course levels, encompassing undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs. Major players are established universities globally, each with its unique strengths and competitive strategies, focusing on program innovation, industry partnerships, and attracting top faculty. Geographic distribution reveals strong market presence in North America and Europe, owing to established research infrastructure and well-funded educational institutions. However, the APAC region, particularly India and China, shows significant growth potential driven by rapid economic development and increased investment in healthcare infrastructure and education. The market's future growth hinges on sustained investment in research and development, industry-academia collaborations, and government initiatives promoting STEM education. Challenges include the high cost of specialized equipment and training, along with the need for standardized curriculum and accreditation across different regions and institutions. Ultimately, the market's trajectory reflects a critical need for a multidisciplinary approach to address evolving healthcare challenges, presenting substantial opportunities for educational institutions and technology providers alike.

The proportion of male and female postsecondary graduates, by Classification of Instructional Programs, Primary groupings (CIP_PG), International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and age group.

Top ten most common words per topic for the CTM where K = 7 with the topic label in last row.

In the academic year 2023/24, there were 331,602 international students from India studying in the United States. International students The majority of international students studying in the United States are originally from India and China, totaling 331,602 students and 277,398 students respectively in the 2023/24 school year. In 2022/23, there were 467,027 international graduate students , which accounted for over one third of the international students in the country. Typically, engineering and math & computer science programs were among the most common fields of study for these students. The United States is home to many world-renowned schools, most notably, the Ivy League Colleges which provide education that is sought after by both foreign and local students. International students and college Foreign students in the United States pay some of the highest fees in the United States, with an average of 24,914 U.S. dollars. American students attending a college in New England paid an average of 14,900 U.S. dollars for tuition alone and there were about 79,751 international students in Massachusetts . Among high-income families, U.S. students paid an average of 34,700 U.S. dollars for college, whereas the average for all U.S. families reached only 28,026 U.S. dollars. Typically, 40 percent of families paid for college tuition through parent income and savings, while 29 percent relied on grants and scholarships.

Data on the top universities for Medical and Health in 2025, including disciplines such as Medicine and Dentistry, and Other Health Subjects.

Employment income (in 2019 and 2020) by detailed major field of study and highest certificate, diploma or degree, including work activity (full time full year, part time full year, or part year).

The number of postsecondary graduates, by Classification of Instructional Programs, Primary groupings (CIP_PG), International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), age group and gender.

In 2024, a record high of around ***** million students graduated from undergraduate programs at public colleges and universities in China. That number was more than double as high as the number of degrees earned at all levels of higher education in the United States. The vast number of graduates from Chinese universities originates from the increasing enrollment in colleges and universities across the country. Of the ***** million Chinese graduates of 2023, around **** million earned a bachelor's degree, whereas **** million earned a more practically oriented short-cycle degree. On a graduate and postgraduate level, around *** million master's and doctor's degree students graduated from public colleges and universities in China in 2023. What are the popular majors? In recent years, the most favored majors among Chinese bachelor students were *********************************************, while short-cycle degree students chose majors such as *****************************************************************. Meanwhile, ****************************************************************************************************** were among the least desirable subjects. However, even the popular, highly competitive fields of study do not always guarantee quick and successful employment after graduation. What are the labor market prospects for graduates? The graduate employment rate within half a year after graduation has been generally stable in China over the past seven years, exceeding ** percent on average. Those that struggle to find a job are usually graduates from less technical, quantitative majors who often lack both practical “hard skills” and “soft skills” such as communication, critical thinking, and managerial abilities. ********************************************** top employment rates as well as secure higher-starting salaries. The average monthly salary of a university graduate in China has increased by around ** percent in the last ten years. However, high rent and costs of living in cities like Beijing or Shanghai often force young graduates to return to their hometowns or to seek employment in the second and third tier cities.

Colleges and universities in the United States are still a popular study destination for Chinese students, with around 277 thousand choosing to take courses there in the 2023/24 academic year. Although numbers were heavily affected by the coronavirus pandemic, China is still the leading source of international students in the U.S. education market, accounting for 24.6 percent of all incoming students. The education exodus Mathematics and computer science courses led the field in terms of what Chinese students were studying in the United States, followed by engineering and business & management programs. The vast majority of Chinese students were self-funded, wth the remainder receiving state-funding to complete their overseas studies. Tuition fees can run into the tens of thousands of U.S. dollars, as foreign students usually pay out-of-state tuition fees. What about the local situation? Although studying abroad attracts many Chinese students, the country itself boasts the largest state-run education system in the world. With modernization of the national tertiary education system being a top priority for the Chinese government, the country has seen a significant increase in the number of local universities over the last decade. Enrolments in these universities exceeded 37 million in 2023, and a record of more than ten million students graduated in the same year, indicating that China's education market is still expanding.

German law graduates holding a doctorate degree can currently expect the ******* average gross starting salary in the country when they enter the job market. Other degrees with good earning prospects include medicine, computer science (also with a doctorate degree), and industrial engineering. In comparison, those who studied graphics/design, humanities and social sciences are at the ****** of the starting salary food chain. Law courses among most attended Law, economics and social sciences were the subject groups seeing the ******* student numbers in German universities, totaling over *** million in 2023/2024. Engineering and mathematics rounded up the top three. German universities offer a variety of internationally recognized degrees, the Bachelor being the most frequently taken type of final exam. Slow yearly salary increase Among selected countries in the European Union, Germany ranks ***** in terms of average annual wages. All the same, when studying the change in average annual pay specifically in Germany during the last decade, a slow, but steady increase is visible year after year, until the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit in 2020. Since then, the average wage has been decreasing and in 2023 was around the same level as in 2017.

In the 2023/24 academic year, 29 percent of undergraduates obtaining their degree were awarded a degree with first-class honors, the highest possible grade for UK graduates. Almost half of all students achieved an upper second or 2.1, with 20 percent obtaining a lower second or 2.2, and just four percent of graduates obtained a third, the lowest possible pass grade. The share of UK students graduating with a first-class degree has increased significantly in this time period, while the share of students obtaining a 2.2 has fallen the most in the same time period. GCSE and A-Level grades also on the rise Higher grades for the UK's main qualification for high school students, the general certificate of secondary education (GCSE), have also increased recently. In 1988 for example, approximately 8.4 percent of GCSE entries received the highest grade, compared with 21.8 percent in 2024. This is also the case to a lesser-extent for advanced level GCSE results (A-Levels), with the share of entries being awarded an A or A* increasing from 17.8 percent in 2000 to 27.8 percent in 2024. There is no consensus on if these improvements are due to increased ability, or to grade inflation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, grades in the UK were a lot higher than in other years. This was due to teacher and tutor assessments being giving a higher weighting than normal, with exams being postponed or cancelled completely. The UK's top universities Britain's oldest and most famous universities, Cambridge and Oxford, remained the two highest-ranked universities in the UK in 2025, with the London School of Economics finishing third. According to the ranking, the University of St Andrews was the top university outside the south of England, with Durham University being the highest-ranked university in the north of England. The largest university in terms of enrolled students was the mainly remote focused Open University, which had over 140,000 students in 2022/23. Among universities that mainly taught on-campus, University College London had the most students enrolled, at almost 52,000.