In the academic year of 2021/22, about 880,250 students were awarded a Master's degree in the United States. This figure is projected to increase by the academic year of 2031/32, when it is forecasted that 1,000,460 students will be awarded a Master's degree.

In the academic year of 2022, it is expected that 551,460 female and 331,530 male students will earn a Master’s degree in the United States. These figures are a significant increase from the academic year of 1950, when 16,980 female students and 41,220 male students earned a Master’s degree.

What is a Master’s degree?

A Master’s degree is an academic degree granted by universities after finishing a Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degrees focus in on a specific field and are more specialized than a Bachelor’s. A typical Master’s program is about two years long, with the final semester focusing on the thesis. Master’s degree programs are usually harder to get into than Bachelor’s degree programs, due to the rigor of the program. Because these programs are so competitive, those with a Master’s degree are typically paid more than those with a Bachelor’s degree.

Master’s degrees in the United States

The number of master’s degrees granted in the United States has steadily increased since the 1970s and is expected to continue to increase. In 2021, the Master’s degree program with the worst job prospects in the United States by mid-career median pay was counseling, while the program with the best job prospects was a physician's assistant.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Level - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 25 years and over (CGMDU25O) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about master's degree, 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, and USA.

The dataset contains Academic-year- and Country-wise historically compiled data on the total number of International students enrolled for studying Undergraduate, Graduate, Non-Degree and Optional Practical Training (OPT) courses in the United States of America (USA).

Korea Number of School: Graduate School data was reported at 1,199.000 Unit in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,195.000 Unit for 2016. Korea Number of School: Graduate School data is updated yearly, averaging 316.000 Unit from Dec 1965 (Median) to 2017, with 53 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,209.000 Unit in 2014 and a record low of 37.000 Unit in 1965. Korea Number of School: Graduate School data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.G069: Education Statistics: Number of Schools, Teachers, Classroom and Students (Annual).

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 16 to 19 years (CGMD1619) from Oct 2007 to Oct 2023 about master's degree, 16 to 19 years, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Korea Number of Enrolled Student: ow: Graduate School data was reported at 326,315.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 332,768.000 Person for 2016. Korea Number of Enrolled Student: ow: Graduate School data is updated yearly, averaging 91,304.000 Person from Dec 1965 (Median) to 2017, with 53 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 333,478.000 Person in 2015 and a record low of 3,842.000 Person in 1965. Korea Number of Enrolled Student: ow: Graduate School data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G068: Education Statistics: Number of Schools, Teachers, Classroom and Students (Annual).

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 25 years and over, Women (CGMD25OW) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about master's degree, females, 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

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.

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

The statistic shows the distribution of applications for business graduate programs in the Asia Pacific region in 2018, broken down by region of origin. In that year, 44 percent of the applications in the Asia Pacific region came from East and Southeast Asian countries, followed by 38 percent of the applications that came from Central and South Asian countries. With regards to applications from abroad, three percent of the applications came from European countries, followed by two percent of the applications from African countries.

Korea Number of School: Graduate School: Jeonnam data was reported at 24.000 Unit in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 25.000 Unit for 2016. Korea Number of School: Graduate School: Jeonnam data is updated yearly, averaging 20.000 Unit from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2017, with 37 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31.000 Unit in 2011 and a record low of 2.000 Unit in 1990. Korea Number of School: Graduate School: Jeonnam data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.G069: Education Statistics: Number of Schools, Teachers, Classroom and Students (Annual).

Taiwan Number of Graduate: Master Program data was reported at 54,941.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 55,752.000 Person for 2016. Taiwan Number of Graduate: Master Program data is updated yearly, averaging 2,849.000 Person from Jul 1951 (Median) to 2017, with 67 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 60,218.000 Person in 2013 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 1952. Taiwan Number of Graduate: Master Program data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Education. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.G056: Number of Graduate.

Count of high school graduates for each public school in Alaska. Data covers the School Year 2013 to the present. Each year's count includes students graduating at any point during the school year (July 1 to June 30).Source: Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

This data has been visualized in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) format and is provided as a service in the DCRA Information Portal by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development Division of Community and Regional Affairs (SOA DCCED DCRA), Research and Analysis section. SOA DCCED DCRA Research and Analysis is not the authoritative source for this data. For more information and for questions about this data, see: Alaska Department of Education & Early Development Data Center.

These data are calculated based on the cohort year, i.e. the academic year in which a group of students began university studies. In each COHORTE COURSE, all data (including those corresponding to graduation) are referenced to the year in which studies were initiated in order to track students who started studies at the same time. Graduate students collect the number of students from a new-entry cohort who have completed all curriculum credits, regardless of the year they ended. Students Graduate in Time is the number of students from a new income cohort who graduate in the expected time or another year. Abandonment rate is the percentage of students from a new income cohort who had to obtain the degree in the expected academic year, according to the duration of the plan, and who have not enrolled either in that academic year or in the following year (in the degrees with an expected duration of 1 year, the two consecutive years of non-enrolment that is accounted for the calculation is the two years following the new income). Initial Abandonment Rate is the percentage of students from a new income cohort who, without obtaining the degree, do not enroll in the study either of the two academic years following the entry. Graduation rate is the percentage of students who complete teaching in the expected time or in one more year in relation to their entry cohort. NOTE: the fees exclude students who have recognised (or adapted or validated) more than 15 % of the credits in the curriculum and students admitted to the part-time modality in any of the years completed. Cohort data by master with measurement rates, students presented, evaluated and exceeded.

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 1992-93 (NPSAS:93), is a study that is part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) program; program data is available since 1989-90 at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/getpubcats.asp?sid=013. NPSAS:93 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/npsas/about.asp) is a cross-sectional survey that is designed to compile a comprehensive research dataset, based on student-level records, on financial aid provided by the federal government, the states, postsecondary institutions, employers, and private agencies along with student demographic and enrollment data. The study was conducted using multiple sources, including institutional records, government databases, and student interviews. NPSAS:93 contains the data on a sample of about 66,000 eligible postsecondary students who were enrolled at any time between July 1, 1992 and June 30, 1993 in about 1,100 postsecondary institutions. The data are representative of all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that were eligible to participate in the federal financial aid programs in Title IV of the Higher Education Act. After adjusting for institutional nonresponse and for attendance at more than one institution, the overall weighted study response rate was 85 percent. Statistics produced from the NPSAS:93 provide reliable national estimates of characteristics related to financial aid for postsecondary students.

The number of graduates from regular programs for youth, general programs for adults, and vocational programs for youth and adults in public and private/independent secondary schools, by school type and program type.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Master's Degree, 25 to 34 years (CGMD2534) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about master's degree, 25 to 34 years, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

The National Survey of College Graduates is a repeated cross-sectional biennial survey that provides data on the nation's college graduates, with a focus on those in the science and engineering workforce. This survey is a unique source for examining the relationship of degree field and occupation in addition to other characteristics of college-educated individuals, including work activities, salary, and demographic information.

This table contains 2192 series, with data for years 1992 - 2008 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (15 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia ...), Program level (7 items: College postsecondary program; Total; program level; College post-diploma program; College certificate or diploma and other college level ...), Classification of Instructional Programs, Primary Grouping (CIP_PG) (14 items: Total; instructional programs; Personal improvement and leisure; Visual and performing arts; and communications technologies; Education ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...).