Recently, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Program released a new report, Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2010 to 2020, based on the 2020 CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees. The findings provide insight into U.S. graduate school applications, enrollment, and graduate degrees awarded in Fall 2020. Highlights of the report are below.
- The number of graduate school applications rose for both doctoral degree programs and master’s degree/other graduate programs* between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020.
- Applications for doctoral programs increased 2.8% from 2019 to 2020.
- Applications for master’s degree/other graduate programs increased by 9.6%
- Acceptance rates for both doctoral degree and master’s degree/other programs were higher in 2020 than in 2019.
- 22.3% of doctoral degree program applicants were accepted for admission in 2020.
- 55.7% of master’s degree/other programs were accepted for admission in 2020.
- In Fall 2020, 72.9% of total graduate school enrollments were in master’s degree programs and 27.1% were in doctoral programs.
- Total first-time part-time student graduate school enrollment increased 13.5% between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020.
- Total first time-full-time student graduate school enrollment increased 1.8% between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020.
- First-time graduate school enrollment for several Underrepresented Minority Groups (URM) increased between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020.
- The enrollment of first-time Latinx graduate students increased 20.4 %, first-time Asian American graduate students increased 16.7 %, first-time Black/African American students increased 16%, first-time American Indian/Alaska Native students increased 8.8%, and first time Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders increased 1.7%.
- The enrollment of first-time Latinx graduate students increased 20.4 %, first-time Asian American graduate students increased 16.7 %, first-time Black/African American students increased 16%, first-time American Indian/Alaska Native students increased 8.8%, and first time Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders increased 1.7%.
- Graduate school enrollment for women increased 4.6% between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020.
- Women earned a majority of all graduate degrees awarded in 2020.
- Of graduate degrees awarded in 2020, 80.8% of degrees awarded were master’s degrees, 11.5% of degrees awarded were doctoral degrees, and 7.7% of degrees awarded were graduate certificates.
* Other programs include graduate certificate programs.
