Business is the most popular master’s degree field in the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 205,800 master’s degrees were conferred in business in the 2021-22 academic year, about 23 percent of all master’s degrees awarded. Education ranked second with 151,700 degrees, and health professions and related programs ranked third with 147,000.
Master’s degrees overall have grown fast. Between 2010-11 and 2020-21, the number conferred each year rose 19 percent, from 730,900 to 866,900, according to the same NCES data.
The MBA is the best-known business master’s degree. It suits people aiming for management, consulting, finance, or entrepreneurship. But a popular field is not automatically the right one. Education master’s degrees fit teachers and school leaders. Health-related master’s degrees fit nurses, therapists, and administrators moving into leadership.
Choose based on the work you want to do. Look at job postings for roles that interest you and note which degrees employers request. Talk to people already working in the field about what the degree changed for them.
Also weigh format and cost. An affordable online master’s in business administration can fit a working schedule, while a full-time campus program may suit a recent graduate. If you lean toward health care, read about what a master’s degree in nursing covers. For tech, compare online master’s programs in computer science. And before you commit, review the skills you can gain from earning a master’s degree so you know what to expect from graduate-level study.
