About 9 percent of 25 to 29 year olds in the United States hold a master’s degree or higher. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the share rose from 5 percent in 2000 to 9 percent in 2019. The same data show steady gains at every education level over that period. High school completion or higher rose from 88 to 94 percent, an associate’s degree or higher rose from 38 to 49 percent, and a bachelor’s degree or higher rose from 29 to 39 percent.
Women now outpace men at every level. The gender gap in bachelor’s degree attainment or higher widened from 2 percentage points in 2000 to 6 percentage points in 2019. At the master’s level or higher, it grew from 1 point to 3 points.
The trend shows that more young adults treat graduate education as a path to better careers. Whether a master’s makes sense for you depends on your field, your finances, and your goals, not on the national average. The ROI of a master’s degree varies widely, so weigh the skills you can gain from earning a master’s degree against the cost. Many students also use graduate school as a time for lifelong learning after the master’s, which keeps the degree paying off long after graduation.
