If you have a graduate degree, you’re likely to earn more and stay employed, according to a May 2022 analysis by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. And interest in graduate school is on the rise. The number of applications increased by 7.3% in the fall of 2020 compared to the previous year, according to an October 2021 report from the Council of Graduate Schools. This represents a jump from the average annual growth of 2.5% in the previous 10 years.
The schools that saw the biggest increases majored in business and the sciences — biological, agricultural and health — according to the board’s report, while math, computer science and engineering saw the biggest declines. big Applicants are becoming more diverse, with a 20.4 percent increase among Latino students, a 16 percent increase among black students, and an 8.8 percent increase among Native American and Alaskan students.
During the 2019-2020 school year, American colleges and universities awarded 843,000 master’s degrees and 190,000 doctorates, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. About 12.8% of Americans have graduate degrees, as of 2021 Census datathe last one available.
If you’re thinking about joining these ranks, you’ll likely need to take a graduate school entrance exam, which are standardized tests used as part of the admissions process. University of Santa Clara compiled a list of common graduate school entrance exams for students considering furthering their education.
