2027 Best Degree Programs With Scholarship Options
Audited and Verified:
Our Editorial and Data Verification Process
Research.com uses government datasets, official education statistics and primary institutional information to support its career and degree guides. Our review process checks factual accuracy, occupational definitions, source dates and the requirements associated with the credentials discussed.
How This Article Was Fact-Checked
Our editorial team verifies salary estimates, employment projections, education requirements and program information against original data providers and official organizations. Salary figures are checked against the relevant occupational definitions and reporting periods. Information about licensure, accreditation and required in-person training is reviewed separately.
Fact-checked and verified on:
Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist
Choosing a master's program is difficult enough without mistaking an available scholarship for an affordable degree. Graduate funding works differently from undergraduate aid: the Federal Student Aid maximum Pell Grant for 2025-26 was $7,395, but master's students generally cannot receive Pell Grants. If you are comparing career paths or trying to limit borrowing, the better question is which program fits your goal and has funding you can actually qualify for. This guide compares ten fields, explains where to look for awards, and shows how to evaluate your remaining cost and professional requirements.
Key Things You Should Know
- Compare departmental awards, assistantships, employer benefits, and outside scholarships for the specific program and applicant - not just the field.
- The 2025-26 maximum Pell Grant was $7,395, but master's students generally are not Pell-eligible; calculate graduate tuition, fees, placement costs, and aid separately.
- Nursing, teaching, counseling-related psychology, engineering, and social work may require particular accreditation, prior credentials, fieldwork, or licensure beyond the degree.
Top 10 Best Degree Programs With Scholarship Options
Business Programs
MBA, accounting, finance, and business analytics master's programs serve different goals. An MBA often suits professionals seeking broader management skills; an accounting master's may better fit someone meeting CPA education requirements, which vary by state.
Look for school-funded merit awards, employer tuition assistance, and scholarships from professional associations. Executive and part-time formats may accommodate work but can carry different prices and award rules. Compare the net cost of the exact program and check whether an award requires full-time enrollment or continued academic standing.
Healthcare Programs
Healthcare administration and public health master's programs can prepare students for management, policy, and population-health work; neither automatically qualifies someone for a clinical license. Funding may come through departmental scholarships, employer benefits, or research and teaching appointments.
A Master of Public Health may include a practicum, while healthcare administration programs may emphasize operations and finance. Compare placement requirements and relevant programmatic accreditation where applicable. If your goal is direct patient care, identify the required clinical credential first rather than choosing a broadly named healthcare degree.
Information Technology Programs
Master's programs in information technology, cybersecurity, and information systems typically emphasize applied systems, security, or organizational technology. They may suit career changers with technical prerequisites or experienced professionals seeking specialization.
Departmental awards, employer reimbursement, and association scholarships are possibilities, not guaranteed features. Compare required foundation courses before accepting a tuition quote: extra coursework can raise total cost and delay completion. For security roles, a degree may complement experience and certifications but does not replace the qualifications an employer requires.
Computer Science Programs
A computer science master's can emphasize algorithms, software, artificial intelligence, or research. Thesis-based programs may offer research or teaching assistantships, while professionally oriented programs may have different funding and scheduling.
Applicants without a computing degree should check mathematics and programming prerequisites and the cost of any bridge courses.
For students targeting software development, a lower-cost program with substantial project work may be more useful than an expensive specialization that does not match their intended role. An assistantship should be confirmed in writing, including its workload and renewal conditions.
Nursing Programs
Master of Science in Nursing programs may prepare registered nurses for advanced practice, leadership, or education; entry and licensing requirements depend on the track. Many require an RN license, and advanced-practice tracks involve clinical hours and separate certification and state authorization.
Nursing-specific scholarships, employer assistance, and some service-based awards can reduce costs, but service awards may impose employment obligations. Verify the program's accreditation, clinical-placement support, and eligibility in the state where you intend to practice before comparing scholarship amounts.
Psychology Programs
Psychology master's degrees range from research-focused study to applied specializations. A general psychology master's does not, by itself, qualify a graduate to practice as a licensed psychologist; that occupation generally requires doctoral training and state licensure.
Some counseling-oriented programs lead toward different licenses, but eligibility depends on the exact curriculum and state rules. Investigate departmental assistantships and association scholarships, then ask whether funding covers a thesis, practicum, or both. Choose the credential required for your intended role rather than assuming similarly named degrees have the same outcome.
Education Programs
Master's programs in curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, and special education serve different educators. Some are designed for already licensed teachers; others offer an initial-licensure pathway with student teaching. School-district tuition benefits, institutional scholarships, and service-related aid may be available, sometimes with employment commitments.
Before enrolling, confirm whether the degree meets your state's certification requirements and whether placements fit your schedule. A flexible online course format does not make supervised teaching or school-based work remote.
Criminal Justice Programs
A criminal justice master's may focus on policy, administration, research, or public safety leadership. It can be useful for a specific advancement goal, but many entry-level law-enforcement roles do not require a master's. Potential funding includes institutional awards and employer education benefits for eligible public employees.
Compare the program's methods training, internship access, and total price with your employer's actual promotion requirements. If you seek legal practice or a specialized investigative role, determine whether a different credential, certification, or experience is necessary.
Engineering Programs
Engineering master's programs can deepen a discipline such as electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering. Research-track students may find assistantships tied to faculty projects; employer support may better suit working engineers in coursework-based programs.
Check undergraduate prerequisites, laboratory or campus attendance, and whether funding covers summer enrollment. For roles requiring a professional engineer license, state rules govern education, examinations, and experience; a master's alone is not a license. Choose a specialization that fits the work you want rather than the largest advertised award.
Social Work Programs
A Master of Social Work can prepare graduates for social-service roles and, with additional state-required steps, clinical social work licensure. Field placements are central to the degree and can constrain paid-work schedules. Some schools offer scholarships or stipends connected to particular practice areas; read any service commitment carefully.
Applicants with a qualifying Bachelor of Social Work may be eligible for an advanced-standing pathway, but eligibility and remaining requirements vary. Confirm program accreditation, placement arrangements, and your state's licensing rules before weighing an award.
What Are the Best Degree Programs With Scholarship Opportunities?
The best scholarship-eligible master's program is the one that meets your career requirements at a manageable net cost. The fields above are options to investigate, not a ranking of guaranteed awards: funding depends on the institution, program, enrollment status, academic record, and sometimes employment or service commitments.
This comparison shows which funding routes are worth investigating first for common goals. It also highlights a reason not to select a field solely because an award exists.
| Program family | Potential funding to check | Decision-critical trade-off |
| Business and IT | Employer assistance; school merit awards | Part-time eligibility and foundation-course costs |
| Computer science and engineering | Research or teaching assistantships; employer assistance | Research obligations versus a work-friendly schedule |
| Nursing, education, and social work | Professional, employer, or service-related awards | Licensure eligibility, placements, and service commitments |
| Healthcare, psychology, and criminal justice | Departmental awards; relevant employer benefits | Whether the exact degree qualifies you for your intended role |
A career changer who first needs undergraduate preparation may explore easy online degrees, but ease of study is a separate question from master's admission or graduate scholarship eligibility.
No accredited degree field consistently offers the most aid to every student. A research-based master's may offer an assistantship, while a practice-based program may have stronger employer or service funding.
Institutional accreditation matters for access to federal student aid; programmatic accreditation can also matter for licensure or professional recognition. Neither guarantees a scholarship.
These funding types differ in what they cover and what they ask of recipients. Compare an offer's conditions before treating its advertised value as money available for tuition.
| Funding type | What to verify | Potential limitation |
| Institutional scholarship | Amount, renewal rules, eligible programs | May not cover fees or later terms |
| Assistantship | Stipend, tuition benefit, work hours | May require research, teaching, or full-time study |
| Employer assistance | Annual benefit and approved degrees | May require grades or continued employment |
| Service-based award | Covered expenses and required service | May limit where or how long you work |
Ask each program for funding available specifically to master's students in your track. An award listed on a university-wide page may be restricted to undergraduates, doctoral students, or a different department.
Scholarship-eligible programs do not share one price. Estimate total remaining cost by combining tuition for required credits, mandatory and program fees, books and equipment, and any travel or placement expenses. Then subtract grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and employer benefits you are actually eligible to receive. Loans help pay the bill but do not reduce its cost.
A low per-credit price can be misleading if a program requires more credits or charges additional clinical, technology, or nonresident fees. Likewise, a large scholarship may leave an expensive program costlier than a lower-priced alternative.
Request a term-by-term estimate, including prerequisite courses and expected time to completion, and compare offers using the same enrollment pace. Graduate students generally cannot rely on Pell Grants; confirm federal aid options and borrowing terms through the school's financial aid office.
Students in eligible online master's programs may qualify for institutional scholarships and federal graduate student aid under the applicable program and student rules. An award can still exclude online or part-time students, so verify eligibility for your delivery format and enrollment status rather than assuming campus awards transfer.
Online also does not mean location-free or self-paced. Nursing clinicals, social work field placements, education practica, laboratories, residencies, and scheduled live classes may affect travel and work hours. For families comparing military spouse friendly online colleges, it is especially useful to confirm placement availability after a move and whether the scholarship remains valid across changes in residency or enrollment.
Coursework should match both the intended occupation and the award's eligibility rules. Business programs may include accounting, finance, and strategy; IT and computer science programs may cover systems, security, programming, and data analysis.
Engineering curricula typically build on disciplinary mathematics and design. Healthcare administration and public health emphasize different combinations of operations, policy, and population health.
Practice-oriented nursing, education, counseling-related, and social work programs may add supervised clinicals, practica, or student teaching. Research-oriented options may require a thesis, while professional tracks may use a capstone instead.
Read the catalog for the exact track: electives, prerequisites, and placement requirements can change both completion time and the amount of scholarship support you need.
Master's applicants generally need a bachelor's degree, but required preparation varies. A computer science or engineering program may specify technical prerequisites; an MSN track may require RN licensure; an advanced-standing MSW pathway typically requires a qualifying social work background.
Programs may also assess GPA, recommendations, a statement of purpose, experience, interviews, or test scores. Scholarship applications can have separate deadlines and criteria.
Do not apply an undergraduate admissions policy to a graduate program. A list of universities that accept 2.0 GPA can help someone explore undergraduate routes, but it does not establish admission or scholarship eligibility for a master's track. Ask graduate admissions whether prerequisite courses, conditional admission, or a test waiver apply to your specific application.
A master's can support specialization or advancement, but career outcomes depend on experience, local hiring conditions, and credentials beyond the degree. For perspective, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 2024 median annual wage of $93,600 for registered nurses.
That is an occupational figure - not the expected salary of an MSN graduate - and RN practice requires a license. Use wage data for the role you actually seek, not as a return promised by a program.
Compare a prospective job's entry requirements with your current qualifications. An experienced employee considering management may benefit from employer-funded study; a newcomer may first need relevant work experience.
Ask programs for career-outcome information specific to their graduates, and consider its response rate and whether it separates full-time students from working professionals.
Nursing, teaching, clinical social work, and certain counseling roles require state-specific professional credentials. Engineering practice in roles requiring a professional engineer license also involves state requirements.
A degree can supply required education without completing the separate examination, supervised experience, certification, or licensing steps. General psychology and healthcare administration degrees should not be mistaken for clinical licenses.
Check the licensing board in the state where you plan to work before enrolling, particularly in an out-of-state online program.
If your goal is practice as a licensed psychologist, investigate doctoral education and supervised training rather than assuming a master's will suffice. A comparison of cheapest online PhD programs may be a starting point for cost research, but price alone cannot establish professional licensure eligibility.
How Can You Choose a Reputable Degree Program and Scholarship?
Start with the job or professional credential you want, then work backward to the required degree, accreditation, and experiences. Once you have a shortlist, compare written, program-specific funding offers against the full cost of completion - not just the first term's tuition.
Use this sequence to avoid expensive mismatches:
- Confirm institutional accreditation and, where relevant, programmatic accreditation and state licensure eligibility for the exact track.
- Request the catalog requirements, delivery schedule, placement expectations, and an evaluation of any potentially transferable graduate credit.
- Get an itemized cost estimate and ask which scholarships, assistantships, or employer benefits you can apply to your enrollment format.
- Check award deadlines, renewal conditions, work or service obligations, and what happens if you enroll part time.
- Compare remaining cost and time with the roles you can realistically pursue after graduation, including any additional licensing steps.
Red flags include an unverified claim that "online" means no in-person work, a scholarship with unclear renewal terms, or a claim that the degree alone guarantees licensure or a salary. Get consequential answers in writing before paying a deposit.
Other Things You Should Know About
Possibly, but do not assume an advertised award covers the entire program. Confirm whether it pays tuition only or also covers fees and living expenses, and whether it renews.
Often. Some schools consider applicants automatically, while departments and outside organizations may require separate applications and earlier deadlines.
Sometimes. Ask both the employer and school how benefits interact; one award may be reduced when another covers the same expense.
Most merit scholarships for degree programs require a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and competitive awards often ask for 3.5 or higher. Some also require recent transcripts, full-time enrollment, and proof of satisfactory academic progress each term.
- Research Summary: Education and Lifetime Earnings | ssa.gov https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education-earnings.html
- Types of Financial Aid: Grants, Work-Study, and Loans | studentaid.gov https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types
- Education pays: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm
- What Financial Aid Offers Don't Tell You About the Cost of College | U.S. GAO https://www.gao.gov/blog/what-financial-aid-offers-dont-tell-you-about-cost-college
- For U.S. College and University Students | USA StudyAbroad https://studyabroad.state.gov/us-government-scholarships-and-programs/us-college-and-university-students
- College Scorecard - Department of Education https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
- Bulletin of Information | The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation https://www.truman.gov/apply/applying/bulletin-information
- Cost of Attendance (Budget) | 2025-2026 Federal Student Aid Handbook https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/fsa-handbook/2025-2026/vol3/ch2-cost-attendance-budget
- 2025-2026 Scholarship Terms and Conditions | University of Arizona Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid https://financialaid.arizona.edu/2025-2026-terms-and-conditions
- Scholarships | Student Services Center - NC State University https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/finances/scholarships-and-financial-aid/types-of-financial-aid/scholarships/
