2027 Best Degrees
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Choosing a master's degree means weighing career goals against tuition, time away from work, and requirements that may continue after graduation. The decision matters especially in fast-changing fields: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment of information security analysts to grow 29% from 2024 to 2034. That signals opportunity, not a guaranteed job or a requirement to earn a master's degree.
This guide compares ten degree fields, shows where graduate study adds value, and helps prospective students identify costs, credentials, and program features to verify before applying.
Key Things You Should Know
- The best master's degree depends on the target role: nursing, social work, and some education paths can meet specific professional requirements, while many technology roles do not require graduate study.
- BLS reports a 2024 median wage of $133,080 for software developers; that is an occupational figure, not the expected salary of computer science graduates.
- BLS projects 34% employment growth for data scientists from 2024 to 2034, but applicants should still compare prerequisite skills, total program cost, and actual entry requirements.
Top 10 Best Degrees
Business Programs
An MBA emphasizes broad management decisions; specialized master's degrees in accounting, finance, or business analytics develop narrower expertise. Choose an MBA when its curriculum and recruiting opportunities fit an established career direction, not because management jobs automatically require one. Career changers may prefer a program with substantial foundational coursework and internships, while experienced professionals may value part-time study. Check whether accounting coursework satisfies your state's CPA education rules if licensure is the goal. Compare employer assistance, networking access, and total cost before assuming a higher-priced program offers better value.
Healthcare Programs
Master's programs in public health, health administration, and health informatics serve different goals. Public health can suit population-health analysis; administration focuses on operating healthcare organizations; informatics connects clinical information and technology. Healthcare experience may matter more than a general degree for management openings. Look for fieldwork, data training, or projects matched to the job you want, and check whether an advertised online program has in-person requirements. These degrees generally do not, by themselves, grant clinical authority or substitute for a professional license.
Information Technology Programs
IT master's degrees commonly cover cybersecurity, networks, systems, cloud computing, or technology management. They can help experienced practitioners specialize or move toward architecture and leadership, but employers may accept a bachelor's degree plus relevant experience for many roles. Compare hands-on labs and security projects with theory-heavy curricula. Applicants without technical preparation should ask about programming and networking prerequisites. Certifications can demonstrate specific platform skills; a graduate degree is a different investment and should address a broader career goal.
Computer Science Programs
A computer science master's can deepen preparation in algorithms, software systems, artificial intelligence, or machine learning. It is most compelling when the intended work requires advanced technical depth or research preparation. A career changer should verify calculus, programming, and data-structures prerequisites, which may add time and cost. Compare project-based and thesis options: a portfolio may better support applied software work, while research experience can matter for further study. A master's is not a standard entry requirement for many software developer jobs.
Nursing Programs
Master of Science in Nursing pathways can prepare licensed nurses for advanced practice, education, or leadership, but eligibility differs substantially by concentration. Nurse practitioner tracks require appropriate clinical training and typically lead to certification and state licensure steps after graduation. Verify the program's nursing accreditation, clinical-placement support, state authorization, and eligibility for the intended specialty before enrolling. A nurse seeking administration may need a different concentration from one seeking direct patient care. Online classes do not eliminate in-person clinical requirements.
Psychology Programs
A psychology master's can support research, organizational work, or preparation for further study, but the degree title alone does not establish eligibility to practice psychotherapy. Clinical psychologist licensure generally requires doctoral education; master's-level counseling licenses follow distinct, state-specific pathways. Before applying, match the curriculum and supervised training to an identified occupation and licensing board's rules. Applicants interested in workplace research may prefer industrial-organizational study, while aspiring therapists should compare explicitly licensure-oriented counseling or social work programs.
Education Programs
Education master's degrees may focus on classroom instruction, curriculum, educational leadership, or specialized student support. An experienced teacher might choose coursework aligned with district advancement rules; a prospective teacher must instead confirm that the program offers an approved route to initial licensure. Leadership roles often require teaching experience and a separate administrator credential. Ask whether student teaching or fieldwork is required and whether the program meets the rules of the state where you intend to work. Salary-lane benefits vary by employer.
Criminal Justice Programs
A criminal justice master's examines policy, administration, research, and the justice system. It may suit professionals pursuing analysis or advancement, but many law-enforcement and corrections jobs do not require graduate study. Investigative or federal roles can impose separate hiring, fitness, experience, or security requirements. Compare applied research and internship opportunities against those requirements before enrolling. If the goal is legal practice, a criminal justice master's is not a substitute for a law degree and bar admission.
Engineering Programs
An engineering master's can support specialization in fields such as electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering. Coursework-focused degrees often suit practicing engineers; thesis programs can better support research goals. Check undergraduate preparation and required laboratories, especially if changing disciplines or studying online. Professional Engineer licensure has separate state requirements involving education, examinations, and experience; graduate study does not automatically satisfy them. For a defined technical role, compare the degree's specialized courses and project access with shorter employer-sponsored training.
Social Work Programs
A Master of Social Work (MSW) is a direct pathway toward many clinical and community-practice roles. For clinical licensure, graduates generally need post-degree supervised experience and an examination under state rules. Seek a Council on Social Work Education-accredited program and confirm local practicum placement options. Applicants with an eligible accredited bachelor's in social work may qualify for advanced standing, but eligibility and remaining requirements vary. Consider the schedule and opportunity cost of field placements, particularly if you plan to keep working.
What Are the Best Degrees for Career Opportunities?
The best master's degree for career opportunities is the one that connects a reachable occupation to skills or credentials you actually need. The comparisons below distinguish degrees that can support a regulated pathway from those whose value depends more heavily on specialization and experience.
| Career goal | Degree fields worth comparing | Decision point |
| Licensed professional practice | Nursing, social work, qualifying education programs | Confirm state eligibility, placements, and post-degree requirements. |
| Technical specialization | Computer science, IT, engineering | Determine whether advanced study adds skills beyond experience or targeted training. |
| Organizational or policy work | Business, healthcare, criminal justice | Compare relevant work experience, projects, and employer demand. |
| Research or further study | Psychology, computer science, public health | Check methods coursework, faculty fit, and thesis availability. |
Start with job postings for the role you want, then separate required qualifications from preferred ones. If you are still choosing a field rather than a graduate program, top 10 best majors for the future offers a broader starting point.
Technology occupations can offer high pay, but their wages are not a return promised by a master's program. These BLS national median wages for 2024 describe people working in each occupation across experience levels and educational backgrounds.
| Occupation | 2024 median annual wage | Master's degree consideration |
| Software developer | $133,080 | A master's may add specialization but is not the typical entry requirement. |
| Information security analyst | $124,910 | Relevant experience and technical skills also matter. |
| Registered nurse | $93,600 | RN licensure is essential; a master's is not required for the RN role. |
Location, experience, employer, and specialty affect individual pay. Compare these figures with tuition and earnings you might forgo while studying; do not treat the highest-paying occupation as evidence that its related degree has the best financial return. Readers exploring undergraduate choices can also compare fun majors in college that pay well without assuming a major determines future wages.
Data science and cybersecurity have particularly strong projected growth, but growth alone cannot identify the best degree. BLS projects data scientist employment to grow 34% and information security analyst employment to grow 29% from 2024 to 2034. Those are occupation-wide forecasts, not forecasts for master's graduates or openings available to every applicant.
Healthcare and behavioral health can also present opportunities, but the relevant degree depends on the role. For example, an MSW may align with a clinical social work pathway, whereas a general psychology master's may not qualify someone for independent therapy practice. Weigh projected demand alongside local hiring, required experience, and licensure.
Work backward from the job, not forward from an appealing degree title. A pathway to advanced practice nursing differs from one to software development: the first involves nursing credentials and clinical requirements, while the second may be reached through several combinations of education and demonstrated skills.
Use this sequence to test whether graduate school is the right next step:
- Select a target occupation and check its typical entry education, state rules if applicable, and local job postings.
- Identify gaps in your current preparation, including prerequisites, experience, portfolio work, or a professional license.
- Compare a relevant master's with less costly ways to close those gaps, then verify each program's placements and graduate outcomes where available.
For a narrow skills gap, certificate programs may be worth comparing with a full degree. They generally cannot replace a degree required for professional licensure.
Check both institutional accreditation and any profession-specific approval that applies to your goal. Institutional accreditation is a starting point for evaluating a U.S. school; programmatic accreditation or state approval can be decisive for nursing, social work, teaching, and other regulated paths.
Before paying an enrollment deposit, complete these checks:
- Confirm the institution's current accreditation through the accreditor or U.S. Department of Education records.
- Ask the program which accreditation or state approval applies to your concentration and intended occupation.
- Request written confirmation that its curriculum and fieldwork satisfy the rules of the state where you plan to seek licensure.
A common mistake is assuming an accredited institution makes every program eligible for every state license. Accreditation, approval, and individual licensure are separate questions.
An online master's can be valuable when it delivers the right curriculum and credentials, but "online" does not mean fully flexible. Employers may care more about relevant skills, experience, and professional eligibility than classroom location. Still, a program may require live meetings, fixed deadlines, campus residencies, supervised placements, or laboratory work.
Compare the actual weekly schedule with your work and caregiving commitments. Ask who arranges local clinicals or practica, whether your state is authorized for enrollment and licensure preparation, and whether part-time students can obtain required courses when needed. If control over study hours is your priority, compare the best accredited self-paced online colleges, then verify that the specific graduate program offers the scheduling format you need.
Most master's programs require a bachelor's degree, but additional requirements depend on the field and school. Computer science and engineering may specify technical prerequisites; nursing programs commonly require an appropriate nursing credential and license; some business programs value professional experience. Applicants may also encounter transcripts, recommendations, statements of purpose, interviews, portfolios, or standardized-test policies that differ by program.
Ask admissions staff for the requirements of the specific concentration, including minimum grades for prerequisites and whether missing courses can be completed before or after admission. General university admission does not necessarily mean admission to a selective clinical or licensure track.
Completion time and total cost vary with the degree's required coursework and your starting point. Thesis research, course sequencing, part-time enrollment, and clinical or field placements can extend a program beyond its advertised minimum. An advanced-standing MSW, for example, requires a qualifying educational background; it is not an accelerated option available to every applicant.
Request a personalized plan showing remaining credits, prerequisite courses, projected terms, and whether any prior graduate work will count toward degree requirements. For cost, compare tuition for those remaining credits plus mandatory, technology, laboratory, placement, travel, and graduation fees. Check financial-aid eligibility and employer tuition assistance, but weigh any loan borrowing against realistic - not guaranteed - career benefits. The lowest per-credit tuition may not produce the lowest total bill.
Which Certifications or Licenses Do Graduates Need?
A degree and permission to practice are not the same credential. Requirements differ by state and specialty, so verify the applicable board's rules before selecting a program.
These examples show where an additional credential may affect the pathway:
| Intended work | Requirement beyond completing a degree |
| Nurse practitioner | Applicable RN and advanced-practice licensure, specialty certification, and clinical requirements |
| Clinical social worker | State licensure, typically including supervised post-degree practice and an examination |
| Public school teacher or administrator | State-issued credential, with preparation and experience rules that vary by role |
| Professional engineer | State licensure requirements, generally involving examinations and qualifying experience |
| CPA | State accountancy-board education, examination, and experience requirements |
By contrast, many software and business roles do not require a government-issued occupational license, although employers may request experience or optional certifications.
Other Things You Should Know About
Many top master's programs require the GRE, while business schools often ask for the GMAT. Some programs waive test scores in 2027 if applicants have strong GPAs, relevant work experience, or a prior graduate degree. Always check each university’s official admission page for program-specific requirements.
It can be when a program provides necessary preparation, supervised experience, or access to a new field. First compare prerequisites, entry-level hiring requirements, and shorter alternatives.
Not necessarily. Several well-paid occupations accept other educational paths, while some licensed roles require specific graduate preparation. Occupational median wages do not predict an individual graduate's earnings.
Coursework may be online, but clinicals, practica, labs, or residencies can require in-person attendance. Confirm the exact program's format and state eligibility before applying.
- Field of Study in College and Lifetime Earnings in the United States - PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5198720/
- New Data on Field of Degree by Earnings Now Available | Census.gov https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/field-of-degree-earnings.html
- Your financial path to graduation | consumerfinance.gov https://www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/your-financial-path-to-graduation/
- Fastest Growing Occupations | bls.gov https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm
- Appropriate Degrees to Satisfy Subject Matter Competence | Commission https://www.ctc.ca.gov/aspiring-educators/req-credentials/subject-matter-competence/
- Accreditation in the U.S. | ed.gov http://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation/accreditation-in-the-us
- Why Is Accreditation Important? | ACE Blog https://ace.edu/blog/why-is-accreditation-important/
- The Major Payoff: Evaluating Earnings and Employment Outcomes Across Bachelor's Degrees - CEW Georgetown https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/major-payoff/
- 10 careers requiring a bachelor's degree that will have the most job openings through 2034 | al.com https://www.al.com/education/2026/02/10-careers-requiring-a-bachelors-degree-that-will-have-the-most-job-openings-through-2034.html
