2027 Best Degrees With Open Enrollment
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Finding a master's degree you can start soon is not the same as finding one you can enter. Schools use "open enrollment" to describe everything from rolling applications to broadly accessible admission, while individual graduate programs may still require prerequisites or licenses.
The distinction matters: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data show that workers with a master's degree had median weekly earnings of $1,840 in 2024, but that figure does not predict an individual graduate's pay. This guide compares ten fields and shows you how to check admission, cost, career fit, and licensing before applying.
Key Things You Should Know
- Check the program, not just the school: Rolling applications or multiple start dates do not mean automatic admission. Graduate prerequisites and capacity limits can still apply.
- Match the degree to the occupation: BLS reported median annual pay of $133,080 for software developers in 2024, but a computer science master's neither guarantees that salary nor is universally required for the job.
- Compare the remaining cost and requirements: Ask whether prerequisite courses, transfer evaluations, clinical placements, or licensing requirements will add time and expense before choosing a start date.
Top 10 Best Degrees With Open Enrollment
Business Programs
Master of Business Administration (MBA), management, and accounting programs can suit professionals seeking broader business skills or a change in function. Many consider applicants from multiple undergraduate majors, though an MBA may expect work experience and an accounting master's may require foundation courses. Rolling admission, where offered, still involves an application review. Compare concentrations, employer tuition assistance, and whether classes run on a schedule you can sustain. If your goal is CPA licensure, check your state's education rules; an accounting master's alone does not confer the license.
Healthcare Programs
Healthcare administration and public health master's degrees offer nonclinical routes into health systems, policy, and population health. A Master of Public Health (MPH) may welcome applicants from varied majors, but admission policies and quantitative prerequisites vary. Compare an MPH's population-level focus with a healthcare administration degree's operational focus. Online coursework may still include a practicum or applied project. Neither degree grants a clinical license, and leadership positions commonly require relevant experience.
Information Technology Programs
Information technology master's programs commonly cover systems, networking, cybersecurity, and IT management. Some are designed for career changers; others presume computing experience, so check prerequisites before relying on a flexible admissions label. An applied capstone may be more useful than a research thesis if your aim is an operational role. Certifications can complement the degree, but employers may also expect hands-on experience. Confirm whether cybersecurity labs require scheduled attendance or particular equipment.
Computer Science Programs
A computer science master's is a stronger fit for software, algorithms, or advanced computing study than a general IT management degree. It may require programming, discrete mathematics, and other undergraduate-level preparation even when the university uses rolling admission. Bridge or foundation courses can extend the timeline. Compare thesis and project options against your goal: research preparation differs from building a professional portfolio. A degree can strengthen technical preparation, but software jobs do not universally require a master's.
Nursing Programs
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) pathways serve registered nurses pursuing advanced practice, education, or leadership; they are generally not open to applicants without nursing preparation. Programs may require an active RN license, a nursing bachelor's degree or eligible bridge credential, and clinical experience. Admission to a university does not establish eligibility for an MSN concentration. If you seek nurse practitioner practice, verify the program's clinical placement arrangements, applicable accreditation, certification eligibility, and your state's licensing rules before enrolling.
Psychology Programs
A psychology master's may emphasize research, applied behavior, or preparation for further study. Do not assume it qualifies you to practice independently as a psychologist; that occupation generally requires doctoral education and state licensure. Admission may be accessible to applicants from related majors, but research methods and statistics prerequisites are common considerations. Check whether the curriculum includes a thesis and whether its stated career outcomes match your goal. If you want to provide therapy, investigate a specifically licensure-aligned counseling or social work pathway instead.
Education Programs
Education master's degrees serve different purposes: some advance licensed teachers' skills, while others prepare applicants for an initial teaching credential. A school's rolling graduate admission policy may not apply to a selective teacher-preparation track. Confirm whether your chosen concentration requires an existing license, student teaching, or a supervised placement. Online classes do not remove in-person fieldwork requirements. State approval and the program's intended licensure jurisdiction matter more than a convenient start date if your goal is classroom teaching.
Criminal Justice Programs
A criminal justice master's can support study of policy, administration, investigations, or research. Some programs welcome applicants from varied bachelor's backgrounds, making them worth comparing for admission accessibility. Coursework alone does not qualify someone for a law-enforcement position: agencies set their own hiring, training, and background requirements. Before paying for graduate study, compare the degree with the experience or agency training required for your target role. Look for a capstone or applied research option relevant to the work you want.
Engineering Programs
Engineering master's degrees can deepen technical specialization or support research, but most expect substantial mathematics and discipline-specific preparation. Applicants from another major may need foundation courses before taking graduate classes, regardless of rolling admission. Compare a project-based professional master's with a thesis-based research degree. Laboratory access may limit fully online options. If you intend to pursue professional engineer licensure, review your state board's education and experience rules; a master's by itself does not grant a license.
Social Work Programs
A Master of Social Work (MSW) is a practice-oriented route into social work, including clinical pathways where state requirements are met. Standard-entry programs can accept bachelor's graduates from other fields; advanced standing generally requires an eligible social work bachelor's degree and has separate admission rules. Field placements are substantial in-person commitments even when classes are online. Verify programmatic accreditation and the state requirements for the license you want. An MSW does not replace supervised experience or a licensing examination where required.
What Are Open-Enrollment Degrees and Who Can Apply?
An open-enrollment degree is not a single, standardized admissions category. In graduate education, the phrase may mean that applications are reviewed throughout the year, that several entry terms are available, or that applicants from a broad range of bachelor's majors may apply. It rarely means that everyone who applies is admitted.
For the master's fields in this guide, applicants ordinarily need a completed bachelor's degree. A program may also assess grades, prerequisites, work experience, recommendations, or a professional license. Ask admissions staff which policy applies to the specific degree and concentration, whether places are limited, and when an admitted student can actually begin required courses. That distinguishes an accessible application process from an accessible path to completion.
The best career opportunity is the one for which the degree provides relevant preparation and you can meet the occupation's other entry requirements. Business, IT, computer science, healthcare administration, and public health can offer several directions without committing to a single licensed occupation. Nursing, teaching, clinical social work, and some engineering paths require closer scrutiny of credentials and state rules.
These comparisons show where a master's may add value and where another step could matter more. They are not rankings of graduate salaries.
| Goal | Fields to compare | Important qualification |
| Change into technical work | Computer science; information technology | Prerequisite skills and demonstrable projects may matter more than an early start date. |
| Advance within an organization | Business; healthcare administration | Management roles commonly depend on prior experience. |
| Enter a regulated practice | Nursing; social work; education | The exact program and state-specific license pathway must align. |
| Prepare for research or specialization | Psychology; engineering; public health | A thesis, laboratory work, or further education may be necessary for the intended role. |
Before choosing a graduate field for earnings potential, check whether the job normally calls for a master's at all. Some college degrees that pay well can lead toward the same broad industry without graduate tuition; compare that alternative with the specific advancement you expect from further study.
Start with institutional accreditation: confirm the school's current status through its recognized accreditor and the U.S. Department of Education's accreditation database. Check the institution's exact name and campus or operating unit rather than relying on a logo in an advertisement. Institutional accreditation is important for federal aid eligibility and can affect credit acceptance, but it does not prove that a particular degree meets professional licensing rules.
Then check programmatic accreditation or approval where your goal requires it. For an MSW, review Council on Social Work Education accreditation. For nursing, check the applicable nursing program accreditor and state board requirements. Teacher preparation and professional engineering pathways also warrant state-specific review. Ask the program to identify the accrediting body, the status of your exact concentration, and the states for which it says graduates meet educational requirements. If staff cannot answer, resolve that uncertainty before enrolling.
The best delivery format depends on what you must do outside class. Online study can reduce commuting, but it does not necessarily mean self-paced coursework. A campus program may make laboratories or local professional connections easier, while a hybrid program can balance remote classes with required practical work.
This comparison highlights commitments that are easy to miss when a program is advertised as online.
| Format | Potential advantage | What to verify |
| Online | Study without routine classroom travel | Live meetings, deadlines, proctoring, residencies, and local placements |
| Hybrid | Remote coursework alongside in-person activities | Campus visit frequency and travel costs |
| Campus-based | Direct access to facilities and scheduled instruction | Commute, course availability, and compatibility with work |
Business, IT, and some nonclinical healthcare degrees may offer substantial online coursework. Nursing, social work, initial teacher preparation, and laboratory-intensive engineering can require location-specific work regardless of class format. When comparing online colleges, inspect the graduate program's own delivery and placement policies; an institution's online undergraduate offerings do not establish how its master's program operates.
Most master's applicants must submit proof of a bachelor's degree and transcripts. Beyond that, requirements vary by program: an MBA might consider professional experience, computer science may require programming and mathematics, and an MSN may require an RN license. Some programs request recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or a standardized test. A test waiver or conditional-admission route must be confirmed for the specific applicant and program.
To assess whether "open enrollment" genuinely helps you, ask admissions three questions: Is there a published minimum GPA or prerequisite list? Are applications reviewed on a rolling basis, or only before fixed deadlines? Does admission to the university also admit you to this concentration? Get the answers in writing when a policy is unclear. If application charges are a barrier, a list of online colleges with no application fee can help you start a search, but confirm that any waiver applies to the graduate program and your application type.
There is no reliable universal completion time or price for an open-enrollment master's. Required credits, part-time versus full-time study, course sequencing, and thesis or capstone work all affect the timeline. Foundation courses can add time for career changers; clinical hours, field placements, and student teaching can constrain working students' schedules. Rolling admission may let you apply sooner without making the degree faster.
Compare total remaining cost, not tuition alone. Request a degree audit or written plan showing the graduate courses you still need, prerequisite courses, mandatory and program-specific fees, and expected enrollment terms. Add travel, equipment, placement-related expenses, and potential lost work hours where relevant. Ask whether graduate students in your program qualify for federal aid, scholarships, assistantships, or employer tuition assistance. Previously earned graduate credits count only if the program accepts them toward its requirements; a bachelor's degree does not automatically shorten a master's.
Coursework is a useful test of fit because similarly named degrees can prepare students for different work. Business students may study finance, operations, and strategy; IT and computer science students may pursue systems, security, software, or algorithms. Public health often emphasizes epidemiology and population health, while healthcare administration centers more on organizational operations.
Licensure-oriented study adds requirements that are harder to rearrange: an MSN may include advanced clinical coursework and supervised practice; an MSW includes field education; initial teacher preparation includes classroom-based experience. Psychology and engineering programs may offer a thesis, a professional project, or both. Read the course sequence and culminating requirements before choosing an apparently convenient admission date. A guide to the easiest masters can suggest alternatives to explore, but ease is personal: a manageable workload that misses your licensing or career goal is not the better choice.
A master's can support a career move, but occupational wages describe people working in a job - not the expected earnings of new graduates from a particular program. For example, BLS reports 2024 median annual pay of $93,600 for registered nurses. That is an occupational figure encompassing nurses with different qualifications; becoming an RN does not generally require an MSN. An MSN may instead relate to a particular advanced-practice, education, or leadership goal with additional requirements.
Likewise, a computer science master's can be relevant to software work, but employers may hire developers with other educational backgrounds and assess their experience and technical skills. An MBA does not automatically lead to management, and a psychology master's does not independently qualify someone for psychologist licensure. For a realistic return-on-investment check, compare the positions you can pursue now with those for which the proposed degree is required or demonstrably useful. Weigh the program's total cost and time against that difference rather than applying an occupation-wide median salary to yourself.
Which Licenses and Certifications Do Open-Enrollment Graduates Need?
The degree and the professional credential are separate decisions. Requirements depend on the occupation and state. Registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses need applicable nursing licenses; advanced practice can also involve national certification. Clinical social workers commonly need supervised post-degree experience and a state license. Public school teachers must meet state certification requirements, and professional engineer licensure has its own education, examination, and experience rules.
For each program on your shortlist, identify the state where you intend to work and ask its licensing board whether the exact degree and concentration satisfy educational requirements. Then confirm any examination, supervised hours, background check, or continuing education that follows graduation. This step is especially important for online programs that enroll students across state lines. Do not treat admission - or even graduation - as confirmation of license eligibility.
Other Things You Should Know About
Usually not. The term has no universal graduate-admissions meaning, and applicants generally need a bachelor's degree plus any program-specific prerequisites. Rolling admission means applications are reviewed over time, not that admission is guaranteed.
Some are, but the admissions schedule tells you nothing about accreditation. Check the institution's current accreditation and any programmatic accreditation or state approval needed for your intended profession.
It depends on the specific program. Online classes may still involve live sessions or in-person clinical, field, laboratory, or student-teaching requirements. Confirm every required component before applying.
Yes. Many open-enrollment bachelor’s programs admit students without SAT or ACT scores and allow them to begin remedial or foundation courses while they complete prerequisites. Schools may still require a high school diploma or GED, and some majors need minimum placement-test scores before upper-level classes.
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