| Degree Level | 2024 New Students | 2025 New Students | % Change | Units Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 38,837 | 39,313 | +1.2% | 95 |
| Master's | 22,681 | 19,282 | -15.0% | 110 |
| Doctoral | 3,419 | 2,982 | -12.8% | 119 |
Enrollment & Degree Production Overview
Summary
Bachelor’s degree production hit a new high despite a flat top of the funnel. Newly admitted Bachelor’s majors were essentially level (+1.2%, 38,837 to 39,313) and total Bachelor’s enrollment slipped 3.1% (198,533 to 192,329), yet Bachelor’s degrees awarded jumped 11.9% (41,058 to 45,932). This reflects the unusually large cohorts admitted four to five years earlier now reaching graduation.
Master’s programs contracted sharply on both ends of the pipeline. Among units reporting in both years, newly admitted master’s students fell 15.0% (22,681 to 19,282) and total master’s enrollment fell 24.9% (59,107 to 44,363). Master’s degrees awarded slipped 4.4% (28,784 to 27,515).
Doctoral admissions softened, but degree production rose. Newly admitted doctoral students fell 12.8% (3,419 to 2,982), while doctoral degrees awarded climbed 14.4% (1,790 to 2,048). Because PhD production lags admissions by several years, the rise in 2025 doctorates reflects the larger admission cohorts of the early 2020s reaching completion rather than a current expansion.
New Enrollment Changes
Figure 1a and Table 1a compare newly admitted students from 2024 to 2025 at each degree level. New enrollment is the leading indicator of program demand: shifts here typically surface in total enrollment a year or two later, and in degree production several years after that.
Total Enrollment Changes
Figure 1b and Table 1b compare total enrolled students at each degree level between 2024 and 2025. Total enrollment reflects the cumulative stock of students in each program: students admitted in earlier cohorts continue to be counted here until they graduate or leave, so this measure changes more slowly than new enrollment.
| Degree Level | 2024 Total Students | 2025 Total Students | % Change | Units Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 198,533 | 192,329 | -3.1% | 117 |
| Master's | 59,107 | 44,363 | -24.9% | 122 |
| Doctoral | 18,093 | 17,686 | -2.2% | 123 |
Degree Production Changes
Figure 1c and Table 1c report year-over-year change in degrees awarded at each level. Degree production is the slowest-moving of the three indicators: a degree conferred in 2025 reflects an admission decision made years earlier, so swings here trail the new-enrollment changes shown in Table 1a by the length of each program.
| Degree Level | 2024 Total Degrees | 2025 Total Degrees | % Change | Units Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 41,058 | 45,932 | +11.9% | 117 |
| Master's | 28,784 | 27,515 | -4.4% | 121 |
| Doctoral | 1,790 | 2,048 | +14.4% | 98 |