About 26,000 fewer students are pursuing a master’s degree than last spring.
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Spring 2026 enrollment trends largely mirrored those from the fall, with modest gains in undergraduate enrollment while graduate enrollment stayed about level with the previous spring. Here are three key takeaways from the newest data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The number of master’s degree candidates fell.
Though graduate enrollment remained steady, the number of students pursuing a master’s degree specifically declined 1.3 percent, representing 26,000 students, according to the NSCRC data, published Thursday. Master’s program enrollment peaked in fall 2024 before beginning to decline; the cause of that decrease is unclear, but some have postulated that the value of a master’s degree has diminished as they become increasingly common. Research has also shown poor return on investment for some master’s programs.
