2 minute read
On the up: The doctoral degree market has increased a notable 18% since 2010. While some programs are positioned to thrive over the coming decade, others are likely to decline.
Based on the latest data from the 2018/2019 academic year, here’s a snapshot of the four largest doctoral verticals and programs within to watch.
Health
44% of all doctoral grads
Health is growing steadily and has consistently been the largest doctoral level vertical for the last decade.
Largest Health Program
Medicine
19k+ grads, 2% growth, 0% online
Doctoral Health Programs
Highest Online Adoption
Most health programs are still ground-only, but certain programs have significant online adoption.
(min. 40 programs reporting grads)
51% Nursing Practice
44% Occupational Therapy
39% Registered Nursing
29% Family Nursing Practice
29% Nursing Science
Fastest-Growing Health Programs
Numerous health and nursing accreditation bodies are considering doctoral-level study as a new requirement for licensure. This has spurred some health doctorates to grow significantly in recent years.
Nurse Anesthetist
Occupational Therapy
Family Practice Nursing
Nursing Practice
Law
18% of all doctoral grads
With the Juris Doctor (J.D.) as the largest doctoral program, law is the second-largest vertical in the doctoral education market.
Largest Law Program
Juris Doctor
34k+ grads, -5% growth, 1% online
After peaking with 47,549 graduates in 2013, this program has leveled out with about 35,000 annually in recent years.
Education
7% of all doctoral grads
Education is growing steadily and has consistently been the third largest doctoral-level vertical for the last decade.
Largest Education Program
Educational Leadership and Administration
4,836 grads, 4% growth, 23% online
Doctoral Education Programs
Highest Online Adoption
Most education programs are currently ground-only, but there has been a steady shift to online instruction.
(min. 40 programs reporting grads)
28% Higher Education Administration
24% Educational Leadership and Administration
19% Education, General
18% Curriculum and Instruction
Fastest-Growing Education Programs
Doctoral-level education and the job market are aligned. Jobs for post-secondary education administrators are projected to grow 4% by 2029, closely in step with the growth of top doctoral education programs.
Higher Education Administration
Curriculum and Instruction
Education, General
Engineering
6% of all doctoral grads
Engineering has consistently been the fourth-largest doctoral-level vertical for the last decade.
Largest Engineering Program
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
2,272 grads, 0% growth, 4% online
Doctoral Engineering Programs
Highest Online Adoption
Few doctoral-level engineering programs are online. Industrial engineering and electrical engineering are the only programs that are more than 2% online.
(min. 40 programs reporting grads)
6% Industrial Engineering
4% Electrical Engineering
Fastest-Growing Engineering Programs
The engineering job market is expected to grow 3.8% by 2029, leading to about 69,000 new jobs.
Materials Engineering
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Wiley University Services can equip your university with in-depth analytics to help you meet learners’ needs.
For more insights, download the full report, State of the Education Market: Trends and Insights in Key Doctoral Disciplines.
