Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    An AI-Driven Work Force
    University Transformation
Sign In
Data

Where Graduate Enrollments Are Booming

By Audrey Williams June and Brian O’Leary November 30, 2021

Throughout the many reports of declining enrollment during the pandemic, graduate education has been an unexpected bright spot.

But federal data show that much of the growth in graduate enrollments came from unlikely sources. It wasn’t from the doctoral institutions often considered to be the bedrock of graduate studies. Instead, graduate enrollment increased at many less-selective baccalaureate colleges and master’s institutions, and at colleges whose graduate programs were predominantly online prior to the pandemic.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

Throughout the many reports of declining enrollment during the pandemic, graduate education has been an unexpected bright spot.

But federal data show that much of the growth in graduate enrollments came from unlikely sources. It wasn’t from the doctoral institutions often considered to be the bedrock of graduate studies. Instead, graduate enrollment increased at many less-selective baccalaureate colleges and master’s institutions, and at colleges whose graduate programs were predominantly online before the pandemic.

A Chronicle analysis of preliminary enrollment data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that graduate enrollment at baccalaureate colleges nationwide was up nearly 10 percent in fall 2020, from a year earlier. Master’s colleges saw an increase of 7.6 percent in their graduate enrollments. And at colleges where at least 75 percent of graduate students were enrolled exclusively online, graduate enrollment was up 9.6 percent.

Meanwhile graduate attendance at doctoral institutions fell 0.8 percent in fall 2020.

The top-line numbers hide a fair amount of variation within categories. For instance, graduate enrollment at private baccalaureate colleges was up 4.7 percent in fall 2020 from a year earlier. Bigger gains could be seen at the institution level: Moravian University, a private liberal-arts college in Pennsylvania, saw its graduate attendance increase 16.1 percent, to 608 students.

According to a letter from its provost in early November, Moravian — which officially shed its status as a college and became a university in July — has been “building out” its graduate programs to offset the losses it sustains from enrolling undergraduate students whose tuition is discounted. Moravian has more than 45 graduate and certificate programs in areas that include business, education, and nursing.

The sharpest increases in graduate attendance for the fall of 2020 at master’s colleges were at two private institutions that in 2019 had fewer than 500 graduate students each: St. Joseph’s College, in New York, and Concordia University, in Nebraska. Enrollment at St. Joseph’s was up 395 percent to 1,109 students and Concordia increased 123 percent to 1,065 students.

Other key findings are below:

A version of this article appeared in the December 10, 2021, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
Graduate Education Data Admissions & Enrollment
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
June_Audrey_Williams.jpg
About the Author
Audrey Williams June
Audrey Williams June is the news-data manager at The Chronicle. She explores and analyzes data sets, databases, and records to uncover higher-education trends, insights, and stories. Email her at audrey.june@chronicle.com, or follow her on Twitter @audreywjune.
Oleary_Brian.jpg
About the Author
Brian O’Leary
Brian O’Leary is an interactive news editor at The Chronicle, where he builds data visualizations and other interactive news products. Email him at brian.oleary@chronicle.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Mangan-Censorship-0610.jpg
Academic Freedom
‘A Banner Year for Censorship’: More States Are Restricting Classroom Discussions on Race and Gender
On the day of his retirement party, Bob Morse poses for a portrait in the Washington, D.C., offices of U.S. News and World Report in June 2025. Morse led the magazine's influential and controversial college rankings efforts since its inception in 1988. Michael Theis, The Chronicle.
List Legacy
‘U.S. News’ Rankings Guru, Soon to Retire, Reflects on the Role He’s Played in Higher Ed
Black and white photo of the Morrill Hall building on the University of Minnesota campus with red covering one side.
Finance & operations
U. of Minnesota Tries to Soften the Blow of Tuition Hikes, Budget Cuts With Faculty Benefits
Photo illustration showing a figurine of a football player with a large price tag on it.
Athletics
Loans, Fees, and TV Money: Where Colleges Are Finding the Funds to Pay Athletes

From The Review

A stack of coins falling over. Motion blur. Falling economy concept. Isolated on white.
The Review | Opinion
Will We Get a More Moderate Endowment Tax?
By Phillip Levine
Photo illustration of a classical column built of paper, with colored wires overtaking it like vines of ivy
The Review | Essay
The Latest Awful EdTech Buzzword: “Learnings”
By Kit Nicholls
William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Review | Interview
William F. Buckley Jr. and the Origins of the Battle Against ‘Woke’
By Evan Goldstein

Upcoming Events

Plain_Acuity_DurableSkills_VF.png
Why Employers Value ‘Durable’ Skills
Warwick_Leadership_Javi.png
University Transformation: A Global Leadership Perspective
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin