Graduate Market Overview: Healthcare

2 minute read

Healthcare spending accounted for almost 18 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2016¹. Not surprisingly, graduate programs in the health discipline are growing quickly in tandem with the expansion of the industry. Find out which health-related master’s programs are seeing growth or decline in our market overview infographic, which investigates the trends happening in the graduate healthcare market.

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Executive Summary

Health is currently the third largest discipline for graduate programs, and is on track to soon eclipse Education to become the second largest.

Healthcare spending accounted for almost 18 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2016. Not surprisingly, graduate programs in the Health discipline are growing quickly in tandem with the expansion of the industry.

2016 U.S. Masters Awarded by Discipline

• Health: 111,156
• Education: 148,627
• Business: 189,435
• Other: 179,106
• Engineering: 52,775
• Public Admin and Social Service: 47,089
• Computer and Info Systems: 40,410
• Psychology: 28,163

Number of Graduates in Health Programs from 2010-2016

• 2010: 65,422
• 2011: 71,770
• 2012: 80,276
• 2013: 88,051
• 2014: 97,951
• 2015: 103,788
• 2016: 111,156

Total Growth Over 6 Years: 70%

Number of Institutions Reporting Graduates in Health Programs from 2010-2016

• 2010: 944
• 2011: 973
• 2012: 1,005
• 2013: 1,055
• 2014: 1,101
• 2015: 1,139
• 2016: 1,177

Total Growth Over 6 Years: 25%

Average Students Per Institution from 2010-2016

• 2010: 69
• 2011: 74
• 2012: 80
• 2013: 83
• 2014: 89
• 2015: 91
• 2016: 94

Total Growth Over 6 Years: 36%

Program Growth: Distance vs. Ground

Distance:

• 2012: 491 (14% of total)
• 2013: 699 (18% of total)
• 2014: 833 (20% of total)
• 2015: 919 (21% of total)
• 2016: 1,049 (23% of total)

Total Distance Growth: 114%

Ground:

• 2012: 3,015
• 2013: 3,133
• 2014: 3,310
• 2015: 3,470
• 2016: 3,513

Total Ground Growth: 17%

Key Takeaways

• The discipline is growing at a dramatic rate: 9% per year.
• Competition is also growing, at 4% per year, but not as quickly as growth in programs.
• 23% of health programs are online

Program Area Insights

• Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are still an emerging opportunity.
• MSN-Nurse Practitioner (especially Family Nurse Practitioner) are the most desirable programs, followed by specializations in Administration.
• Healthcare Management is still a safe option, but the market is getting crowded.
• RN-BSNs are a challenging market. The most successful programs are fast and inexpensive.
• Public Health offers solid opportunities, and there may be a market for programs that are not CEPH-accredited.
• Mental Health Counseling and Physician’s Assistant are emerging opportunities, but face some challenges.

Top 10 Skills Employers Want in Job Candidates

Make sure the types of Health programs you are offering align with the top skills and abilities employers in the field are seeking today:²

• Health Care: Mental and Behavioral Health Specialties: 132,064
• Education and Training: Teaching: 133,179
• Information Technology: Microsoft Office and Productivity Tools: 133,345
• Health Care: Patient Education and Support: 134,498
• Health Care: Mental and Behavioral Health Specialties: 157,217
• Health Care: Advanced Patient Care: 240,193
• Health Care: General Medicine: 271,556
• Health Care: Medical Support: 432,879
• Health Care: Basic Patient Care: 441,442
• Health Care: Emergency and Intensive Care: 502,994

Number of 2017/2018 job postings that request skills within each health-related skill cluster.

¹The Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
²May 2017-April 2018. Labor Insight Jobs (Burning Glass Technologies)

Wiley Education Services constantly analyzes the latest research to develop strategic plans for our partners. By identifying the right programs for each institution, we ensure that resources are appropriately allocated and that educational offerings are aligned with students’ needs and market trends.

For more graduate market insights, such as an overview of the graduate education or business markets, visit our Resources page to choose from a variety of other higher education topics.