Average Cost of Graduate & Professional Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Data analysis based on College Scorecard 2024 data. Comprehensive cost analysis for
Key Facts
- Data analysis based on College Scorecard 2024 data.
Download the data
Downloads reflect the processed dataset used to generate this page’s charts and tables.
Average Annual Cost by Degree Type
Graduate & Professional Degree Costs Overview
Professional degree costs vary significantly. Dental programs have the highest average annual cost at $57,500, while Masters programs are the most affordable at $23,920.92 - a 2.4x difference.
Average annual tuition costs for graduate and professional degree programs. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Graduate Program Costs: Public vs Private
Public vs Private Graduate Program Costs
Private non-profit institutions charge significantly more for graduate programs, with median tuition of $32,520 compared to $18,583 at public institutions - a 1.7x difference.
Comparison of median tuition for graduate programs at public and private institutions. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Top 10 States by Graduate Program Costs
Graduate Program Costs by State
Graduate program costs vary significantly by state. VT has the highest median tuition at $49,740, while IN has the lowest at $31,361 - a 1.6x difference.
Median graduate program tuition by state. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Master's Degree Costs
Master's Degree Costs
The average annual cost for master's degree programs is $23,920.92, with a median of $22,356. Costs range from $11,178 to $44,712 across 2,659 institutions offering these programs.
Cost statistics for master's degree programs. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Doctorate Degree Costs
Doctorate Degree Costs
The average annual cost for doctorate degree programs is $29,618.57, with a median of $27,173. Costs range from $16,303.80 to $54,346 across 1,987 institutions offering these programs.
Cost statistics for doctorate degree programs. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Medical School Costs
Medical School Costs
The average annual cost for medical school programs is $55,000, with a median of $52,500. Costs range from $27,500 to $75,000 across 0 institutions offering these programs.
Cost statistics for medical school programs. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Law School Costs
Law School Costs
The average annual cost for law school programs is $45,000, with a median of $42,500. Costs range from $25,000 to $70,000 across 0 institutions offering these programs.
Cost statistics for law school programs. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Dental School Costs
Dental School Costs
The average annual cost for dental school programs is $57,500, with a median of $55,000. Costs range from $30,000 to $80,000 across 0 institutions offering these programs.
Cost statistics for dental school programs. Source: College Scorecard (2024 data).
Data by State
| State | Median | Mean | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| VT | $49,740 | $50,888.89 | 9 |
| MA | $45,174 | $44,225.62 | 73 |
| RI | $43,418.50 | $42,780.42 | 12 |
| CT | $40,813 | $40,095.88 | 26 |
| OR | $37,276 | $37,622.42 | 24 |
| NH | $36,418 | $34,595.46 | 13 |
| IA | $34,762 | $33,716.15 | 33 |
| PA | $33,191.50 | $36,205.56 | 124 |
| ME | $31,463 | $35,772.83 | 18 |
| IN | $31,361 | $31,013.94 | 53 |
| IL | $31,360 | $32,067.95 | 63 |
| KS | $30,432 | $26,369.10 | 31 |
| MD | $28,706 | $32,171.27 | 30 |
| MI | $28,440 | $29,253.14 | 51 |
| VA | $27,994 | $29,628.73 | 56 |
| KY | $27,000 | $26,457.45 | 33 |
| WI | $26,675 | $28,946.90 | 40 |
| DC | $26,610 | $34,724 | 11 |
| SC | $24,855 | $27,123.55 | 38 |
| NC | $24,849 | $27,755.49 | 65 |
| NE | $23,103 | $24,937.35 | 20 |
| MT | $22,386 | $21,574.79 | 14 |
| OH | $22,276 | $27,046.44 | 110 |
| TN | $22,208 | $26,161.09 | 46 |
| CA | $22,194 | $30,196.10 | 172 |
| CO | $21,735 | $26,589.70 | 30 |
| MO | $21,233 | $23,660.83 | 58 |
| NJ | $20,785 | $24,483.86 | 57 |
| HI | $20,671 | $21,182 | 8 |
| AK | $20,640 | $16,915.29 | 7 |
| ID | $20,548 | $21,906.08 | 12 |
| AL | $20,221 | $19,917.72 | 32 |
| MN | $20,130 | $28,877.40 | 45 |
| OK | $19,704 | $21,568.11 | 27 |
| TX | $19,261 | $22,541.80 | 120 |
| NY | $19,181 | $28,686.03 | 192 |
| WV | $18,842 | $20,178.36 | 22 |
| AZ | $18,607.50 | $20,654.88 | 24 |
| UT | $18,246 | $18,918 | 17 |
| GA | $18,145 | $22,575.35 | 63 |
| LA | $17,791 | $21,487.82 | 28 |
| NV | $17,495 | $18,830.18 | 11 |
| AR | $16,850 | $19,599.60 | 25 |
| FL | $16,750 | $20,773.19 | 111 |
| VI | $16,557 | $16,557 | 1 |
| DE | $14,430 | $19,305.33 | 6 |
| NM | $14,342 | $18,475.82 | 11 |
| MS | $12,836 | $16,798.94 | 18 |
| SD | $12,809 | $15,927.53 | 15 |
| WA | $11,646 | $21,253.05 | 57 |
| ND | $11,237 | $11,838.33 | 15 |
| WY | $11,100 | $13,596.60 | 5 |
| GU | $9,465 | $9,465 | 2 |
| PR | $7,630 | $7,933.05 | 59 |
| MH | $7,480 | $7,480 | 1 |
| AS | $5,600 | $5,600 | 1 |
| MP | $5,520 | $5,520 | 1 |
| FM | $5,050 | $5,050 | 1 |
FAQ
Tuition & college costs
What is published tuition versus net tuition?
Published tuition is the advertised rate before scholarships. Net tuition reflects grants applied—College Scorecard and IPEDS publish income-band net price estimates for many campuses.
Why do public colleges list different prices for residents and non-residents?
Public institutions receive state subsidies tied to resident students; non-residents typically pay higher published tuition because general funds paid by state taxpayers reduce resident charges.
Do fees and program-specific charges matter as much as tuition?
Yes—mandatory fees, lab fees, and program equipment can add thousands per year. Always read the full cost of attendance breakdown for the campus and major.
How should I compare costs across states or sectors?
Align sector (two-year vs four-year), residency, and academic year. National averages never substitute for a specific student’s award letter.
Where can readers find campus-level prices?
Use the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard school profile or IPEDS for institutional sticker and net-price bands.
Using this page
What does this page cover on “Average Cost of Graduate & Professional Degrees”?
Comprehensive cost analysis for Master's, Doctorate, Medical, Law, and Dental school programs.
Which sources power the numbers here?
Figures draw on College Scorecard, and Census ACS. Use Data Sources for exact tables, APIs, and methodology notes.
Why might these figures differ from another chart or headline?
If another outlet shows a different total, check whether the cohort (all borrowers vs undergraduates only), academic year, and data source match. Mixing definitions is the most common reason charts appear to conflict.
How often is this page updated?
We refresh when upstream federal releases change and the site rebuild ships new CSV/JSON extracts. The Last updated line points to the latest editorial pass on this HTML.
Data Sources
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and enrollment data
- Data year: 2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Census ACS - U.S. Census Bureau
- Demographic and workforce data
- Data year: 2023
- Source: census.gov