Military Science and Operational Studies Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Military Science and Operational Studies maps to BLS occupations averaging about $111,866, with roughly 32,580 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 66%; common paths include Biological Scientists, All Other and Soil and Plant Scientists.
Key Statistics
Military Science and Operational Studies: what the data shows
Common questions about military science and operational studies degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a military science and operational studies degree?
A Military Science and Operational Studies program is classified under NCES CIP 00.2805 in the 00.0028 field family (00.28).
Types of military science and operational studies degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.28 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Air Force ROTC, Air Science and Operations (CIP 00.2801)
- Army ROTC, Military Science and Operations (CIP 00.2803)
- Security Policy and Strategy (CIP 00.2806)
What do you learn in military science and operational studies?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Active Learning, Speaking, Science, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Biological Scientists, All Other (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a military science and operational studies degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Military Science and Operational Studies to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Conservation Scientists | 25,590 | $67,950 |
| Animal Scientists | 2,470 | $79,120 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 22,510 | $99,240 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Military Science and Operational Studies and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$N/A Median In-State Public
$8,400 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Military Science and Operational Studies majors are, on average, $N/A for in-state public colleges, and $8,400 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Military Science and Operational Studies programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
N/A Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Military Science and Operational Studies from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Military Science and Operational Studies.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Public University System | WV | 38,976 |
| 2 | Excelsior University | NY | 12,701 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Military Science and Operational Studies programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Public University System | WV | $8,400 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Military Science and Operational Studies programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Public University System | WV | $9,104 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Military Science and Operational Studies programs.
Graduation Rates
65.78% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
64.82% Average Graduation Rate
114 Institutions Reporting
55.09% - 76.80% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Military Science and Operational Studies programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.28 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Air Force ROTC, Air Science and Operations CIP 00.2801
- Army ROTC, Military Science and Operations CIP 00.2803
- Security Policy and Strategy CIP 00.2806
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $111,866. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Military Science and Operational Studies graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $124,288 | 59,710 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | $94,151 | 16,600 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
| Conservation Scientists | $90,227 | 25,590 |
| Animal Scientists | — | 2,470 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $122,337 | 22,510 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$114,838 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Military Science and Operational Studies majors is $114,838.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Military Science and Operational Studies majors.
Occupations by Share
32,580 2023 Workforce
The number of Military Science and Operational Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Military Science and Operational Studies by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Military Science and Operational Studies in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Military Science and Operational Studies.
Age distribution for Military Science and Operational Studies degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Military Science and Operational Studies degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Military Science and Operational Studies degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Military Science and Operational Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Military Science and Operational Studies.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Military Science and Operational Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Military Science and Operational Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Military Science and Operational Studies majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Military Science and Operational Studies majors.
About
Military Science and Operational Studies
In 2023, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Military Science and Operational Studies.
CIP Code
00.2805 - Military Science and Operational Studies
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $111,866. The largest mapped role by headcount is Biological Scientists, All Other (59,710 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.