Survey Research/Methodology Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Survey Research/Methodology maps to BLS occupations averaging about $89,313, with roughly 7,720 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $8,092; a top linked occupation is Survey Researchers.
Key Statistics
Survey Research/Methodology: what the data shows
Common questions about survey research/methodology degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a survey research/methodology degree?
A Survey Research/Methodology program is classified under NCES CIP 45.0103 in the Social Sciences, General field family (45.01).
A program that focuses on survey research design to gather data about behaviors, demographics, opinions, and data analysis to answer complex questions. Includes instruction in the analysis of survey data, cross-cultural and multi-population survey methodology, data collection methods, modes of survey analysis, quantitative analysis, questionnaire design, research design, sampling, survey error, and structural equation modeling
Types of survey research/methodology degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 45.01 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods (CIP 45.0102)
- Social Sciences, General (CIP 45.0101)
How long does it take to get a survey research/methodology degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 45.0103 in our file:
- 5 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Survey Researchers (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 survey research/methodology degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Survey Research/Methodology 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Survey Researchers | 7,720 | $63,380 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a survey research/methodology degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Social Sciences, General bachelor's program family: median debt $18,761, median earnings $53,366 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.50.
About 6.8% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,092 and median net price is $15,864.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Survey Research/Methodology and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,092 Median In-State Public
$40,848 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Survey Research/Methodology majors are, on average, $8,092 for in-state public colleges, and $40,848 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Survey Research/Methodology programs.
Institutions awarding the most Survey Research/Methodology degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Connecticut | CT | 11 |
| 2 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | 2 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
N/A Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Survey Research/Methodology from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Survey Research/Methodology.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 85,991 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 5 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Survey Research/Methodology programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 4 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 5 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Survey Research/Methodology programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 2 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 3 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
| 4 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,115 |
| 5 | South Texas College | TX | $1,751 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Survey Research/Methodology programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Survey Research/Methodology programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 45.01 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods CIP 45.0102
- Social Sciences, General CIP 45.0101
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 45.0103 in the survey year used in our extract (5 total across levels below).
- 5 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
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 $89,313. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Survey Research/Methodology graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Survey Researchers | $89,313 | 7,720 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Social Sciences, General CIP family (20 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Survey Research/Methodology graduate.
- $18,761 median federal loan debt among completers
- $53,366 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 6.8% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
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
$89,313 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Survey Research/Methodology majors is $89,313.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Survey Research/Methodology majors.
Occupations by Share
7,720 2023 Workforce
The number of Survey Research/Methodology graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Survey Research/Methodology by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Survey Research/Methodology in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Survey Research/Methodology.
Age distribution for Survey Research/Methodology degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
13 Total Degrees Awarded
6 Male (46.15%)
7 Female (53.85%)
Gender distribution of Survey Research/Methodology degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
10 White (76.92%)
3 Hispanic or Latino (23.08%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Survey Research/Methodology degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Survey Research/Methodology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Survey Research/Methodology.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Survey Research/Methodology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Survey Research/Methodology majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Survey Research/Methodology 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 Survey Research/Methodology majors.
About
A program that focuses on survey research design to gather data about behaviors, demographics, opinions, and data analysis to answer complex questions. Includes instruction in the analysis of survey data, cross-cultural and multi-population survey methodology, data collection methods, modes of survey analysis, quantitative analysis, questionnaire design, research design, sampling, survey error, and structural equation modeling
In 2023, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Survey Research/Methodology.
CIP Code
45.0103 - Survey Research/Methodology
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $18,761 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $53,366, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Survey Research/Methodology graduate.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $89,313. The largest mapped role by headcount is Survey Researchers (7,720 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,092 in-state at public colleges and $40,848 at private institutions for programs in this field.
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.