Data & Research
Graduate Degree Supply & Demand
Most students apply without knowing the market. Now you do. Leadership Brainery gives every Ambassador Fellow access to this map, so you can see exactly where demand is real before you decide where to apply.
43/44
state markets where CS master’s job openings outnumber graduates, the opposite of what most students assume
Computer Science · BLS OES 2024
Tool by Daniel Rogers, College Azimuth
BLS OES 2024 · College Scorecard
How to use this map
Three steps. The map does the rest.
Pick your degree level
Master’s, Doctoral, or Professional. Each one is a different labor market with different supply and demand dynamics.
Filter by field of study
Narrow to your discipline. “All Fields” shows the aggregate picture. A specific field shows exactly where you will compete.
Click any state
A panel opens with the full picture: the supply-to-demand ratio, annual graduate count, openings per year, and what the numbers mean for your decision.
From the data
What the data actually shows
The map looks different depending on where you start. These findings come directly from the BLS OES 2024 numbers underlying the tool.
43/44
states where CS master’s grads find more jobs than competition
The field you choose matters more than the state.
Computer science master’s programs are undersupplied in 43 of 44 tracked state markets. Business master’s programs are oversupplied in 44 of 50 states. Same degree level, same year, entirely different labor market. The aggregate view misleads. Filter to your discipline before drawing any conclusions from the map.
36/37
state markets where health professional degrees are undersupplied
Professional credentials in health outperform master’s in nearly every market.
Health professions at the professional degree level are undersupplied in 36 of 37 tracked markets. In New York: roughly 6,500 openings for fewer than 1,500 graduates each year. In Florida: 4,500 openings for about 430 graduates. If you are weighing a master’s against a professional credential in a health field, the labor market data consistently favors the longer path.
30/49
doctoral state markets with more job openings than PhD graduates
Doctoral degrees compete less than most people expect.
30 of 49 tracked doctoral state markets show more openings than PhD graduates. In New York: 10,155 graduates against 14,616 openings. In Florida: 5,774 graduates, 11,100 openings. The assumption that more school means a harder market is wrong for doctoral programs in health, law, and agriculture.
7/50
states where education master’s degrees are undersupplied
Education and public admin have pockets of real demand.
Education master’s degrees are undersupplied in 7 states: Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington. Public administration and social services: 9 states. Both fields draw many first-generation students. The demand is real in specific places. Use the map to find them, then verify the salary covers the debt before you commit.
What the ratio actually means
Undersupplied. Opportunity.
More openings than graduates in this field and state. Your credential has real weight here. Verify the starting salary clears your debt load before you commit.
Next: Open the Grad Debt Explorer to confirm the starting salary in your field covers what you will borrow.
Competitive. Differentiate.
Supply roughly matches demand. You will compete with others based on your academics, professional experience, network, and the reputation of your university or program.
Next: Narrow the field filter to your exact discipline. A broad “all fields” view averages high-demand and low-demand programs together, so a balanced number here can hide a market that is actually strong (or weak) for your specific field.
Oversupplied. Investigate.
More graduates than openings. That does not mean do not go. It means check adjacent fields, employer-sponsored paths, or states where your discipline shows stronger demand.
Next: Check 3 to 4 states with real job markets in your field before you rule anything out.
Using this tool
How to read this for your situation
This is how Leadership Brainery advisors work through the map with Ambassador Fellows. Five steps, in order.
Start with your degree level, not the field.
Master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees compete in separate labor markets. If your target field offers multiple credential paths, check each one on the map before comparing them against each other.
Filter to your field before looking at your state.
The default “all fields” view is heavily weighted toward business and education graduates, who represent the largest share of enrollment. The aggregate picture can mislead you. Narrow to your discipline first.
Check your target state. Then check 3 neighboring states.
If your state shows strong demand in your field, that is useful signal. If it shows oversupply, use the map to find the nearest markets where demand is real. Geography is a constraint you can reason about, not a fixed wall.
Take the ratio to the Grad Debt Explorer.
A ratio below 100 means the market is in your favor. That only matters if the starting salary in your field actually covers what you will borrow. Open the Grad Debt Explorer and run the comparison before you decide on a program.
If the numbers do not clear, investigate adjacent fields.
An oversupplied market in one field sometimes sits next to an undersupplied one in a related discipline. The field filter lets you check adjacent options without leaving the map. If you are unsure what adjacent means for your area of study, that is exactly what the Ambassador Fellowship is built to help you figure out.
The full picture
The ratio is a signal. Debt is the cost.
A ratio below 100 means the market is in your favor. That leverage only pays off if the starting salary in your field actually covers your debt. A ratio of 60 is a real advantage, but a $42K salary against $90K borrowed still doesn’t work. Know both numbers before you commit.
This is the framework Leadership Brainery uses with every fellow: find fields where demand is real, verify the salary covers the debt, then choose a program worth the investment. Supply and demand is where the analysis starts, not where it ends.
Leadership Brainery exists to close the information gap that holds first-generation students back. This kind of data used to live behind closed doors, accessible only to students whose families already knew how to navigate the system. Now it’s yours.
For first-gen students
Ambassador Fellowship
A $10,000 grant and a cohort built to help you find programs worth the debt, and walk away from ones that are not. Navigation, not guesswork.
See if you qualify →Pair this with
Grad Debt Explorer
Average graduate debt by school, degree, and field. See the cost side to match against this map.
Open the tool →Free for everyone
Resource Hub
Program guides, financial aid basics, and application timelines, curated for first-generation graduate students.
Browse resources →