Graduate Degree Attainment in the Teacher Workforce - Patterns and Evidence of Impact - October 2025

Oct 15, 2026

The report analyzes national and Midwest patterns in teachers’ graduate degree attainment, focusing on master’s degrees and how rates vary by urbanization, school socioeconomic status, and program major. It evaluates major-subject congruence between teachers’ graduate fields and their classroom assignments, then reviews evidence on student and teacher outcomes. Findings summarize degree- and alignment-dependent effects on achievement, postsecondary persistence, and teacher professional impacts, and concludes with policy options to improve goals, program quality, and data collection.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages34

Reading Time1 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

Report Overview

Research Highlights

Policy Options

Graduate Degree Attainment in the Teacher Workforce: Patterns and Evidence of Impact October 2025 105 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-677-2777 [MHEC.ORG | mhec@mhec.org](MHEC.ORG | mhec@mhec.org) © Copyright 2025 Midwestern Higher Education Compact. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors gratefully acknowledge the valuable feedback provided on an earlier version of this report by Kevin G. Bastian, research associate professor and director of EPIC at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. AUTHORS Aaron S. Horn Midwestern Higher Education Compact Olena G. Horner University of Minnesota COPY EDITING & DESIGN Kathy Graves Brigitte Parenteau Parenteau Graves Recommended Citation Horn, A. S., & Horner, O. G. (2025). Graduate degree attainment in the teacher workforce: Patterns and evidence of impact. Midwestern Higher Education Compact. Report Overview Teachers play a critical role in shaping student success, and the attainment of a graduate degree, particularly a master’s degree, has been frequently regarded as an indicator of teacher effectiveness. Many states and school districts encourage or require graduate education, with 88% of large districts incorporating master’s degree attainment into teacher compensation structures (Nittler, 2018). However, researchers have often uncovered complex and mixed results on the impact of graduate degree attainment on student and teacher outcomes. This report examines national and Midwest1 state trends in teacher graduate degree attainment with an emphasis on master’s degrees, highlighting differences by urbanization, school socioeconomic status, and program major. It also examines rates of major-subject congruence; that is, the alignment between a teacher’s graduate degree and their classroom teaching assignment. An overview is then provided of research on the effects of graduate education on student and teacher outcomes. Finally, the report presents several options to improve policies and outcomes related to teacher graduate education, including defining policy goals, improving major-subject congruence, strengthening graduate program quality, broadening effectiveness measures, and enhancing data collection. | RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS | | | --- | --- | | » Master’s Degree Attainment: Nationally, in 2020-21, 60% of public school teachers held a master’s degree, the most common level of graduate education, though this rate varies significantly across states. In the Midwest, Ohio (71%), Illinois (70%), Nebraska (64%), Minnesota (66%), and Missouri (66%) surpassed the national average for teachers holding master’s degrees. Within states, teachers in urban and suburban schools are more likely to hold master’s degrees than those in rural or lower-income schools.
» Master’s Degree Major: Nationally, in 2020- 21, 12% of teachers’ master’s degrees were in non-curricular fields such as educational administration, whereas 38% were in general education fields (e.g., secondary education) and 46% were in subject-specific areas such as English and language arts. Major-subject congruence varies by school level and subject area. For instance, among teachers | with a primary assignment in mathematics, major-subject congruence ranged from 36% among primary, middle, and combined school math teachers to 54% among high
school math teachers.
» Student Test Scores: The effect of teachers holding a graduate degree on student test performance varies by school level, subject area, and the extent to which the degree aligns with teachers’ instructional content. Generally, positive effects of in-area graduate degrees have been most consistently documented in STEM subject areas. Conversely, across all school levels, having a graduate degree outside one’s primary teaching area was generally linked to null or negative outcomes for student achievement.
• Elementary Schools: At the elementary level, most research finds no effect of | 1 Consistent with t

FAQs

What factors influence master’s degree attainment among teachers, according to the report?

Attainment varies by urbanization, school socioeconomic status, and program major. Urban and suburban teachers are more likely to hold master’s degrees than rural or lower-income counterparts.

What is major-subject congruence and why does it matter?

Major-subject congruence is the alignment between a teacher’s graduate degree and the classroom teaching assignment. The report shows that effects on outcomes differ depending on whether graduate degrees match instructional content.

How does graduate degree attainment relate to student achievement and postsecondary outcomes?

Evidence suggests the impact depends on school level, subject area, and degree alignment. The report also notes emerging findings that sustained exposure to in-area graduate-qualified math and science teachers is associated with higher odds of completing a postsecondary degree.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Taylor Morgan