Graduate School

Key takeaways:

More than 17 percent of all U.S. college students are considered to be graduate students.
Students hoping to pursue certain specialized careers should consider attending graduate school after they have completed their undergraduate degrees.
Graduate school involves more rigorous study than undergrad, but it awards degrees that permit students to perform more specialized careers as a result.

As of the Education Data Initiative’s 2024 report, more than 17 percent of all post-secondary students in the United States were enrolled in graduate programs. Whether you are a current graduate student or an undergraduate student exploring your post-grad options, Scholarships.com has all the information you need about graduate school. Keep reading to learn more.

What is graduate school?

Graduate schools, also known as grad schools, are educational institutions or programs that grant higher-level degrees than the ones you may receive at a community college or undergraduate institution. These advanced degrees qualify students for more specialized, higher-paying careers upon their entry into the workforce. Below is a description of the types of degrees offered at graduate schools and the differences between them.

Master's degrees

A master’s degree is the first— and sometimes the only— degree that students pursue once they have completed their undergraduate studies. Earning a master’s degree typically entails 2 additional years of study in a specialized field such as business administration or library sciences. Most master’s-level students study via a combination of traditional academic courses and individual research.

Some schools offer combined bachelor’s-to-master’s programs, allowing undergraduates to enroll in graduate-level courses and receive their master’s degrees on an expedited schedule. If you are already certain of your career path before you have enrolled in your undergraduate studies, you may consider looking into such programs to accelerate your college experience.

Doctoral degrees

A doctoral degree, also known as a doctorate, is the highest-level degree students can achieve in graduate school. Typically, students must earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in order to qualify for a doctorate. The most common doctoral degree in the U.S. is the PhD, also known as the doctor of philosophy.

Depending on the field, doctoral studies may take up to 8 years to complete, but once a student has received a doctorate, they are considered exceptionally qualified in their area of study and can easily find well-paying, specialized careers. This is because doctoral students must complete and defend a thesis or equivalent project to prove their knowledge before the degree is awarded.

Professional degrees

A professional degree is a kind of degree specifically tailored to qualify a student for a particular career or trade. While it is possible to obtain an undergraduate professional degree, the majority of professional degrees you can earn are considered to be master’s or doctoral-level degrees. Some examples of professional degrees include law degrees and medical degrees such as dentistry, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy.

Professional degrees differ from standard master’s and doctoral degrees because they permit recipients to perform or practice a certain specialized career. For instance, the law degree required to practice law in the United States is a professional degree called a Juris Doctor (JD) rather than a PhD of law, which is a separate, non-professional degree for legal scholars rather than practicing attorneys.

What is graduate school like?

Graduate school is both similar and different to the undergraduate college experience. You will still be considered a college student while you are enrolled in graduate school and you will continue to take rigorous courses related to your field of interest; you may even choose to pursue your graduate studies at the same institution from which you received your undergraduate degree.

However, your graduate school classes will be more difficult, more specialized, and involve more independent work than in your undergraduate studies. Most graduate students do not live on campus at their schools, so if you are used to communal dormitory living, you should be prepared for the switch. Your classes will likely be small and your relationships with your advisors will be more important than ever.

Just like any undergraduate program, though, all graduate programs are different. If you are considering grad school and want to learn more about the college lifestyle you will experience while enrolled, you should reach out to the admissions departments at your graduate schools of interest for more information. Your undergraduate professors, counselors, and alumni may also be helpful sources of guidance along the way.

Graduate school admissions

Unlike undergraduate admissions, there is less of a standard application timeline for students interested in graduate school. Some students apply to graduate schools prior to graduating from their undergraduate institutions; others wait months or even years after obtaining their undergraduate degrees to apply.

There are some components of the graduate school admissions process that remain consistent regardless of when or where you choose to apply, though. You will need to provide your educational history, including academic transcripts, degrees, and sometimes letters of recommendation, to all the graduate programs to which you are applying.

You may be required to take special tests to apply to some graduate schools. The most common of these tests is the GRE, or the Graduate Record Examinations, but some programs require more specific tests, certifications, or portfolio submissions to apply. For instance, if you are applying to a musical graduate program, you will likely be required to participate in an audition process.

Overall, it’s a good idea to reach out to all your grad schools of interest to determine what steps you need to take to apply. You should also prioritize applying for graduate school scholarships; graduate programs can be much more expensive than undergraduate programs, especially for intensive fields of study such as medicine and law. You can use Scholarships.com to match with the right scholarships for you.

Frequently asked questions about graduate school

Who should go to graduate school?

While it’s never a bad idea to pursue the highest level of education that you can, students in some particular courses of study will benefit more from graduate school than others; certain post-college careers even require study at the graduate level. Students hoping to become medical practitioners, lawyers, librarians, or educators may need to attend graduate school in order to achieve their career goals.

Do you have to have a bachelor’s degree to go to graduate school?

Almost all United States graduate schools and programs require students to obtain a bachelor’s degree to enroll. Some schools offer accelerated programs for undergraduate students to transition into graduate programs as they work towards their bachelor’s degrees, but if you neither possess a bachelor’s degree nor are working towards one, you usually cannot enroll in graduate school.

Do you have to have the same major in graduate school?

While many students go to graduate school as a way to advance their knowledge in their undergraduate field of study, it is not required to choose the same major for your graduate program as the one you pursued in undergrad. Graduate degrees in education and business are especially versatile in this way; students from any background can build on their knowledge through such programs, regardless of their initial major.

When should you apply to graduate school?

There is no strict timeline upon which you must apply to graduate school. Some students take gap years after obtaining their bachelor’s degrees to build up savings and work experience; others apply right out of undergrad, or even while they are still enrolled. If you know for certain what graduate degree you want to pursue, you may choose to begin your applications as early as senior year of your undergraduate program.

However, even if it has been decades since you completed your bachelor’s degree, you can still apply to graduate school. In fact, many graduate programs offer part-time and evening courses of study specifically for older adult students; there are even scholarships specifically tailored to non-traditional students for this reason. It is never too late to further your education by attending graduate school.

Do you make more money if you go to graduate school?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in a 2024 report, those who hold graduate degrees tend to make more money than those who do not. They also face lower levels of unemployment as opposed to undergraduate degree holders. Therefore, while graduate degree programs often involve a significant financial investment, they also enable students to make more money in the long term.