Tracing graduate enrollment trends may help departments rethink recruitment strategies, program structures, and long-term sustainability. Over the past seven years (including pre– and post-Covid 19 pandemic), graduate enrollment in sociology has experienced a broad national decline, but the downturn has not been evenly distributed across the United States.
For more information, visit the Data Dashboard pages on graduate enrollment trends in sociology and select social sciences over time, including enrollment by gender and enrollment by racial/ethnic identity.
The first graph shows that every region experienced a decline in enrollment between 2017 and 2024. However, the South consistently enrolled the largest number of graduate sociology students throughout the period, beginning near 2,450 students in 2017 and ending just above 2,150 in 2024. Although the South experienced decline, its losses were moderate compared with other regions, allowing it to maintain a dominant position nationally.
Note: Includes Master’s and Doctoral degree enrollments, part-time and full-time
While all regions experienced reductions in graduate sociology enrollment, the magnitude of decline differed substantially between master’s and doctoral programs.
The most dramatic decrease between 2017 – 2024 occurred in master’s programs. The West and the Northeast experienced the largest drop, with master’s enrollment declining by approximately 35%. The Midwest also recorded a steep decline of about 30%. These sharp reductions suggest that master’s level sociology programs have become increasingly vulnerable.
Doctoral programs, by contrast, showed relatively better stability nationwide. Although enrollment still declined, the decreases were notably smaller than those seen at the master’s level. The Midwest and Northeast both experienced doctoral enrollment declines of around 20%–24%, while the South declined by just under 10%
Note: Includes both part-time and full-time enrollment.
The third graph helps explain why the South may be more resilient. In 2024, nearly 40% of institutions offering graduate sociology degrees were in the South, far more than any other region. The Midwest accounted for 23% of institutions, while the Northeast and West represented 18% and 20%, respectively.
Note: Includes Master’s and Doctoral degree enrollments, part-time and full-time.
Source: National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), 2017 – 2024. Data is retrieved from the Table Builder at https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/builder/gss.
Note: Graduate enrollment figures are organized according to U.S. Census regions and do not include data from U.S. territories.