Chapter 5
Graduate Students
Goals
The University of Michigan offers a rigorous and notably broad array of graduate and professional degree programs that stand among the best in the country. The university attracts outstanding students to graduate study and prepares them to make lasting contributions to society.
Interdisciplinary study and joint degrees are a special strength of the university. The vibrant community of graduate and professional students on campus is highly diverse in citizenship, demographic background, and academic perspective.
Overview
The Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies oversees the majority of graduate academic programs in partnership with schools and colleges. In the Fall 2025 term, the university enrolled 9,606 students in doctoral, master’s, and graduate- level certificate programs offered through Rackham. In addition to earning degrees and certificates, graduate students contribute significantly to research, scholarship, and teaching activity on campus. The research enterprise at the U-M benefits enormously from the talent and intelligence of these students.
Professional and other non-Rackham graduate degree programs in medicine, law, business, public health, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, information, engineering, social work and architecture and urban planning are administered through the respective schools and colleges, in keeping with each profession’s requirements and standards. 8,524 students enrolled in these professional and non-Rackham graduate degree programs in Fall 2025.
The tuition paid by graduate and professional students varies depending on the program. Most Ph.D. students and about half of academic master’s students receive financial support. Professional degree programs are usually more costly than other graduate programs. A large fraction of the students in professional degree programs complete their degrees with loans to repay.
Overall, 82 percent of the students who enrolled in PhD programs at the university between 2008 and 2017 received a Ph.D. Post-graduation plans vary along disciplinary lines. Ph.D. graduates in the humanities and the arts often find academic positions soon after graduation. Graduates in the biological, physical, and social sciences frequently take a postdoctoral training position before moving to other employment.
Industry positions attract graduates from engineering and the physical sciences. Some of U-M’s international students remain in the U.S. after graduation, reflecting the types and number of opportunities available in this country for those holding advanced degrees.
In professional doctoral programs, prospective practitioners must pass one or more examinations before becoming a licensed member of his or her chosen field; U-M students in medicine, law, dentistry, and pharmacy have high pass rates.
Graduate & Professional Student Enrollment
Total graduate and professional student enrollment has increased significantly. The average annual enrollment growth over the last decade is 2.5% for Master’s programs, 1.1% for Academic Doctoral programs, and 0.2% for professional programs.
, Master's Programs,Academic Doctoral Programs,Professional Doctoral Programs 2016,7750,5319,2685 2017,8050,5423,2708 2018,8055,5493,2850 2019,8315,5603,2906 2020,8334,5568,2676 2021,9606,5662,2728 2022,10225,5573,2732 2023,9773,5833,2729 2024,9776,5912,2713 2025,9615,5814,2701
SOURCE: U-M Student Data Sets
Total University of Michigan graduate and professional student enrollment is 2,791 larger (+18%) in Fall 2025 compared to a decade previous. The university awards the professional doctorates of M.D., J.D., D.D.S., Pharm.D., and D.N.P. Academic doctorates are awarded in numerous disciplines, including Ph.D.s from both Rackham and non-Rackham units as well as D.Mus.Arts.
Graduate and professional students comprise 35% of the total student enrollment, more than the average enrollment at AAU public institutions and less than the average at AAU private universities.
,Graduate & Professional,Undergraduate U-M grad + prof,35.20,64.80 AAU Publics Avg. graduate + professional,26.80,73.20 AAU Privates Avg. graduate + professional,50.10,49.90
SOURCE: U-M Student Data Sets; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
The average percentages reported for AAU Private and Public Universities are based on the combined enrollment of graduate academic and professional students compared to the total student enrollment at all levels – undergraduate, graduate, and professional. A list of graduate academic and professional degrees is in Appendix C. A list of Association of American Universities (AAU) member institutions is published in Appendix A.
While the total number of graduate and professional students has grown from 8,916 in 1960 to 18,130 in 2025, the percentage of the total student body on the U-M campus that they represent has varied by less than five percent.
,Graduate and professional students,Undergraduate students 1960,8916,14176 1970,12817,20745 1980,11869,22498 1990,12330,23115 2000,12300,24412 2010,14937,26987 2020,16578,31329 2025,18130,35358
SOURCE: U-M Student Data Sets
In the chart, the number at the top of each column represents the total enrollment of graduate academic and professional students in the fall of that year. Over the last 50 years, enrollment increased by about one graduate student for every two additional undergraduates.
The College of Engineering enrolls the most master’s students, while the College of Literature, Science & the Arts enrolls the most academic doctoral students. The Law School enrolls the most professional doctoral students.
5.1.4 U-M Graduate Academic and Professional Student Enrollment by School/College and Degree Sought, Fall 2025
| College/School | Rackham Master’s | Rackham Doctorate | Non-Rackham Master’s | Non-Rackham Doctorate | Professional Doctorate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning | 87 | 34 | 209 | – | – |
| Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design | 14 | – | – | – | – |
| Stephen M. Ross School of Business | – | 76 | 2,028 | – | – |
| School of Dentistry | 105 | 11 | – | – | 473 |
| School of Education | 220 | 76 | 25 | – | – |
| College of Engineering | 1,521 | 1,933 | 507 | 3 | – |
| School for Environment & Sustainability | 483 | 53 | – | – | – |
| Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies | 74 | 194 | – | – | – |
| School of Information | – | 109 | 1,061 | – | – |
| School of Kinesiology | 126 | 39 | – | – | – |
| Law School | – | – | 28 | 4 | 991 |
| College of Literature, Science & the Arts | 574 | 2,081 | – | – | – |
| Medical School | 185 | 693 | 142 | – | 669 |
| School of Music, Theatre & Dance | 12 | 118 | 153 | – | – |
| School of Nursing | – | 26 | 267 | – | 106 |
| College of Pharmacy | 18 | 120 | – | – | 323 |
| School of Public Health | 205 | 239 | 516 | – | – |
| Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy | 175 | – | – | – | – |
| School of Social Work | – | 5 | 954 | – | – |
| Joint Programs by two Schools/Colleges | – | – | 65 | – | – |
SOURCE: U-M Student Data Sets
The professional doctor’s degrees include M.D., J.D., D.D.S, Pharm.D., and D.N.P. (Doctor of Nursing Practice). The School of Information and the School of Public Health offer the Joint Program listed in the last row of the table. Students enrolled in a non-degree-seeking program are listed in either “Rackham-Masters” or “Other-Masters,” depending on the nature of the non-degree program. A complete list of graduate academic programs (Rackham programs), other graduate programs, and professional programs offered by the University of Michigan is found in Appendix C.
Graduate & Professional Tuition & Fees
The inflation-adjusted tuition and required fees increased at an average annual rate of 1.2 percent from academic years 2006 to 2026 for both in-state and out-of-state Ph.D. pre-candidacy students.
, Ph.D. Pre-Candidate (In-State), Ph.D. Pre-Candidate (Out-of-State), Ph.D Candidate (In- and Out-of-State) 2006,11648,23417,7602 2007,11928,23978,7784 2008,12081,24288,7885 2009,12516,25162,8168 2010,13096,26329,8546 2011,13204,26545,7084 2012,13461,27065,7220 2013,13644,27433,7318 2014,13680,27508,7338 2015,14004,28063,7550 2016,14293,28644,7706 2017,14615,29230,7864 2018,14856,29772,8009 2019,15043,30146,8109 2020,15289,30639,8241 2021,15290,30582,8268 2022,14530,29062,7856 2023,14035,28252,7506 2024,14267,28709,7633 2025,14633,29438,7833 2026,14916,30076,7953
SOURCE: U-M Office of Budget and Planning
The chart represents tuition and required fees for the typical graduate academic (Rackham) student, as represented by those enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Rates can vary for students enrolled in other graduate academic programs. (See chart 5.2.1)
Effective for the Fall 2010 term, tuition and required fees paid by Ph.D. candidates declined by $1,461 per year, adjusted for inflation (dotted line). This reduction occurred while the U-M instituted a continuous enrollment policy for Ph.D. students. The policy calls for these students to register every fall and winter semester until they complete their degrees unless they are on approved leaves of absence. The policy is designed to improve the likelihood that students will complete their Ph.D. degrees, without imposing any new financial burden on students or graduate program budgets.
Tuition and required fees have increased over time for both in-state and out-of-state students, after adjusting for inflation.
5.2.2 Graduate Professional and Non-Rackham Student Tuition and Required Fees, Adjusted for Inflation, per Semester
, Ross (MBA), Law (JD), Dentistry (DDS), Medicine (MD), Taubman (MArch), Public Health (MPH), Social Work (MSW), Engineering (MEng), Pharmacy (PharmD), Music (MM & SpecM), Information (MSI) 2006,27743,26869,19089,18310,13131,13247,13452,13611,12976,11648,11648 2007,28634,28246,19547,18749,13888,14109,14036,13937,13412,11928,11928 2008,29376,29882,20364,18992,14495,14817,14285,14118,13585,12081,12081 2009,30598,31400,21098,19677,15438,15869,14996,14625,14075,12516,12516 2010,32216,32373,22075,20588,16153,16605,15690,15304,14727,13096,13096 2011,33198,32764,22365,20656,16530,16741,15819,15430,14848,13204,13204 2012,34219,33388,15905,20767,17264,16740,16128,15731,15138,14078,13461 2013,35238,33843,16120,20743,17748,16950,16346,15945,15344,14268,13644 2014,36214,34375,16164,20839,17795,16996,16391,15988,15386,14307,13680 2015,37592,35211,16531,21605,18190,17376,16761,16351,16031,14642,14004 2016,38803,36174,16873,22331,18566,17736,17108,16689,16705,14945,14293 2017,39942,36819,17218,23009,18946,18099,17458,17031,17047,15250,14586 2018,40994,37423,17537,23617,19298,18435,17782,17347,18304,15533,14856 2019,41028,38269,18591,24286,19540,18666,18006,17564,19580,15728,15043 2020,41905,39050,19730,25035,19860,18971,18301,17853,20341,15985,15289 2021,41030,39569,20537,17196,19844,18957,18289,17844,20323,15982,15290 2022,38840,36862,19829,17036,18857,18014,17380,16957,19312,15188,14530 2023,36964,35983,19308,18163,18268,17443,16823,16409,18412,14678,14035 2024,36932,36287,19622,18461,18567,17728,17099,16678,18713,14919,14267 2025,37426,37181,20105,18951,19041,18181,17536,17104,19190,15302,14633 2026,38076,38054,20520,19338,19430,18550,17889,17447,19582,15602,14916
, Ross (MBA), Law (JD), Dentistry (DDS), Medicine (MD), Taubman (MArch), Public Health (MPH), Social Work (MSW), Engineering (MEng), Pharmacy (PharmD), Music (MM & SpecM), Information (MSI) 2006,31824,29318,30668,28392,22138,24337,22803,25232,24105,23417,23417 2007,32613,30633,31403,29351,22669,24920,23194,25837,24659,23978,23978 2008,33212,32184,31809,30013,22962,25242,23382,26170,24978,24288,24288 2009,34381,33670,32954,31390,23788,26151,23968,27113,25878,25162,25162 2010,35963,34621,34482,32844,24891,27363,25079,28370,27078,26329,26329 2011,36871,34968,34935,32953,25096,27588,25284,28603,26545,26545,26545 2012,37788,35465,24819,33132,25586,27587,25780,29165,25793,27966,27065 2013,38749,35947,25157,33093,25933,27936,26130,29562,26144,28346,27433 2014,39669,36476,25225,33244,26004,28012,26201,29642,26215,28450,27508 2015,41024,37270,25734,33758,27097,28578,26730,30240,26638,28996,28063 2016,42212,38220,26266,34893,28276,29169,27283,30865,27771,29596,28644 2017,43288,38827,26804,35277,28856,29767,27842,31498,28340,30202,29230 2018,44267,39548,27302,35932,28082,30320,28360,32083,25791,30763,29772 2019,44234,40193,27645,36535,28478,30700,28716,32370,23515,31150,30146 2020,45036,40944,28098,37287,30249,31203,29186,33018,23899,31661,30639 2021,44116,41420,28050,24788,30193,31143,29134,32952,23868,31599,30582 2022,41720,38590,26965,24011,28693,29594,27686,31314,22681,30029,29062 2023,39664,37609,26192,25191,27890,28773,26906,30455,21656,29198,28252 2024,39555,37860,26616,25115,27135,29238,27341,30947,22008,29670,28709 2025,39988,38718,27532,25734,27825,29981,28035,31732,22569,30422,29438 2026,40576,39554,28124,26284,28425,30632,28640,32425,23043,31084,30076
SOURCE: U-M Office of Budget and Planning
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D.D.S. students, starting the Fall 2011 term, and M.D. students, starting the Fall 2020 term, pay tuition three times per year instead of two, with the per-semester rates adjusted downward to be comparable with previous annual totals.
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Based on FY 2026 U.S. Consumer Price Index (as estimated by the U-M Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics).
Graduate & Professional Degrees Awarded
The U-M is ranked 5th among peer universities in terms of awarding graduate academic and professional degrees.
,Professional Doctorates,Academic Doctorates,Master's Degrees Columbia,966,625,10646 USC,966,882,9534 Johns Hopkins,346,622,8751 Illinois,374,870,6489 Georgia Tech,0,572,7054 MICHIGAN,768,963,5591 Harvard,837,712,5771 Penn,757,750,5532 Washington,604,694,4680 Northwestern,542,536,4887 UCLA,654,803,3844 UC-Berkeley,455,825,3898 Texas-Austin,578,871,3384 Duke,640,417,3549 Cornell,314,537,3705 Chicago,291,457,3677 Ohio State,841,882,2697 Wisconsin-Madison,735,854,2786 Carnegie Mellon,0,346,3534 UNC-Chapel Hill,668,523,2672 Stanford,275,739,2627 Yale,318,438,2757 Washington-St. Louis,549,365,2548 Virginia,442,413,2314 MIT,0,692,2023 Emory,544,286,1859 Princeton,0,403,655 UC-San Francisco,452,164,282
SOURCE: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
The University of Michigan grants the academic doctorates of Ph.D. and D.Mus.Arts and the professional doctorates of M.D., J.D., D.D.S., Pharm.D., and D.N.P. The U-M graduates a large number of Ph.D. students in the life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering – 1st among peer institutions. U-M awarded 707 such Ph.D. degrees in 2023-24.
5.3.2 Academic Master’s and Ph.D. Degrees Awarded, Headcount, by Discipline Group for U-M and Peer Universities, 2023-24
,Multidisciplinary,Humanities & the Arts,Social Sciences,Life Sciences,Physical Sciences & Engineering MICHIGAN,18,87,151,226,481 Ohio State,11,58,192,344,277 USC,19,76,417,130,240 Texas-Austin,30,114,247,112,368 Illinois,21,66,219,115,449 Wisconsin-Madison,8,59,218,265,304 UC-Berkeley,7,100,151,159,408 UCLA,6,74,201,189,333 Penn,5,61,210,267,207 Stanford,0,72,126,117,424 Harvard,4,107,202,229,170 Washington,11,44,115,205,319 MIT,5,30,67,69,521 Columbia,10,117,192,128,178 Johns Hopkins,3,39,102,256,222 Georgia Tech,5,9,24,21,513 Cornell,12,45,81,138,261 Northwestern,10,49,124,105,248 UNC-Chapel Hill,32,47,105,209,130 Chicago,10,82,118,85,162 Yale,2,80,86,167,103 Duke,0,42,70,128,177 Virginia,3,45,101,69,195 Princeton,0,58,94,40,211 Washington-St. Louis,7,45,67,123,123 Carnegie Mellon,3,22,3,22,296 Emory,13,42,44,98,89 UC-San Francisco,0,0,6,140,18
,Multidisciplinary,Humanities & the Arts,Life Sciences,Physical Sciences & Engineering,Social Sciences Columbia,879,1242,1353,3123,4049 USC,404,982,1109,3022,4017 Johns Hopkins,137,293,2002,2605,3714 Georgia Tech,5,179,78,4986,1806 Illinois,189,286,313,2511,3190 Harvard,332,609,982,490,3358 MICHIGAN,267,308,910,2199,1907 Penn,449,435,796,1682,2170 Northwestern,49,570,422,833,3013 Washington,133,378,977,1674,1518 UC-Berkeley,87,484,394,1929,1004 UCLA,1,633,493,1057,1660 Cornell,67,360,224,1601,1453 Chicago,246,288,146,566,2431 Duke,57,206,731,896,1659 Carnegie Mellon,280,196,94,2620,344 Texas-Austin,444,273,169,1109,1389 Wisconsin-Madison,2,126,568,845,1245 Yale,52,524,856,444,881 Ohio State,17,151,817,575,1137 UNC-Chapel Hill,48,94,889,148,1493 Stanford,42,151,203,1387,844 Washington-St. Louis,75,397,186,804,1086 Virginia,169,192,254,378,1321 MIT,39,149,15,988,832 Emory,2,172,929,54,702 Princeton,0,106,49,320,180 UC-San Francisco,0,0,265,16,1
SOURCE: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
U-M graduates a large number of Master’s students in the social sciences and in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. U-M graduates more master’s students overall than most peer universities. Compared to public peer institutions, only Illinois graduates more master’s students in the social sciences than the U-M.
,Other,D.N.P.,Pharm.D.,D.D.S.,M.D./D.O.,J.D. Columbia,79,125,0,97,142,523 USC,232,0,170,172,172,220 Ohio State,236,0,118,121,187,179 Harvard,0,0,0,33,182,622 MICHIGAN,0,53,82,129,181,323 Penn,124,0,0,181,148,304 Wisconsin-Madison,167,36,94,0,173,265 UNC-Chapel Hill,39,35,119,91,176,208 UCLA,0,0,0,114,168,372 Duke,121,108,0,0,133,278 Washington,0,0,106,74,254,170 Texas-Austin,9,0,109,0,49,411 Washington-St. Louis,165,0,0,0,99,285 Emory,88,32,0,0,134,290 Northwestern,108,0,0,0,141,293 UC-Berkeley,47,0,0,0,0,408 UC-San Francisco,47,0,120,112,173,0 Virginia,0,0,0,0,144,298 Illinois,132,0,0,0,39,203 Johns Hopkins,31,203,0,0,112,0 Yale,0,0,0,0,103,215 Cornell,119,0,0,0,0,195 Chicago,0,0,0,0,92,199 Stanford,0,0,0,0,76,199
SOURCE: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
The U-M grants a large number of professional degrees compared to many peer universities. The U-M awards degrees in five professional programs: Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing Practice (D.N.P.).
PhD & Master’s Completion Rates
U-M doctoral student graduation rates are fairly consistent across the disciplines. Overall, 81 percent of students who enrolled in a doctoral program between Spring term 2009 and Summer term 2018 have graduated with a Ph.D. A Ph.D. typically takes 4-7 years to complete.
5.4.1 Academic Doctoral Completion Rates by Discipline Group, Enrollment Cohorts 2009-2018
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2009,81,1 2010,82,1 2011,84,0 2012,81,0 2013,82,1 2014,86,1 2015,86,0 2016,84,1 2017,88,4 2018,85,8
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2009,79,0 2010,80,0 2011,78,0 2012,77,0 2013,79,0 2014,82,0 2015,83,0 2016,84,1 2017,83,1 2018,81,5
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2009,84,0 2010,81,0 2011,84,0 2012,82,0 2013,86,1 2014,89,1 2015,83,3 2016,79,6 2017,67,16 2018,68,26
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2009,81,1 2010,93,0 2011,78,0 2012,77,1 2013,82,2 2014,79,2 2015,84,2 2016,81,7 2017,70,22 2018,59,28
SOURCE: Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
This chart examines a range of doctoral entry cohorts and shows the counts and percentages of each cohort that have completed their degrees or are still enrolled as of September 2024.
Of students who enrolled in U-M academic master’s programs at least two years ago, 89.7% have completed their degrees.
5.4.2 Academic Master’s Completion Rates by Discipline Group, Enrollment Cohorts 2020-2023
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2020,91,1 2021,89,2 2022,90,4 2023,72,22
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2020,94,1 2021,78,2 2022,87,3 2023,82,11
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2020,94,1 2021,92,1 2022,91,2 2023,84,12
,Graduated as of 9/17/2024,Still Enrolled 2020,92,4 2021,90,3 2022,89,2 2023,84,13
SOURCE: Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
U-M master’s programs usually require about two years to complete, so the average in the headline does not consider the completion counts for the master’s students who first enrolled in the Fall 2023 term.
Funding for Grad Students
Ninety-six percent of Rackham graduate students pursuing Ph.D. degrees receive financial support from the University with little variation among fields of study.
,Tuition & Stipend,Tuition Only,Stipend Only,No U-M Financial Support Biological & Health Sciences,97,1,1,1 Physical Sciences & Engineering,96,0,2,2 Social Sciences,95,3,1,1 "Humanities & the Arts",95,3,1,1 All PhD Students,96,1,1,1
SOURCE: Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
In all fields of study, a substantial percentage of academic Ph.D. students receive both tuition grants and a stipend to help cover living expenses. A small number of students competed successfully for external funding and did not need additional financial support. Stipends may be paid as part of an appointment as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA), Graduate Student Staff Assistant (GSSA), or as a fellowship.
Financial support provided to Rackham students pursuing master’s degrees varies by field of study.
,No U-M Financial Support,1-25 Percent of Costs,26-50 Percent of Costs,51-75 Percent of Costs,76-100 Percent of Costs Biological & Health Sciences,50,15,10,4,20 Physical Sciences & Engineering,75,5,8,3,11 Social Sciences,35,15,15,10,24 Humanities & the Arts,16,7,3,3,70 All Masters Students,58,10,10,5,17
SOURCE: Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
The five categories of support represent the fraction of the total calculated cost of attendance provided as tuition grants and stipends to students enrolled in master’s programs. Loans that master’s students may acquire are not included in these calculations. In some fields, most notably in the Humanities and Arts, a master’s degree is considered a terminal degree (the highest degree attainable in their field of study) and students pursuing these degrees tend to receive more support.
Graduate & Professional Student Debt
The percent of PhD graduates with student debt at graduation has decreased over the past decade, with the majority of decreases for borrowers with less than $50k in debt. This includes debt accumulated during both undergraduate and graduate studies.
5.6.1 Percent of PhD Students with Debt at Graduation, Domestic Students, by Discipline and Debt Level, FY2012-2022
,No Debt,$1 - $20k debt,$20 - $50k debt,>$50k debt 2013,50,21,14,15 2014,55,22,13,10 2015,55,14,16,15 2016,60,15,8,17 2017,60,16,12,12 2018,60,17,11,12 2019,58,15,13,14 2020,63,10,13,13 2021,69,11,8,13 2022,72,8,8,12
,No Debt,$1 - $20k debt,$20 - $50k debt,>$50k debt 2013,72,14,8,6 2014,69,14,12,4 2015,68,14,11,7 2016,72,14,9,5 2017,72,11,9,8 2018,75,12,9,4 2019,75,10,8,7 2020,76,11,9,4 2021,75,9,9,7 2022,76,10,9,5
,No Debt,$1 - $20k debt,$20 - $50k debt,>$50k debt 2013,55,16,18,11 2014,51,16,15,18 2015,51,17,17,14 2016,47,22,13,17 2017,50,14,18,18 2018,55,15,16,15 2019,58,14,13,14 2020,60,13,17,11 2021,58,15,7,20 2022,60,15,10,15
,No Debt,$1 - $20k debt,$20 - $50k debt,>$50k debt 2013,52,20,15,13 2014,52,23,14,11 2015,39,21,19,20 2016,48,24,19,9 2017,46,17,14,23 2018,43,25,16,17 2019,61,18,13,7 2020,57,14,14,14 2021,50,14,19,17 2022,61,9,14,16
SOURCE: NSF/NIH/USED/USDA/NEH/NASA, Survey of Earned Doctorates
Only about one-third (36% over the period shown) of University of Michigan Ph.D. students graduate with student-loan debt that was acquired over the course of their undergraduate and graduate careers. The aggregate averages of Ph.D. graduates with debt by discipline groups vary: Life Sciences (40%), Physical Sciences & Engineering (27%), Social Sciences (46%), and Humanities & the Arts (49%). Overall, seventy one percent of U-M Ph.D. students graduated without any student loan debt in 2022.
The issue of student debt remains important to the University of Michigan and higher education overall. Student loan debt presents a serious challenge to scholars just starting their careers, especially for the nine percent of Ph.D. graduates who have accumulated student loan debt that exceeds $50,000.
The level of student loan debt is high but has remained relatively consistent for U-M graduates of professional doctorate programs in medicine, law, and dentistry, after adjusting for inflation.
5.6.2 Self-reported Debt at Graduation – Professional Doctoral Students, Adjusted for Inflation, 2014-2023
," Avg. Debt at Graduation, Adjusted for Inflation" 2014,185672 2015,173587 2016,167206 2017,192231 2018,198359 2019,191557 2020,180753 2021,187335 2022,166000 2023,177624
," Avg. Debt at Graduation, Adjusted for Inflation" 2014,168939 2015,180527 2016,184036 2017,154606 2018,160819 2019,149596 2020,151183 2021,149964 2022,133905 2023,145550
," Avg. Debt at Graduation, Adjusted for Inflation" 2014,237289 2015,226470 2016,260067 2017,252834 2018,240187 2019,217929 2020,214528 2021,196169 2022,216752 2023,249807
SOURCE: School’s Dean or Financial Aid Office
The chart displays debt accumulated during undergraduate and graduate study. The averages are calculated based only on students with debt. On average, debt at graduation has grown by less than 1% annually for M.D. and D.D.S students while debt has decreased by about 0.5% annually for J.D. students.
Post-Graduation Plans for PhD Recipients
Career paths for Ph.D. students vary by field of study. For instance, a large fraction of Ph.D. graduates in the physical sciences and engineering go into private or non-profit sector jobs, while those in the social sciences and humanities/arts tend to pursue careers in academia.
5.7 Placement Outcomes for U-M Ph.D. Students, by Discipline, 2011-2023 Graduating Classes
,Academic,Education,Job (non-academic),Other 1yr,7,45,32,16 5yr,19,23,49,9 7yr,24,10,51,15 10yr,30,4,51,15
,Academic,Education,Job (non-academic),Other 1yr,8,24,43,24 5yr,16,10,55,18 7yr,19,5,58,18 10yr,24,2,54,20
,Academic,Education,Job (non-academic),Other 1yr,30,27,23,20 5yr,49,6,23,21 7yr,51,2,25,21 10yr,48,1,26,25
,Academic,Education,Job (non-academic),Other 1yr,48,14,16,22 5yr,57,5,19,18 7yr,50,4,24,22 10yr,55,1,18,26
SOURCE: Survey of Academic Departments by Rackham Graduate School
About one in four academic Ph.D. graduates in the physical sciences and engineering enter post- doctoral training within one year of graduation. At five or more years after graduation, graduates are more likely to be employed in industry, government, or the nonprofit sector, or entering academic positions.
Nearly half of academic Ph.D. graduates in the biological and health sciences enter post- doctoral training during the first year following graduation, and most take academic positions in higher education or jobs in industry, government, or the non-profit sector at five or more years after graduation.
About a third of academic Ph.D. graduates in the social sciences enter a higher education position during the first year following graduation, with about two-thirds of these on the tenure-track. By five years after graduation, about 38 percent of U-M’s social science Ph.D. graduates have tenure-track positions.
Ph.D. graduates in the humanities and arts are less likely to pursue postdoctoral training than their counterparts in other disciplines. About one- fifth of humanities and arts Ph.D. graduates are on the tenure track initially, and the fraction doubles by ten years post- graduation.
Geographic Origins & Destinations of PhD Recipients
U-M Ph.D. programs attract a large number of students from across the US and the globe. Many PhD students stay in Michigan after they graduate.
5.8.1 Geographic Origins of U-M Ph.D. Recipients, Headcount by Discipline Group, FY2013-2022
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,37,99,75,16 2014,48,74,58,5 2015,48,81,52,7 2016,23,93,51,5 2017,23,85,46,11 2018,34,83,57,1 2019,26,93,41,2 2020,36,77,54,0 2021,32,96,47,0 2022,31,98,57,1
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,31,124,181,7 2014,44,151,198,10 2015,49,151,190,6 2016,50,150,177,5 2017,35,148,183,3 2018,38,177,210,4 2019,33,172,201,3 2020,32,198,232,1 2021,31,175,201,2 2022,31,188,244,2
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,23,102,58,8 2014,17,111,45,5 2015,22,106,50,1 2016,19,103,56,3 2017,9,94,42,3 2018,18,105,40,4 2019,14,74,47,4 2020,11,97,47,3 2021,21,75,49,0 2022,12,102,46,2
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,7,58,27,0 2014,9,58,16,1 2015,9,59,20,0 2016,5,54,22,2 2017,12,56,25,3 2018,6,54,19,3 2019,7,56,26,2 2020,4,44,10,0 2021,6,42,16,0 2022,3,32,12,0
SOURCE: NSF/NIH/USED/USDA/NEH/NASA, Survey of Earned Doctorates
5.8.2 Geographic Destinations of U-M Ph.D. Recipients, Headcount by Discipline Group, FY2013-2022
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,78,121,17,11 2014,65,103,11,6 2015,66,105,6,11 2016,64,94,11,3 2017,58,94,7,6 2018,73,93,9,0 2019,53,95,13,1 2020,62,93,12,0 2021,80,86,9,0 2022,54,122,11,0
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,101,203,39,0 2014,108,236,45,14 2015,123,239,28,6 2016,104,237,29,12 2017,98,237,33,1 2018,116,271,40,2 2019,108,271,29,1 2020,116,299,47,1 2021,120,257,31,1 2022,114,304,47,0
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,48,112,31,0 2014,33,113,30,2 2015,29,125,25,0 2016,35,124,18,4 2017,24,99,23,2 2018,32,111,22,2 2019,30,84,25,0 2020,28,113,15,2 2021,34,90,19,2 2022,30,101,30,1
,Michigan,"US, non-Michigan",International,Unknown 2013,24,56,12,0 2014,20,52,9,3 2015,21,58,7,2 2016,30,38,14,1 2017,34,47,14,1 2018,26,38,15,3 2019,24,50,16,1 2020,18,33,6,1 2021,17,35,12,0 2022,11,30,6,0
SOURCE: NSF/NIH/USED/USDA/NEH/NASA, Survey of Earned Doctorates
Licensing Examinations
U-M law, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy professional students pass their licensing exams at high rates.
5.9.1 Pass Rates for Four States’ Bar (Law) Examinations by U-M Law School Graduates, 2020-2024
,Passed,Did not pass 2020,94,6 2021,94,6 2022,85,15 2023,100,0 2024,94,6
,Passed,Did not pass 2020,91,9 2021,92,8 2022,95,5 2023,100,0 2024,97,3
,Passed,Did not pass 2020,93,7 2021,96,4 2022,99,1 2023,97,3 2024,99,1
,Passed,Did not pass 2020,80,20 2021,87,13 2022,92,8 2023,94,6 2024,91,9
SOURCE: Registrar, U-M Law School
The states with the most exam takers from U-M are Michigan, Illinois, New York, and California. The California and New York bar exams are considered to be the most difficult in the country because they have the lowest overall pass rate.
,Step 1 (2nd year),Step 2 (4th year) 2020,100,99 2021,97,99 2022,97,99 2023,97,98 2024,95,99
SOURCE: Registrar, U-M Medical School
The U.S. Medical Licensing Examination is administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners in two parts: Step I exam at the end of the second year of medical school, and Step 2 exam during the fourth year of medical school. The rates are computed based on the first-time students taking each test. U-M medical students pass these exams at equal or higher rates than the national averages.
,NBDE Part 1,NBDE Part 2,INBDE 2015,96,95, 2016,96,93, 2017,92,89, 2018,88,90, 2019,87,92, 2020,89,97, 2021,,,96 2022,,,100 2023,,,100 2024,,,98
SOURCE: School of Dentistry
The National Board Dental Examination is now administered as a single exam, the National Board Dental Examination (INDBE), compared to the two-part exam (NBDE, Parts 1 and 2) used in past years. The rates are computed based on the first-time students taking each test.
,NAPLEX Pass Rate 2015,97 2016,92 2017,95 2018,92 2019,96 2020,96 2021,97 2022,96 2023,91 2024,94
SOURCE: College of Pharmacy
The rates are computed based on the first-time students taking each test.
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