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Disability Studies

Types of Degrees Disability Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Disability Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	19
Associate’s Degree	7
Bachelor’s Degree	83
Master’s Degree	373
Doctor’s Degree	10

What Disability Studies Majors Need to Know

Studies in Disability Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Disability Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Disability Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Disability Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Disability Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Disability Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Disability Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Disability Studies graduates include:

• Ethnic Studies Professor
• Ethnology Professor
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• Adjunct Professor
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• American Studies Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• African Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Professor
• College Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Black Studies Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Disability Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	60.5%
Master’s degree	31.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Disability Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 86.8% of Disability Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	427	86.8%
Men	65	13.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Disability Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	324	65.9%
Asian	20	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	70	14.2%
Black or African American	43	8.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.4%
Two or More Races	15	3.0%
Race Unknown	9	1.8%
International Students	9	1.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Disability Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Disability Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,619
4 years	$46,128
5 years	$53,144

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,144 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Disability Studies Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Disability Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Disability Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Disability Studies graduates earn a median of $46,128 four years after completion — roughly 21% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.02
African-American/Black Studies	05.0201
American Indian/Native American Studies	05.0202
Asian-American Studies	05.0206
Comparative Group Studies	05.0212
Deaf Studies	05.0211
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other	05.0299
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.0200
Folklore Studies	05.0209
Gay/Lesbian Studies	05.0208
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies	05.0203
Women’s Studies	05.0207

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.