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Education Policy Analysis

Types of Degrees Education Policy Analysis Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Education Policy Analysis may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	11
Master’s Degree	74
Doctor’s Degree	19

What Education Policy Analysis Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Education Policy Analysis emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Education Policy Analysis program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Education Policy Analysis careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Education Policy Analysis graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Education Policy Analysis professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Education Policy Analysis graduates include:

• Faculty Member
• Instructor
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• Government Teacher
• Political Science Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Public Administration Professor
• Government Instructor
• Public Administration Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	87.5%
Master’s degree	8.4%
Bachelor’s degree	3.6%
Some college courses	0.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Education Policy Analysis?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.2% of Education Policy Analysis degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	73	70.2%
Men	31	29.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Education Policy Analysis graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	54	51.9%
Asian	5	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	14	13.5%
Black or African American	11	10.6%
Two or More Races	2	1.9%
Race Unknown	3	2.9%
International Students	15	14.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Education Policy Analysis Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Education Policy Analysis graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,429
4 years	$83,181
5 years	$95,174

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $95,174 — roughly 57% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Education Policy Analysis Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Education Policy Analysis. 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
Master’s	1	1

^{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 Education Policy Analysis Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Education Policy Analysis graduates earn a median of $83,181 four years after completion — roughly 119% 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
Public Policy Analysis	44.05
Health Policy Analysis	44.0503
International Policy Analysis	44.0504
Public Policy Analysis, General	44.0501
Public Policy Analysis, Other	44.0599
Reserved	44.0580

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.