by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 140 U.S. colleges awarded 5,808 degrees and certificates in Educational Assessment. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 50% of graduates. College Factual ranks 52 schools in its 2027 Best Educational Assessment Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $62,037 one year after completing, rising to $72,794 after four years.
This is a program that allows you to help design, develop, use, and evaluate educational tests and other devices used to evaluate student learning and progress. You will learn how to apply the data and analyze the development of the students and the educational programs. This will allow you to gather the information needed to plan and develop more effective tests and techniques to help students grow and develop.
Every school will have different major requirements, but some courses you may take include: instruction in evaluation theory, evaluation research design and planning, data analysis, data interpretation, data reporting, research evaluation, test implantation, economics, and policy.
Concentrations in this major include: Educational Evaluation and Research, Educational Statistics and Research Methods, Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement, Learning Sciences, and other types of Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research.
A degree in Educational Assessment involves the study of Educational Assessment, Evaluation, And Research.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, educational assessment is a popular field of study, with 5,808 degrees awarded annually. 140 colleges award educational assessment degrees, an average of 41 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 3,277.
By level, the 5,808 awards include 2,912 bachelor’s degrees, 2,449 master’s degrees and 447 doctorates.
Women earned 82% of educational assessment degrees and certificates in the latest year (4,741 of 5,808). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (3,262) and Hispanic or Latino (727), and international students earned 609.
College Factual ranks 52 schools in its 2027 Best Educational Assessment Schools ranking, including 3 for bachelor’s degrees, 30 for master’s degrees and 12 for doctorates. It also ranks educational assessment schools within 15 states. In all, 140 colleges offer educational assessment programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Educational Assessment Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common educational assessment credential is the bachelor’s degree: 2,912 of the 5,808 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to educational assessment call most for Speaking, Reading Comprehension and Active Listening, and for knowledge of English Language, Education and Training and Administration and Management, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Speech Clarity and Written Comprehension.
This is a good path for people who are attracted to the education field, but do not want to work directly with students every day. You should like to work with data and statistics and be interested in analyzing and researching. Not only should you like to gather the information, but in this field you should have the desire to take your findings and figure out how to update and manipulate the current programs in order to make them more effective and more efficient. It is important to be able to think logically and clearly.
Communication skills are important. You will find it necessary to explain the changes that need to be made in order to create more effective assessments to measure success for both students and teachers.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long an educational assessment degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 2,912 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 2,449 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 447 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to educational assessment, at 57.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 57.6% |
| Master’s degree | 20.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 16.9% |
| Some college courses | 2.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.1% |
Source: O*NET Online.
10 occupations are related to Educational Assessment, with an average median salary of $85,559; the strongest outlook belongs to Management Analysts, at 12.6% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Lecturer, Associate Professor, Education Teacher and Adjunct Lecturer.
This field will prepare you to go into the educational testing world. You could work with companies like Pearson, ETS (Educational Testing Service), or the state for state examinations. You may work directly with data or you could be researching more effective ways to teach or test. This major will not prepare you for just one specific career path.
The occupation related to educational assessment with the most projected jobs is Education Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,441,246.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,441,246 | 2.4% |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 1,421,275 | 11.1% |
| Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other | 638,385 | -0.5% |
| Management Analysts | 484,759 | 12.6% |
| Training and Development Managers | 394,938 | -0.4% |
| Statisticians | 307,132 | 6.6% |
| Biostatisticians | 76,966 | 7.4% |
| Survey Researchers | 76,556 | 11.1% |
Educational Assessment graduates earn a median $62,037 one year after completing their program, $72,794 after four years and $64,541 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $62,037 |
| 4 years | $72,794 |
| 5 years | $64,541 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to educational assessment is Training and Development Managers, with a median salary of $139,524.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Training and Development Managers | $139,524 |
| Statisticians | $130,349 |
| Biostatisticians | $121,594 |
| Survey Researchers | $108,538 |
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,329 |
| Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other | $65,582 |
| Management Analysts | $51,034 |
| Transportation Planners | $50,855 |
Educational Assessment includes 6 concentrations that together award 5,808 degrees a year; by graduates, the largest are Learning Sciences (4,040), Educational Evaluation and Research (749) and Educational Statistics and Research Methods (447). It has 14 similar majors in the Education field, which together award 320,026 degrees a year; the largest are Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (108,824), Educational Administration and Supervision (44,746) and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (40,395). Browse all Education majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 108,824 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 44,746 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 40,395 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 35,428 |
| Education, General | 26,982 |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 23,141 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 14,088 |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 9,479 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | 5,483 |
| Education, Other | 4,291 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
