by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 2 U.S. colleges awarded 5 degrees and certificates in Hospice and Palliative Care. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 60% of graduates. Graduates earn a median $45,762 one year after completing, rising to $55,481 after four years.
A degree in Hospice and Palliative Care involves the study of A Program Of Study That Prepares Individuals To Work With Patients In Hospice And Palliative Care And Focuses On The Physical, Psychological, Spiritual, And Social Needs Of Patients And Families Affected By Advanced Illness. Includes Instruction In Aging, Thanatology, Pharmacology, Complementary And Integrative Therapies, Pathophysiology, And Ethics.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, hospice and palliative care draws strong interest, with 5 degrees awarded annually. 2 colleges award hospice and palliative care degrees, an average of 2 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 3.
By level, the 5 awards include 3 master’s degrees and 2 doctorates.
Women earned 80% of hospice and palliative care degrees and certificates in the latest year (4 of 5). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (3) and Asian (2).
The most common hospice and palliative care credential is the master’s degree: 3 of the 5 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to hospice and palliative care call most for Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation and Speaking, and for knowledge of Psychology, Therapy and Counseling and Sociology and Anthropology, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Speech Recognition and Written Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a hospice and palliative care degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 3 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 2 |
Master’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to hospice and palliative care, at 70.4%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 70.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 14.8% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 11.1% |
| First professional degree | 3.7% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Hospice and Palliative Care, with an average median salary of $70,436; the strongest outlook belongs to Healthcare Social Workers, at 12.1% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Case Manager, Case Worker, Social Worker and Older Adult Social Work Specialist.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to hospice and palliative care, at 251,555.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Workers | 251,555 | 12.1% |
| Social Workers, All Other | 142,086 | 4.8% |
Hospice and Palliative Care graduates earn a median $45,762 one year after completing their program, $55,481 after four years and $50,915 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $45,762 |
| 4 years | $55,481 |
| 5 years | $50,915 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to hospice and palliative care, with a median salary of $78,044.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Workers | $78,044 |
| Social Workers, All Other | $62,827 |
Hospice and Palliative Care has 12 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 36,111 degrees a year; the largest are Mental Health Counseling/Counselor (12,039), Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling (6,362) and Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling (4,547). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mental Health Counseling/Counselor | 12,039 |
| Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling | 6,362 |
| Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | 4,547 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other | 3,934 |
| Clinical/Medical Social Work | 3,399 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician | 2,777 |
| Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling | 2,203 |
| Genetic Counseling/Counselor | 402 |
| Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling | 217 |
| Trauma Counseling | 214 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.