Graduate education is the fastest-growing segment of postsecondary enrollment, with enrollment growth of 44.9 percent over fall 1995 to fall 2015 (NCES 2017)—little wonder, perhaps, given the large earnings advantages and rapid real-wage gains advanced-degree holders have enjoyed over recent decades[1][2]. Postbaccalaureate credentials are required for a growing number of careers in teaching, research, and legal and health professions, and graduate enrollment growth is expected to proceed apace as employer demand for master’s-credentialed labor continues to expand[3].
Although people of color remain underrepresented at the graduate level, bachelor recipients of color enroll in graduate education at higher-than-average rates, and students of color comprised a larger share of graduate enrollments in 2016 than in 1996. More concerning are stark racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in graduate students’ sectors of enrollment and fields of study: women and students of color remain firmly underrepresented in graduate programs associated with the largest employment and earnings benefits.