| Field of study | Degrees in 2011-12 | Degrees in 2021-22 | Growth |
|---|
| Multi and interdisciplinary studies | 7,700 | 15,000 | Up 94 percent |
| Mathematics and statistics | 6,200 | 11,800 | Up 88 percent |
| Computer and information sciences | 20,900 | 51,300 | Up 145 percent |
| Health professions and related programs | 84,100 | 147,000 | Up 75 percent |
| Public administration and social services | 41,700 | 50,100 | Up 20 percent |
| Education | 179,000 | 151,700 | Down 15 percent |
What do the leading US schools charge for master's tuition?
Master's tuition at top computer science schools ranges from about $18,000 to $75,000 a year for full-time students, with the highest fees concentrated at private research universities. Published annual figures also show that enrollments and prices do not track together.
Some of the most expensive programs are small. Cornell lists the highest master's tuition in the group at $75,384 a year and enrolls 535 full-time master's students. Stanford pairs $65,865 a year with an enrollment of 1,004.
At the other end of the price list, the University of Texas at Austin lists $18,162 a year for full-time study.
Tuition per credit matters for working adults who enroll part time. The University of Washington lists $1,393 per credit for part-time master's study, which is why part-time students should compare per-credit rates rather than annual totals.
Our guide to the best online computer science degree programs breaks down how part-time and full-time pricing differ across schools.
| School | Published master's tuition | Full-time enrollment |
|---|
| Cornell University | $75,384 per year | 535 |
| Stanford University | $65,865 per year | 1,004 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $43,670 per year | 2,902 |
| University of California Berkeley | $37,892 per year | 291 |
| University of Texas at Austin | $18,162 per year | 307 |
| University of Washington | $1,393 per credit, part time | 520 |
Affordability depends on funding as much as on the sticker price. Most schools publish a separate aid calendar, and the difference between published tuition and what a student actually pays can be large at private universities.
Ask the financial aid office for a net price for your program before you compare headline figures.
Part-time study changes the arithmetic again. Per-credit rates make a 90-credit program cheaper than a 120-credit one, so the cheapest route to a master's degree is often the school with the lowest credit price rather than the lowest annual figure.
How do online master's programs compare on cost?
Online master's programs are the cheapest route into graduate study, with a median total cost of about $24,495 compared with $51,921 for on-campus programs. The gap comes from lower credit prices and the removal of campus overhead from tuition.
A tracker of 100 graduate programs across 81 universities published in October 2026 found a median total program cost of $33,450. Within that sample, the online median was $24,495, the hybrid median was $36,750, and the on-campus median was $51,921.
Cheapest programs in the sample started around $9,350 for a 30-credit applied AI degree.
Two pricing models sit at the other end. Flat-rate programs charge a set fee per term instead of per credit, with Georgia Tech's online analytics master's listed at $4,755 for a six-month term.
Competency-based programs charge the same for everyone regardless of how fast a student moves, which suits applicants who already hold college credit. The US News online information technology rankings compare per-credit rates across more than a hundred programs.
Those growth rates come from a decade of completions data, so they describe where degrees were awarded rather than where students enrolled.
Enrolment usually runs a few years ahead of graduations, which means the fastest growing fields today often show their degree numbers two to four years from now.
Which fields are growing fastest for the 2026 intake?
Cybersecurity, nursing and data science lead the fastest-growing master's fields for 2026, based on job growth and enrollment data published in 2026 analysis. Each connects a degree to a hiring category that is still expanding rather than shrinking.
The pattern holds across price points. In the online master's market, institutions that added cybersecurity and data science specialisms report strong enrollment, while fields tied to shrinking sectors saw flat numbers.
Our guide to the 2026 fastest growing master's degree analysis maps the fields with the strongest job growth numbers.
International applicants follow the same signal. Among US nonresident students, 44 percent of master's degrees landed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and their three most common fields were business, computer and information sciences and engineering.
That mix explains why so many international applications target technology master's programs. If you are weighing a technical degree, how to get a master's degree in AI covers admissions steps and deadlines.
Graduate enrolment follows the same pattern. Programs that lead a popular field still vary widely in size, and the largest schools are often the ones with the biggest research funding rather than the biggest class sizes.
A large program gives you more elective options and a deeper alumni network, while a small program gives you more attention per student.
What are the next steps to pick a master's program?
Start with the job you want after graduation, then pick the cheapest program that gets you there. Field popularity is a useful signal, but it does not guarantee a salary in your area or your industry.
Work through this checklist before you apply:
- List the roles you want and the credentials those postings ask for.
- Compare per-credit cost, not the headline tuition figure.
- Check accreditation, because federal aid and many employers require it.
- Confirm whether the program is full-time, part-time or hybrid.
- Map every deadline, including priority dates for aid.
- Compare what graduates earn, not just what you paid.
- Ask whether the program has a thesis option and how long it takes.
Two final checks matter more than the ranking lists. Confirm the accreditation status of the program itself, since it can differ from the school. Then confirm the total cost including fees, and see whether the school offers any aid you qualify for.
Research is easier to interpret when you separate the three questions a ranking list mixes together. How many students enroll, what they pay, and what they do after graduation. The US News computer science school rankings cover enrollment and price.
The research.com master's degree guide covers program structure. And the OnlineU list of best online master's programs covers the fields with the widest online menus.
Verify current requirements. Program details and tuition change. Check the official source before you apply or pay.
Photo: naassomz1, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/people-students-university-campus-6027028/)
Fazlur Rahman
