---

Educational Assessment & Testing

A program that focuses on the principles and procedures for designing, developing, implementing and evaluating tests and other mechanisms used to measure learning, evaluate student progress, and assess the performance of specific teaching tools, strategies and curricula. Includes instruction in psychometric measurement, instrument design, test implementation techniques, research evaluation, data reporting requirements, and data analysis and interpretation.

Types of Degrees Educational Assessment & Testing Majors Are Earning

Those studying Educational Assessment & Testing have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	205
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Educational Assessment & Testing Majors Need to Know

Programs in Educational Assessment & Testing develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Educational Assessment & Testing graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Educational Assessment & Testing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Educational Assessment & Testing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Educational Assessment & Testing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Educational Assessment & Testing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Educational Assessment & Testing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Educational Assessment & Testing graduates include:

• Tenure-Track Professor
• Lecturer
• Music Education Professor
• Primary Education Professor
• Mathematics Education Professor
• Outdoor Education Instructor
• Education Professor
• Continuing Education Instructor
• Education Instructor
• Visual Education Teacher
• College Professor
• Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Literacy Education Professor

What Can You Do With a Educational Assessment & Testing Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Educational Assessment & Testing commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500
Transportation Planners	4.1%	$50,855	$41,877–$59,834
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	6.1%	$42,168	$34,036–$50,300

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Educational Assessment & Testing graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	58.6%
Master’s degree	21.2%
Bachelor’s degree	14.6%
Some college courses	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Educational Assessment & Testing?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 90.3% of Educational Assessment & Testing degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	186	90.3%
Men	20	9.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Educational Assessment & Testing graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	152	73.8%
Asian	3	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	15	7.3%
Black or African American	7	3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	1.0%
Two or More Races	10	4.9%
Race Unknown	11	5.3%
International Students	6	2.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Educational Assessment & Testing Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Educational Assessment & Testing 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	$62,037
4 years	$57,700
5 years	$64,541

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,541 — roughly 4% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Educational Assessment & Testing Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Educational Assessment & Testing. 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	4	2

^{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 Educational Assessment & Testing Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Educational Assessment & Testing graduates earn a median of $57,700 four years after completion — roughly 52% 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research	5,695
Learning Sciences	4,044
Agricultural Teacher Education	1,051
Educational Evaluation and Research	789
Educational Statistics and Research Methods	351
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other	298
Institutional Research	7

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.