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institutional research

A program of study that prepares an individual to be an institutional researcher at a postsecondary educational institution. Includes instruction in data analysis, data-driven decision-making, data mining, higher education administration and organization, research methods, and statistics.

Types of Degrees institutional research Majors Are Earning

People majoring in institutional research may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	7

What institutional research Majors Need to Know

Programs in institutional research emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that institutional research graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in institutional research emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a institutional research program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to institutional research careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, institutional research graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Analyzing Data or Information	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by institutional research professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Extensible markup language XML	Enterprise application integration software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for institutional research graduates include:

• Survey Analyst
• Program Analyst
• Performance Management Analyst
• Performance Consultant
• Management and Program Analyst
• Business Process Consultant
• Business Consultant
• Human Resource Analyst (HR Analyst)
• Program Development Specialist
• Business Management Analyst
• Reports Analyst
• Business Systems Analyst
• Healthcare Consultant
• Management Systems Auditor
• Clerical Methods Analyst

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to institutional research graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	40.6%
Bachelor’s degree	38.5%
Some college courses	6.4%
Doctoral degree	5.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.6%
Post-doctoral training	1.6%
First professional degree	0.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in institutional research?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57.1% women and 42.9% men among institutional research graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4	57.1%
Men	3	42.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of institutional research graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3	42.9%
Black or African American	2	28.6%
International Students	2	28.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do institutional research Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of institutional research graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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.}

Is a Degree in institutional research Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, institutional research 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
Educational Evaluation and Research	789
Educational Statistics and Research Methods	351
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other	298
Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement	206

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.