Learning Sciences

Types of Degrees Learning Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many learning sciences graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	1,322
Master’s Degree	169
Graduate Certificate	39
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Learning Sciences Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to learning sciences and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Learning Sciences Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in learning sciences should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Learning Sciences Majors

A major in learning sciences prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Learning Sciences Majors

Learning Sciences majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Learning Sciences Major?

People with a learning sciences degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Education Professors	10.3%	$64,780
Education, Training, and Library Workers	10.8%	$42,080
Social Sciences Professors	9.8%	$71,600
Transportation Planners	6.7%	$81,340

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Learning Sciences?

The major attracts more women than men. About 87% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of learning sciences majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	17
Black or African American	95
Hispanic or Latino	152
White	924
International Students	8
Other Races/Ethnicities	126

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Learning Sciences, too. About 0.6% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Learning Sciences Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Learning Sciences majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $46,680 to $85,750 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Learning Sciences

Some degrees associated with learning sciences may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for learning sciences careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	38.6%
Master’s Degree	17.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.0%
Doctoral Degree	43.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.0%

Online Learning Sciences Programs

In 2020-2021, 36 schools offered a learning sciences program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	8	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	19	9
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	6	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Learning Sciences Worth It?

The median salary for a learning sciences grad is $73,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 85% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $675,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Learning Sciences

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to learning sciences.

Major	Number of Grads
Educational Statistics & Research Methods	295
Educational Evaluation & Research	293
Other Educational Assessment, Evaluation, & Research	286
Educational Assessment, Testing, & Measurement	129

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By US Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Paul J. Phelps under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.