The number of AI degree programs is expanding as universities respond to growing demand for specialized artificial intelligence skills.
But how many people are actually earning AI degrees?
Below, we break down the numbers behind AI degrees in the US.
Top AI Degree Holder Statistics
Number of AI Degree Holders in the US
Number of AI Degrees Over Time
Number of AI Degrees Conferred by Degree Type
Which Institutions Conferred the Most AI Degrees?
AI Degrees by Institution and Degree Type
Top AI Degree Holder Statistics
- 2,576 AI degrees were completed in the US in 2025.
- 5,499 AI degrees have been awarded over the last 3 years.
- 19,778 degrees and certificates in AI and related data fields were conferred in 2025.
- 8.4x more degrees and certificates in AI and related fields were awarded in 2025 than in 2019.
- In 2025, 59% of degrees completed in AI and related fields were master’s degrees.
- 122 institutions awarded an AI degree in 2025.
- Carnegie Mellon University conferred the most AI degrees in 2025 (227).
- Eastern University awarded the most degrees in AI and related fields in 2025 (1,012).
Number of AI Degree Holders in the US
In 2025, 2,576 AI degrees were conferred in the US under the federal Artificial Intelligence classification (CIP 11.0102).
Expanding the definition to include closely related fields increases that number significantly. 19,778 degrees and certificates in AI and related data fields were awarded across four relevant CIP classifications in 2025.
For our analysis, an AI degree is defined specifically as CIP 11.0102.
AI-related programs are defined using four federal CIP 2020 classifications: Artificial Intelligence (11.0102), Data Science, General (30.7001), Informatics (11.0104), and Data Analytics, General (30.7101). Computer Science (11.0701) is intentionally excluded.
Only first majors are counted, ensuring students with double majors are not counted twice. IPEDS award level 5 is used for bachelor’s degrees, level 7 for master’s degrees, and levels 17, 18, and 19 are combined for doctoral degrees. Certificates are included only in the overall awards total and not in the degree-specific figures.
Sources: IPEDS via clema.ai, IPEDS via Data USA
Number of AI Degrees Over Time
The number of AI degrees (CIP 11.0102) conferred has grown considerably year-over-year.
From 2023 to 2025, degrees awarded more than doubled from 1,270 to 2,576. In the space of three years (between 2023 and 2025), 5,499 AI degrees have been awarded.
This comes at a time when employers are increasingly prioritizing AI skills. According to the World Economic Forum, 9 in 10 employers believe AI and robotics are key technologies in transforming their organization.
Here’s a breakdown of the number of AI degrees conferred since 2023:
| Year | Number of AI Degrees Conferred (CIP 11.0102) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,270 |
| 2024 | 1,653 |
| 2025 | 2,576 |
Expanding the definition of an AI degree to include related fields, 19,778 degrees and certificates have been completed. That’s grown by around 8.4x since 2019 (2,349).
Stanford’s 2026 AI Index corroborates these findings. But interestingly, computer science enrollment dropped 11% as students opt for more specialized programs instead.
Sources: IPEDS via clema.ai, World Economic Forum, IPEDS via Data USA, Stanford, Taulbee
Number of AI Degrees Conferred by Degree Type
AI is a graduate-heavy field, with considerably more students completing master’s in AI programs than AI bachelor’s degrees.
Of all 19,778 awards across the AI and data codes in 2025, 59% were master’s degrees, while 26% were bachelor’s. The remaining 15% covered other categories, including associate degrees, doctoral degrees, and certificates.
AI skills are often demanded in job postings that also require the highest levels of education. With each increasing level of education, the percentage of job postings demanding AI skills grows:
- PhD or professional degree – 5.3%
- Master’s degree – 5%
- Bachelor’s degree – 4.7%
- Associate degree – 1.4%
- High school diploma or GED – 0.5%
This is how AI and related degrees are split by degree type:
| Degree Type | Number of AI and Related Degrees Conferred | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s | 11,669 | 59% |
| Bachelor’s | 5,235 | 26% |
| Other | 2,874 | 15% |
AI and ML are now the most common specialization among computing PhDs. According to a 2025 survey, 28% of doctoral degrees in computer-related fields have a specialty focus in AI or ML.
Sources: IPEDS via clema.ai, IPEDS via Data USA, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, CRA Taulbee
Which Institutions Conferred the Most AI Degrees?
In total, 122 institutions awarded at least one AI degree in 2025.
But no university came close to Carnegie Mellon University’s 227 AI degrees. CMU was one of the first universities in the US to launch an AI bachelor’s degree back in 2018 and has dedicated ML and robotics departments.
Here are the top 10 institutions by number of AI degrees presented:
| Rank | Institution | AI Degrees Conferred (CIP 11.0102) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University | 227 |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 124 |
| 3 | University of North Texas | 115 |
| 4 | University of Pennsylvania | 104 |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology | 85 |
| 6 | University of San Diego | 83 |
| 7 | Miami Dade College | 80 |
| 8 | Johns Hopkins University | 77 |
| 9 | Northeastern University | 77 |
| 10 | Yeshiva University | 75 |
Looking at AI and related degrees, several of the most popular institutions are large public universities. In fact, 9 of the top 10 institutions have approximately 40,000+ students enrolled.
The one outlier is Eastern University, which has designed its online graduate programs for scale. It combines low tuition, frequent start dates, short completion times, and relatively flexible entry requirements.
Here are the top 10 institutions by AI and related degrees presented:
| Rank | Institution | AI and Related Degrees Conferred |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern University | 1,012 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin – Madison | 645 |
| 3 | University of North Texas | 575 |
| 4 | The University of Texas at Austin | 454 |
| 5 | University of Washington – Seattle Campus | 415 |
| 6 | New York University | 406 |
| 7 | University of Southern California | 369 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University – Main Campus | 359 |
| 9 | San Jose State University | 349 |
| 10 | Indiana University – Bloomington | 334 |
Sources: NCES via clema.ai, Carnegie Mellon University, Eastern University
AI Degrees by Institution and Degree Type
Eastern University awarded by far the most master’s degrees in AI and related fields in 2025 (977).
These are the top five institutions by completed master’s degrees in AI and related fields:
| Rank | Institutions | Number of Master’s Degrees in AI and Related Fields Conferred |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern University | 977 |
| 2 | University of North Texas | 513 |
| 3 | The University of Texas at Austin | 375 |
| 4 | University of Southern California | 349 |
| 5 | San Jose State University | 322 |
And these are the top five institutions by completed bachelor’s degrees in AI and related fields:
| Rank | Institutions | Conferred Bachelor’s Degrees in AI and Related Fields |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington – Seattle Campus | 373 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin – Madison | 331 |
| 3 | Indiana University – Bloomington | 308 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University – Main Campus | 292 |
| 5 | University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | 159 |
Stanford University and UC Berkeley are not included on the list, as neither awards a degree under the AI CIP code. Both teach AI within computer science programs and report those graduates under Computer Science (CIP 11.0701). Stanford conferred 1,018 of these awards, while Berkeley conferred 995 in 2025.
The most common sector by number of degrees awarded is private not-for-profit four-year institutions, making up around 62% of all completions.
Public four-year institutions were the most common provider in 2025 (63).
Sources: NCES via clema.ai, IPEDS via Data USA
Conclusion
AI programs are becoming more established across US higher education. But the landscape is still taking shape.
Institutions are scaling in very different ways, from specialist AI programs to large online graduate pipelines.