Visualized: The Most Common Master’s Degrees in 43 Countries
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Key Takeaways
- Business & law are the most common master’s fields across 43 OECD countries.
- Certain countries diverge from the pattern, such as Japan, where engineering is the top field (33%).
According to new OECD data, the world’s graduate students are primarily focused on just a few key disciplines.
In this graphic, we visualize the most common master’s degrees in 43 countries, revealing how business and law is the most common choice globally.
A few countries buck the trend, including Japan, Sweden, Spain, and Brazil, where a larger share of graduate students specialize in fields like engineering and education.
Data & Discussion
The data for this visualization comes from OECD’s Education at a Glance 2025. It categorizes graduate students by field of study across OECD and partner countries. Each country’s figures represent the share of enrolled master’s students in each discipline.
| Country | Field of education | % of Students |
|---|---|---|
 Australia |
Business & law | 37% |
| Australia |
Health | 19% |
| Australia |
Other | 15% |
| Australia |
Education | 11% |
| Australia |
Engineering | 9% |
| Australia |
Information technology | 9% |
 Austria |
Business & law | 32% |
| Austria |
Other | 21% |
| Austria |
Engineering | 14% |
| Austria |
Health | 13% |
| Austria |
Education | 10% |
| Austria |
Social sciences | 10% |
 Belgium |
Business & law | 24% |
| Belgium |
Health | 22% |
| Belgium |
Other | 16% |
| Belgium |
Social sciences | 15% |
| Belgium |
Engineering | 13% |
| Belgium |
Arts and humanities | 11% |
 Brazil |
Other | 37% |
| Brazil |
Health | 16% |
| Brazil |
Education | 13% |
| Brazil |
Engineering | 12% |
| Brazil |
Arts and humanities | 12% |
| Brazil |
Business & law | 11% |
 Bulgaria |
Business & law | 26% |
| Bulgaria |
Education | 21% |
| Bulgaria |
Health | 17% |
| Bulgaria |
Other | 18% |
| Bulgaria |
Engineering | 10% |
| Bulgaria |
Social sciences | 9% |
 Canada |
Business & law | 29% |
| Canada |
Health | 21% |
| Canada |
Other | 20% |
| Canada |
Engineering | 12% |
| Canada |
Social sciences | 11% |
| Canada |
Education | 8% |
 Chile |
Business & law | 34% |
| Chile |
Health | 26% |
| Chile |
Education | 16% |
| Chile |
Other | 11% |
| Chile |
Social sciences | 9% |
| Chile |
Engineering | 5% |
 Colombia |
Business & law | 53% |
| Colombia |
Education | 17% |
| Colombia |
Other | 8% |
| Colombia |
Social sciences | 7% |
| Colombia |
Engineering | 9% |
| Colombia |
Health | 6% |
 Costa Rica |
Business & law | 51% |
| Costa Rica |
Education | 24% |
| Costa Rica |
Health | 10% |
| Costa Rica |
Other | 6% |
| Costa Rica |
Social sciences | 5% |
| Costa Rica |
Sciences & math | 3% |
 Croatia |
Other | 27% |
| Croatia |
Business & law | 25% |
| Croatia |
Engineering | 15% |
| Croatia |
Health | 14% |
| Croatia |
Education | 10% |
| Croatia |
Arts and humanities | 9% |
 Czechia |
Other | 27% |
| Czechia |
Business & law | 19% |
| Czechia |
Education | 17% |
| Czechia |
Engineering | 13% |
| Czechia |
Health | 13% |
| Czechia |
Social sciences | 11% |
 Denmark |
Business & law | 25% |
| Denmark |
Other | 24% |
| Denmark |
Social sciences | 17% |
| Denmark |
Engineering | 14% |
| Denmark |
Health | 10% |
| Denmark |
Sciences & math | 10% |
 Estonia |
Other | 28% |
| Estonia |
Business & law | 24% |
| Estonia |
Education | 14% |
| Estonia |
Engineering | 12% |
| Estonia |
Health | 12% |
| Estonia |
Information technology | 10% |
 Finland |
Other | 27% |
| Finland |
Business & law | 20% |
| Finland |
Engineering | 16% |
| Finland |
Health | 15% |
| Finland |
Arts and humanities | 12% |
| Finland |
Social sciences | 11% |
 France |
Business & law | 34% |
| France |
Health | 16% |
| France |
Other | 20% |
| France |
Engineering | 13% |
| France |
Sciences & math | 9% |
| France |
Education | 8% |
 Germany |
Other | 25% |
| Germany |
Business & law | 22% |
| Germany |
Engineering | 18% |
| Germany |
Arts and humanities | 15% |
| Germany |
Sciences & math | 11% |
| Germany |
Education | 9% |
 Greece |
Other | 26% |
| Greece |
Business & law | 24% |
| Greece |
Social sciences | 19% |
| Greece |
Health | 14% |
| Greece |
Sciences & math | 9% |
| Greece |
Engineering | 8% |
 Hungary |
Business & law | 28% |
| Hungary |
Other | 20% |
| Hungary |
Health | 13% |
| Hungary |
Social sciences | 13% |
| Hungary |
Education | 14% |
| Hungary |
Engineering | 11% |
 Iceland |
Business & law | 30% |
| Iceland |
Education | 25% |
| Iceland |
Health | 15% |
| Iceland |
Other | 14% |
| Iceland |
Social sciences | 9% |
| Iceland |
Sciences & math | 7% |
 Ireland |
Business & law | 30% |
| Ireland |
Health | 17% |
| Ireland |
Other | 20% |
| Ireland |
Education | 14% |
| Ireland |
Information technology | 12% |
| Ireland |
Social sciences | 8% |
 Israel |
Business & law | 30% |
| Israel |
Education | 21% |
| Israel |
Health | 15% |
| Israel |
Other | 13% |
| Israel |
Social sciences | 12% |
| Israel |
Arts and humanities | 9% |
 Italy |
Business & law | 20% |
| Italy |
Other | 19% |
| Italy |
Health | 17% |
| Italy |
Engineering | 15% |
| Italy |
Social sciences | 15% |
| Italy |
Arts and humanities | 15% |
 Japan |
Engineering | 33% |
| Japan |
Health | 27% |
| Japan |
Other | 13% |
| Japan |
Business & law | 10% |
| Japan |
Sciences & math | 9% |
| Japan |
Arts and humanities | 8% |
 Korea |
Other | 23% |
| Korea |
Business & law | 21% |
| Korea |
Education | 16% |
| Korea |
Engineering | 15% |
| Korea |
Health | 11% |
| Korea |
Arts and humanities | 13% |
 Latvia |
Business & law | 29% |
| Latvia |
Health | 29% |
| Latvia |
Other | 16% |
| Latvia |
Engineering | 10% |
| Latvia |
Social sciences | 9% |
| Latvia |
Arts and humanities | 7% |
 Lithuania |
Business & law | 29% |
| Lithuania |
Health | 28% |
| Lithuania |
Other | 14% |
| Lithuania |
Engineering | 12% |
| Lithuania |
Social sciences | 11% |
| Lithuania |
Arts and humanities | 7% |
 Luxembourg |
Business & law | 62% |
| Luxembourg |
Other | 12% |
| Luxembourg |
Education | 7% |
| Luxembourg |
Sciences & math | 7% |
| Luxembourg |
Engineering | 6% |
| Luxembourg |
Social sciences | 6% |
 Mexico |
Business & law | 41% |
| Mexico |
Education | 25% |
| Mexico |
Health | 13% |
| Mexico |
Other | 10% |
| Mexico |
Social sciences | 7% |
| Mexico |
Engineering | 4% |
 Netherlands |
Business & law | 30% |
| Netherlands |
Other | 22% |
| Netherlands |
Social sciences | 19% |
| Netherlands |
Engineering | 10% |
| Netherlands |
Sciences & math | 9% |
| Netherlands |
Health | 9% |
 New Zealand |
Business & law | 27% |
| New Zealand |
Other | 25% |
| New Zealand |
Social sciences | 13% |
| New Zealand |
Health | 12% |
| New Zealand |
Engineering | 12% |
| New Zealand |
Education | 11% |
 Norway |
Other | 22% |
| Norway |
Business & law | 18% |
| Norway |
Education | 18% |
| Norway |
Social sciences | 17% |
| Norway |
Health | 12% |
| Norway |
Engineering | 12% |
 Poland |
Business & law | 26% |
| Poland |
Health | 19% |
| Poland |
Other | 22% |
| Poland |
Engineering | 12% |
| Poland |
Social sciences | 12% |
| Poland |
Education | 10% |
 Portugal |
Business & law | 22% |
| Portugal |
Engineering | 22% |
| Portugal |
Other | 20% |
| Portugal |
Health | 17% |
| Portugal |
Social sciences | 11% |
| Portugal |
Education | 8% |
 Romania |
Other | 26% |
| Romania |
Business & law | 23% |
| Romania |
Health | 20% |
| Romania |
Engineering | 16% |
| Romania |
Social sciences | 8% |
| Romania |
Arts and humanities | 8% |
 Slovak Republic |
Other | 23% |
| Slovak Republic |
Business & law | 22% |
| Slovak Republic |
Health | 19% |
 Slovak Republic |
Education | 14% |
| Slovak Republic |
Engineering | 12% |
| Slovak Republic |
Social sciences | 10% |
 Slovenia |
Business & law | 24% |
| Slovenia |
Engineering | 18% |
| Slovenia |
Health | 15% |
| Slovenia |
Education | 16% |
| Slovenia |
Social sciences | 9% |
| Slovenia |
Other | 19% |
 Spain |
Education | 27% |
| Spain |
Health | 21% |
| Spain |
Other | 17% |
| Spain |
Business & law | 18% |
| Spain |
Social sciences | 9% |
| Spain |
Engineering | 9% |
 Sweden |
Engineering | 23% |
| Sweden |
Health | 20% |
| Sweden |
Education | 17% |
| Sweden |
Business & law | 15% |
| Sweden |
Social sciences | 11% |
| Sweden |
Other | 15% |
 Switzerland |
Business & law | 28% |
| Switzerland |
Other | 24% |
| Switzerland |
Engineering | 13% |
| Switzerland |
Health | 11% |
| Switzerland |
Social sciences | 11% |
| Switzerland |
Education | 14% |
 Türkiye |
Business & law | 31% |
| Türkiye |
Other | 22% |
| Türkiye |
Education | 13% |
| Türkiye |
Engineering | 13% |
| Türkiye |
Social sciences | 11% |
| Türkiye |
Arts and humanities | 11% |
 U.S. |
Business & law | 26% |
| U.S. |
Health | 26% |
| U.S. |
Other | 19% |
| U.S. |
Education | 14% |
| U.S. |
Information technology | 8% |
| U.S. |
Social sciences | 8% |
 UK |
Business & law | 35% |
| UK |
Health | 13% |
| UK |
Other | 21% |
| UK |
Social sciences | 12% |
| UK |
Education | 10% |
| UK |
Engineering | 9% |
Business & Law Are the Most Common Master’s Fields
From Australia to Colombia, business and law attracts the largest share of graduate students around the world. These programs are often linked to high employability and upper-level management roles, particularly in service-oriented economies.
This trend also spans across developed (e.g. Luxembourg) and developing (e.g. Mexico) economies, highlighting the universal career-advancing potential of an MBA.
Nations Bucking the Trend
We can identify several countries where business and law is not the clear favorite.
In Spain and Norway, for instance, education-related master’s programs are equally or more popular. Health fields also represent a major share in countries like the U.S. and Japan, possibly driven by their aging populations and growing healthcare demand.
And lastly, Japan and Sweden stand out as the only countries in this sample where engineering fields are the most popular choice for graduate students.
These differences could boil down to cultural factors, institutional incentives, or simply greater employment opportunities.
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- Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualized-the-most-common-masters-degrees-in-43-countries/
