Over the last two decades, the United States has witnessed a steady decline in the number of education degrees awarded, raising questions about the future supply of teachers. According to a new analysis by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), based on US Department of Education data, this downward trend spans bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

A shrinking pipeline

Bachelor’s degrees in education fell from 109,622 annually in 2003-04 to 90,710 in 2022-23. Master’s degrees declined from 162,632 to 143,669 over the same period. The one-year decline from 2021-22 to 2022-23 was modest but notable: bachelor’s degrees fell by 3%, while master’s degrees decreased by 5%.Jacqueline King, co-author of AACTE’s reports and consultant for the association, emphasised the importance of tracking these trends. “These reports provide a valuable check-up on the supply of new educators, and it is exciting that this year we can offer readers the opportunity to customise how they view the data through our new data dashboards,” King said, according to Higher Ed Dive. She added that the federal government’s continued support for education research is essential for informing both policymakers and the public.

Enrolment and completion trends

While degrees awarded have declined, enrolment patterns show a shift in teacher preparation pathways. Enrolments in comprehensive higher education institutions dropped from 611,296 in 2012-13 to 407,556 in 2022-23. By contrast, alternative teacher preparation programmes, those not based at colleges, have grown, from 43,099 students in 2012-13 to 124,428 in 2022-23.Completion rates reflect similar trends. In comprehensive colleges and universities, 112,913 students completed teacher preparation programmes in 2022-23, down from 163,851 a decade earlier. Alternative programmes saw more modest growth, with completions rising from 15,550 to 16,899 in the same period.A closer look at enrolment and completion numbers over time highlights the shifts in teacher preparation across traditional and alternative programmes.

Growing diversity

Another notable trend is the increasing diversity among graduates. Non-White students accounted for 29% of education bachelor’s degrees in 2022-23, up from 23% in 2016-17. At the master’s level, the share rose from 28% to 33%, while non-White students earned 42% of education doctoral degrees, compared with 37% in 2016-17.

What this means

The decline in traditional education degrees suggests a shrinking pipeline of teachers from established programmes. At the same time, alternative pathways are expanding, and the teaching workforce is becoming more diverse. Analysts warn that without sufficient investment in teacher preparation and continued research, the United States could face challenges in maintaining the quality and quantity of its educators, Higher Ed Dive reports.AACTE’s data dashboards and related reports provide a clear picture of these trends, offering both a reference point for policymakers and a tool for educators and institutions seeking to adapt to shifting enrolment patterns.