Outcomes
Is Your Major a Certificate or a Degree? For 17 Fields, It Depends on the State
Across 5,761 field-and-state combinations, what credential a field awards is mostly a property of the field, not the state: grouping by field accounts for 77% of the variation and grouping by state 5%. But 17 fields swing by more than 50 percentage points depending on where you study.
By CampusPin Research · Published August 18, 2026
Executive summary
Choosing a field does not settle what credential you will graduate with. The same field is awarded as a short certificate at one college and as a bachelor's degree at another. This analysis measures how much that varies, using the credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring to the federal IPEDS completions collection in 2023-24.
The natural assumption is that this is a state-system story, with certain states running certificate-heavy pipelines. The data does not support it. Across 5,761 field-and-state combinations covering 115 fields, grouping by FIELD accounts for 77% of the variation in certificate share, while grouping by STATE accounts for 5%. What you study predicts your credential far better than where you study.
The exceptions are the point, and they are specific. 17 fields vary by more than 50 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, led by Real Estate, Fire Science, Diesel Technology. In those fields a student can enrol expecting one kind of credential and receive another, and the only way to know is to check the state. 14 fields show no measurable variation at all: Commercial Truck Driving, Phlebotomy are certificates essentially everywhere, and Physical Therapy, Computer Engineering are degrees essentially everywhere.
Key findings
- 1Grouping field-and-state combinations by field explains 77% of the variation in certificate share; grouping by state explains 5%.
- 217 of 115 fields vary by more than 50 percentage points between their 10th- and 90th-percentile state.
- 3The widest is Real Estate, running from 0% certificates in its 10th-percentile state to 100% in its 90th, a spread of 100 points.
- 414 fields show no measurable spread: the credential is the same wherever it is awarded.
- 5The median field varies by just 10 percentage points, so most fields are consistent nationally and the exceptions are a minority worth naming.
- 6Measured across 5,761 field-and-state combinations that each cleared a floor of 50 credentials, covering 115 fields present in at least 15 states.
For each of the 115 fields analysed: how many states report it, how many credentials it represents, its national certificate share, and the 10th percentile, median and 90th percentile certificate share across states, with the resulting spread in percentage points.
| Field | States reporting | Credentials conferred | National certificate share (%) | 10th percentile state (%) | Median state (%) | 90th percentile state (%) | Spread (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate | 18 | 7245 | 52 | 0 | 43 | 100 | 100 |
| Fire Science | 24 | 7733 | 74 | 8 | 74 | 95 | 88 |
| Diesel Technology | 33 | 8389 | 73 | 13 | 66 | 98 | 85 |
| Culinary Arts | 28 | 9055 | 53 | 0 | 53 | 83 | 83 |
| Entrepreneurship | 34 | 9997 | 44 | 3 | 31 | 85 | 83 |
| Computer Programming | 30 | 10751 | 49 | 7 | 50 | 84 | 77 |
| Human Resource Management | 40 | 16801 | 24 | 0 | 10 | 69 | 69 |
| Veterinary Technology | 30 | 7130 | 41 | 0 | 32 | 68 | 68 |
| Electrical Engineering Technology | 27 | 6010 | 47 | 3 | 33 | 70 | 68 |
| Automotive Technology | 41 | 34082 | 71 | 24 | 68 | 91 | 67 |
| Business Analytics | 22 | 9035 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 60 |
| Cybersecurity | 47 | 37281 | 26 | 1 | 23 | 58 | 57 |
| Substance Abuse Counseling | 22 | 5508 | 57 | 20 | 57 | 77 | 57 |
| Medical Billing and Coding | 30 | 7901 | 83 | 44 | 89 | 100 | 56 |
| Graphic Design | 34 | 9418 | 20 | 0 | 14 | 55 | 55 |
| General Studies | 48 | 127327 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 54 |
| Electrician | 32 | 17260 | 84 | 50 | 88 | 100 | 50 |
| Hospitality Management | 32 | 7613 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 50 | 50 |
| Paramedicine | 36 | 26262 | 86 | 47 | 83 | 95 | 48 |
| Supply Chain Management | 31 | 10377 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 46 | 46 |
| Paralegal Studies | 33 | 8629 | 40 | 9 | 38 | 55 | 46 |
| Interior Design | 27 | 5280 | 21 | 0 | 12 | 44 | 44 |
| Early Childhood Education | 44 | 31942 | 29 | 0 | 11 | 44 | 44 |
| Surgical Technology | 32 | 6283 | 22 | 0 | 12 | 42 | 42 |
| Liberal Arts | 48 | 341024 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 41 |
| Digital Media | 30 | 10581 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 40 |
| HVAC Technology | 35 | 14489 | 85 | 59 | 86 | 99 | 40 |
| Medical Assisting | 40 | 31627 | 86 | 62 | 86 | 100 | 38 |
| Industrial Maintenance Technology | 17 | 6546 | 83 | 63 | 84 | 100 | 37 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | 25 | 5317 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 36 | 36 |
| Information Technology | 40 | 41643 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 36 | 36 |
| Operations Management | 23 | 11857 | 69 | 0 | 6 | 34 | 34 |
| Film Production | 26 | 8779 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 34 |
| Dental Assisting | 34 | 10183 | 89 | 70 | 93 | 100 | 31 |
| Animation | 25 | 5521 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 30 |
| Welding Technology | 44 | 45416 | 92 | 70 | 92 | 99 | 29 |
| Instructional Design | 28 | 8504 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 29 |
| Human Services | 33 | 11244 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 29 |
| Health Sciences | 48 | 37427 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 27 |
| Radiologic Technology | 39 | 10665 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 26 |
| Data Science | 24 | 7273 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 24 |
| Organizational Leadership | 42 | 15275 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 24 |
| Cosmetology | 23 | 13008 | 93 | 77 | 95 | 100 | 23 |
| Software Engineering | 18 | 5584 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 23 |
| International Business | 27 | 6357 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| Business Administration | 51 | 331781 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 22 |
| Practical Nursing | 43 | 36430 | 95 | 81 | 100 | 100 | 19 |
| Theology | 24 | 5888 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
| Creative Writing | 29 | 6825 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| Special Education | 45 | 33463 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Engineering | 36 | 12858 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Education | 49 | 27156 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Marketing | 49 | 49926 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 13 |
| Information Systems | 33 | 9886 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Anthropology | 44 | 10572 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| Secondary Education | 42 | 10295 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| Accounting | 51 | 57584 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 |
| Theater Arts | 36 | 10261 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Communications | 32 | 10863 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Dental Hygiene | 37 | 8392 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Healthcare Administration | 44 | 27618 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Religious Studies | 24 | 8533 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Physical Education | 35 | 6513 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Philosophy | 35 | 8485 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Industrial Engineering | 33 | 8200 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Music | 46 | 25588 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Sports Management | 40 | 17100 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Statistics | 26 | 9146 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Journalism | 39 | 11047 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Studio Art | 37 | 11675 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Animal Science | 43 | 8018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Public Policy | 21 | 5687 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Social Work | 50 | 57432 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| History | 48 | 30675 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| International Relations | 32 | 11337 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Political Science | 50 | 44624 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| English & Literature | 50 | 33832 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Elementary Education | 51 | 41828 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Geology | 33 | 5156 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Finance | 48 | 49486 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 38 | 13589 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Economics | 44 | 45192 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Nursing | 51 | 250183 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Applied Mathematics | 29 | 10710 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Environmental Science | 38 | 10259 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Computer Science | 49 | 79370 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Exercise Science | 47 | 31787 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sociology | 48 | 31172 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mathematics | 46 | 25176 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Public Health | 45 | 24664 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Public Administration | 40 | 13591 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Aerospace Engineering | 28 | 9492 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Respiratory Therapy | 35 | 6308 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Psychology | 51 | 145761 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Speech-Language Pathology | 31 | 6637 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Chemistry | 45 | 19010 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Biology | 51 | 88302 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Physics | 42 | 12549 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 50 | 42508 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Engineering | 44 | 25120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Civil Engineering | 50 | 19852 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Physical Therapy | 44 | 13238 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Computer Engineering | 32 | 12945 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Physician Assistant Studies | 41 | 12799 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pharmacy | 43 | 11954 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| School Counseling | 38 | 11842 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neuroscience | 37 | 11384 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chemical Engineering | 36 | 10450 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Occupational Therapy | 38 | 10168 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Criminology | 34 | 10018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Commercial Truck Driving | 27 | 9847 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Biochemistry | 35 | 9314 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kinesiology | 29 | 6960 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Phlebotomy | 23 | 6371 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Library and Information Science | 31 | 6021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Methodology
Source data is the U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24, which records credentials actually conferred. Institutions are matched to the federal directory on normalised name and state; any name resolving to more than one federal ID is excluded rather than guessed.
Credentials are grouped by IPEDS award level into certificate (awards below the associate level, including the under-12-week and 12-week-to-1-year codes), associate, bachelor's, and graduate (postbaccalaureate certificate, master's, post-master's certificate and the three doctoral codes). "Certificate share" is the certificate group divided by all four.
A field-and-state combination enters the analysis only with at least 50 credentials, and a field only when it clears that floor in at least 15 states and has at least 5,000 credentials overall. Without those floors a field present in three states with a handful of graduates could manufacture a 100-point spread.
Spread is the gap between the 10th and 90th percentile state, not between the minimum and maximum, so a single unusual state cannot produce a finding.
Variance explained is eta-squared: the between-group share of total variance when cells are grouped by field, and again when grouped by state. It describes where the variation sits. It is not a causal claim, and it does not say state policy is irrelevant to anything else.
Stability was checked against the prior year rather than assumed: comparing the same field-and-state combinations in 2022-23, the median absolute change in certificate share is 0 percentage points and 95% of combinations move less than 10 points.
Limitations
- Completions record credentials already conferred. They confirm what was awarded in the reporting year; they do NOT confirm that a college is currently admitting students to that program, and the mix can change as programs open and close.
- A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one. This measures what is awarded, and says nothing about program quality, earnings, or whether one path suits a given student better than another.
- Award level is recorded at the level of the credential conferred, so a college that awards both a certificate and a degree in one field contributes to both groups.
- The comparison covers the fields CampusPin tracks, which represent a majority but not all of federally reported completions.
- Figures cover institutions in CampusPin's dataset that join to the federal directory, not the complete Title IV universe.
- Eta-squared is descriptive. Fields and states are not independent - some fields are concentrated in particular regions - and no attempt is made here to separate those effects.
- This analysis measures WHAT varies, not why. A plausible explanation for the fields that swing most is that state licensing and regulatory requirements differ - fire science and real estate are both fields where the credential an employer or licensing board expects is set at state level - but that explanation is a HYPOTHESIS, not a finding. Nothing in the completions data identifies a cause, and no causal claim should be drawn from these figures.
- A state that looks certificate-heavy overall is not necessarily teaching the same fields differently. Grouping by state explains very little of the variation WITHIN a field, so a state-level total mostly reflects which fields its institutions award rather than how any one field is taught there. Reading a pooled state figure as a statement about a particular field would invert what this analysis found.
For journalists
Headline figure: what credential a field awards is mostly a property of the field, not the state. Grouping by field explains 77% of the variation in certificate share; grouping by state explains 5%. The exceptions are specific and nameable: 17 fields swing more than 50 percentage points between their 10th and 90th percentile state, led by Real Estate, Fire Science, Diesel Technology, while 14 fields show no variation at all. Every number is reproducible from the linked CSV and the federal completions file it cites. CampusPin publishes no rankings and makes no claim that a certificate is worth less than a degree.
Sources, methodology & citation
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
CampusPin credential-level compilation
CampusPin's aggregation of federal completions by award level for each field and state, computed from the federal collection cited below.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2026). Is Your Major a Certificate or a Degree? For 17 Fields, It Depends on the State. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/research/is-your-major-a-certificate-or-a-degree
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