Which specific degree programs (by name and CIP code) were removed from professional status in the 2025 rule change?

1. What the Department proposed — framework, not a program-by-program purge

The Department of Education circulated a proposal to define which post‑baccalaureate degrees count as “professional” for purposes such as Graduate PLUS loan caps; that proposal set criteria (for example, requiring skill beyond a bachelor’s) and discussed lists of program types, but Inside Higher Ed’s coverage describes these as negotiable, draft lists rather than a final inventory of degree program names or CIP codes ^[1].

2. Negotiated rulemaking was the venue — but minutes and public pages don’t publish CIP lists

The Department ran negotiated rulemaking sessions in 2025 on higher education Title IV rule changes; the official ED negotiated rulemaking page shows schedules and topics but does not publish an authoritative list mapping individual degree program names to CIP codes nor a published list of programs that were stripped of professional status in 2025 ^[2].

3. Media reporting focused on definitions and loan-cap implications, not CIP code roll calls

Coverage in Inside Higher Ed emphasized how the Department’s drafts altered who would get access to higher loan caps and described a shift from an original “only 10 degrees” approach to a slightly expanded set, yet the article discusses the policy framing and negotiators’ debates rather than enumerating removed programs or CIP codes ^[1].

4. Why you won’t find CIP codes in these sources

CIP codes are a technical classification often published in federal regulatory text, technical appendices, or data releases. The available materials here—news coverage and the ED negotiated‑rulemaking overview—describe proposals and debates but do not include the kind of annexed, machine‑readable list (program name → CIP code) that would answer your question directly ^{[1] [2]}.

5. Where such a list would normally appear if it existed

If the Department finalized program‑level changes affecting “professional” status, an authoritative list of affected programs and CIP codes would typically be published in the final rule notice in the Federal Register or in ED’s technical guidance and regulatory impact materials. Available items in this set do not include a Federal Register final rule text or an ED technical appendix with CIP mappings ^[2].

6. Alternative explanations and competing perspectives in the reporting

Inside Higher Ed reports that the Department’s proposal both tightened and slightly expanded eligibility in different drafts—suggesting that negotiators were adding some programs back in even as the Department tried to narrow the professional category—so observers disagree on whether the net effect is removal or redistribution of programs among loan‑cap tiers ^[1]. The negotiated‑rulemaking process itself signals competing stakeholder priorities—higher‑ed advocates warning about student access and the Department or lawmakers focused on limiting higher borrowing—yet the sources here stop short of documenting final, program‑level removals ^{[1] [2]}.

7. What to do next to get the exact program names and CIP codes

To get the precise list you asked for (program names and CIP codes removed from professional status in 2025), consult (a) the Federal Register notice of the Department’s final rule that implements the 2025 negotiated changes, (b) ED’s regulatory impact analysis or technical appendix, or (c) official ED guidance to institutions accompanying the final rule—none of which are included in the current set of sources (not found in current reporting; ^[1]; p1_s9).

Limitations and transparency: My analysis is limited to the search results you provided. Those items discuss the proposal, negotiation process, and policy framing but do not publish the asserted program‑by‑program removals or CIP codes; therefore I do not invent or infer specific program names or CIP numbers beyond what these sources explicitly state ^{[1] [2]}.