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Which graduate degrees did the U.S. Department of Education reclassify as non-professional in 2025?
Executive summary
Available reporting and department documents in the provided set do not list a specific, definitive roster of graduate degrees that the U.S. Department of Education reclassified as “non‑professional” in 2025; instead, the materials show rulemaking activity and proposals that would change the definition of “professional degree,” and separate coverage of the department’s broader reorganization and interagency transfers (not a named list of degrees) [1] [2]. One concrete example repeatedly mentioned in commentary and advocacy is the proposal to exclude public health degrees — the MPH and DrPH — from the professional‑degree category, a change highlighted by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health [1].
1. What the Department actually announced — process, not a tidy list
The Department of Education’s actions in November 2025, as reflected in its press release and news coverage, focused on interagency agreements to shift program administration and on rulemaking to redefine “professional degree,” rather than publishing a short checklist that names every graduate credential recategorized as non‑professional [2] [3]. The RISE committee and related negotiated rulemaking were developing a new definition for “professional degree programs,” and the Department indicated a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was forthcoming, which would open public comment and could alter loan and repayment treatment for affected degrees [1] [4].
2. Public health degrees called out by advocacy groups
The clearest, explicit claim in the documents you provided is from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), which reported that the Department’s RISE committee reached a preliminary consensus to exclude public health degrees — specifically the MPH and DrPH — from the professional‑degree definition, and warned that such exclusion could limit access to higher federal loan limits for those programs [1]. ASPPH frames this as a consequential move for workforce pipelines in public health [1].
3. Why this matters for student aid and loan rules
The professional‑degree designation matters because federal statutes and regulations historically treat “professional degrees” differently for student loan limits and income‑driven repayment calculations; OBBBA and subsequent Department discussions used an earlier regulation (as of July 4, 2025) as the baseline, which listed examples of professional degrees like Pharm.D. and dentistry, and then the RISE negotiations aimed to clarify or narrow that category [4]. Changes to the definition could therefore change who qualifies for higher loan caps or certain repayment treatments — a concern raised by higher‑education groups [4] [1].
4. Broader administrative context: dismantling and shifting functions
Separately, the Department’s November 18, 2025 announcement and concurrent reporting show an administrative push to transfer many ED functions to other agencies (Labor, Interior, HHS, State) as part of an effort the administration framed as “breaking up the federal education bureaucracy.” That reorganization is distinct from the RISE rulemaking but shapes policy context for higher‑education governance in 2025 [2] [5] [3]. Coverage emphasizes program transfers and employee reassignments more than degree‑category lists [2] [6].
5. Who is raising alarms — and why you should note competing viewpoints
Advocacy groups (ASPPH, NASFAA commentary) warn that narrowing the “professional degree” definition could make programs like public health less financially attainable and destabilize workforce pipelines [1] [7]. The Department and administration present the effort as streamlining and returning control to states or better‑suited agencies, arguing it improves efficiency and redirects resources to students and classrooms [2] [3]. Reporting outlets (New York Times, Guardian, Forbes, Chalkbeat) frame the moves as part of a concerted plan to shrink or dismantle the Department — a political objective that shapes both rule content and administrative choices [3] [5] [8] [9].
6. Limitations and what’s not in the supplied materials
The supplied sources do not provide a comprehensive list of every graduate degree reclassified as non‑professional in 2025; they document a rulemaking process, a specific advocacy claim about public health degrees, and related administrative shifts. If you are seeking an authoritative, exhaustive list (for financial‑aid eligibility or institutional planning), that list is not present in the reporting and press materials provided here — look for the Department’s formal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking or final rule text for definitive degree listings [1] [4].
7. What to watch next
Monitor the Department’s forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and the public‑comment docket tied to the RISE committee output for exact regulatory language and any enumerated degree lists; also watch higher‑education trade groups and legal analysts for rapid responses, because litigation or congressional action could follow [1] [4]. For how administration reorganization may affect program administration (versus degree definitions), follow the interagency agreement rollouts and coverage of transferred offices at Labor, HHS, State and Interior [2] [8].