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Which graduate degrees did the US Department of Education remove from its professional degree list in 2025?
Executive summary
The Department of Education’s RISE committee and related Trump administration rulemaking in November 2025 proposed a much narrower definition of “professional degrees,” cutting the list from roughly 2,000 programs to fewer than 600 and explicitly excluding a long list of graduate programs that many professional organizations had expected to remain covered (e.g., advanced nursing degrees, physician assistant, public health, occupational and physical therapy) [1] [2]. Reporting and professional groups say nursing (including MSN and DNP), physician assistant, advanced practice nursing, public health (MPH, DrPH), occupational therapy, physical therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, social work, education master’s degrees, and several counseling and allied-health graduate programs were removed or proposed for removal from the “professional degree” category, triggering alarm about reduced loan caps and access [3] [4] [5].
1. What the Department actually proposed — a much smaller “professional” list
The Department’s internal RISE committee reached preliminary consensus on a new, narrower definition that would shrink the catalogue of programs classified as “professional degrees” from roughly 2,000 to under 600; that change is what generates the specific program exclusions now reported [1]. The Department has said the committee’s consensus aligns with historical precedent and that a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will allow public comment, but reporting shows the practical effect would be to change which graduate programs qualify for higher loan limits under the administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) framework [6] [1].
2. Which graduate degrees are reported as removed or proposed for removal
Multiple news outlets and social posts list a consistent core of programs being reclassified out of the “professional” bucket: advanced nursing degrees (MSN, DNP, nurse practitioner programs), physician assistant programs, occupational therapy, physical therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, public health degrees (MPH, DrPH), social work (MSW, DSW), many education master’s (including teaching master’s), counseling/therapy degrees, and some business and engineering master’s — though the exact enumerations vary by outlet and post [3] [4] [2] [5].
3. Why this matters — loan caps, Grad PLUS elimination, and RAP
Under the OBBBA rollout described in reporting, the administration eliminates Grad PLUS loans and replaces prior programs with a Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). RAP sets lower borrowing caps for graduate students generally ($20,500 per year), while students in degrees defined as “professional” could borrow up to $50,000 annually; reclassification therefore materially reduces borrowing capacity for students in excluded programs [7] [8]. Professional associations warn this could make crucial graduate pathways financially infeasible and worsen workforce shortages in healthcare, public health, education, and social services [8] [5].
4. Reactions from affected fields and professional groups
Nursing organizations including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the American Nurses Association publicly objected, saying excluding nursing “disregards decades of progress” and conflicts with the Department’s own criteria about licensure and direct practice; AACN launched petitions and public comment efforts [9] [8]. Public health schools and associations similarly warned that excluding MPH and DrPH programs would harm the pipeline for frontline public health leaders [5]. Reporting records widespread concern across multiple professions [9] [5].
5. Department pushback and procedural notes
The Department’s higher-education press secretary told at least one outlet that characterizations of the change as “fake news” were incorrect and defended the committee process as consistent with precedent, noting institutions of higher education participated in the consensus [6]. Also, the proposal stage means the list is not final: the Department is expected to issue an NPRM that opens a formal public comment period before any rule is finalized [1] [6].
6. Caveats, variations in reporting, and what’s not yet confirmed
Coverage varies by outlet and by social posts; some lists circulating on social media add degrees beyond those named in mainstream reports, and exact degree-level designations (e.g., which business or engineering master’s) are inconsistent across sources [3] [2]. Available sources do not publish a single, definitive Department-produced list in the materials provided here; rather, reporting cites the committee’s narrowing and examples of excluded programs [1] [6]. That means final regulatory text and the Department’s own official list at NPRM publication will be the authoritative source [1].
7. What to watch next
Watch for the Department’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and its official list of programs, the public comment window it opens, and any legal or congressional responses from professional associations and state groups; those procedural steps will determine whether the preliminary exclusions survive into final regulation or are altered by public input and political pushback [1] [6].