Research
The data behind the access gap.
Graduate education unlocks careers, income, and generational wealth — yet for too many students, the barriers to getting there are real and persistent. Here’s what the research shows.
$4M+
raised for students & programs
1,300+
students supported nationwide
$10K
transitional grant per Ambassador
8 years
of the Graduate School Summit
Interactive tools
Explore the data yourself.
Two free tools for first-generation students weighing graduate school, built on federal data.
Earnings
Graduate degrees unlock greater opportunity.
Workers with graduate degrees earn $36,000 more in median annual earnings than all workers. The difference compounds over a career.
Median earnings by education level (USD) · Full-time workers ages 25–64
Professional degree
Doctoral degree
All workers with graduate degrees
Master's degree
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Some college
High school diploma
Less than high school diploma
All workers
Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce analysis of US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Current Population Survey, 2022. Earnings reflect median among full-time, full-year workers and are inflation-adjusted to 2022 dollars.
Debt burden
The debt burden falls hardest on students of color.
Graduate degree holders carry disproportionate debt — with averages reaching over $46,000 for Black students, nearly $15,000 above the all-group average of $31,428.
Average graduate school debt by race / ethnicity (USD)
Black or African American
More than one race
Hispanic or Latino
Average — all groups
American Indian/Alaska Native
White
Asian
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. National Postsecondary Student Aid Study: 2020 Graduate Students (NPSAS:GR). Data retrieved from NCES PowerStats, 9/10/2025.
The access gap
Graduate education is essential — and increasingly out of reach.
$31,428
Average graduate school debt across all students
Debt creates a significant barrier — especially for students from lower-income families who can’t rely on family support to cover matriculation costs, housing, or living expenses in the first year of graduate school.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, NCES — National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:GR), 2020.
$36K
Median earnings premium for graduate degree holders
The income difference between a graduate degree and no degree compounds over a lifetime of work — affecting wealth accumulation, retirement savings, and the economic trajectory of entire families and communities.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Education Pays, 2023" — median weekly earnings, master's degree vs. high school diploma, full-time wage and salary workers 25 and older.
1,300+
Students supported by Leadership Brainery since 2018
Research confirms that graduate preparatory programs increase enrollment and success for students who lack access to institutional networks, admissions coaching, and financial aid guidance.
Source: Leadership Brainery program records, 2018–2025.
Published writing
Translating the data into insight.
Leadership Brainery writes on graduate access, admissions, and policy across Forbes, Times Higher Education, and Inside Higher Ed.
Leadership Brainery’s response
Graduate school is a direct pathway to financial security and societal impact. Leadership Brainery prepares students to access that pathway — and provides a $10,000 transitional grant so debt doesn’t force them off it.
We prepare Ambassadors for competitive graduate programs that offer strong fellowships, scholarships, and research funding — programs where the cost of attendance is offset by institutional support. And upon enrollment, each Ambassador receives a $10,000 grant to cover relocation, matriculation, and early graduate-school expenses.