What Is an Undergraduate?
The Undergraduate Degree
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an undergraduate student is "working in a baccalaureate [bachelor's] program or other formal program below the baccalaureate, such as an associate's degree, vocational, or technical program." Therefore, an undergraduate degree is either an associate or bachelor's degree, but undergraduate programs can also include post-high school certificates.
Types of Undergraduate Programs
There are three types of undergraduate programs, each detailed below:
Postsecondary Certificate
Certificates are higher education programs in a focused area of study. The goal of most certificates is to prepare students for specific careers that require less education than a full undergraduate degree, such as a computer-aided drafting certificate or medical billing and coding certificate. For this reason, they typically take one year or less to complete with a full course load.
Trade schools or community colleges tend to offer the most certificate options. However, four-year schools sometimes offer certificates for college graduates who want to add knowledge and skills to their resumes.
Associate Degree
Associate degrees are more advanced undergraduate programs designed to last for two years. They typically include about 30 credit hours of courses in a major subject and the same number in general education subjects to ensure a well-rounded education. An Associate of Arts (AA) usually means the major is in the humanities or arts, whereas an Associate of Science (AS) typically designates a major in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). But these aren't absolute rules, and colleges can name their degrees as they choose.
Associate degrees are terminal credentials in some fields, such as paralegal studies. In other subjects, graduates may be able to get a job with an associate or might choose to pursue a further degree in the major. According to The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 25% of bachelor's graduates in 2019 had first received an associate degree from a community college.
Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degrees are a common educational requirement for many occupations. Nearly 14 million U.S. job postings in the last 12 months called for a bachelor's degree, according to the analytics company, Lightcast. By contrast, about 4 million job ads asked for associate degrees, and 4.5 million required a graduate degree of some kind.
Bachelor's degrees can potentially take the form of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS). Purely artistic subjects are usually BAs, while hard science majors usually come in BS form. If a school offers both degrees in the same subject, then the difference is usually in the general education courses that students need to take (e.g., more humanities than science and math for BA students). Some programs dispense with the art and science designations entirely, opting for something like "Bachelor of Education" instead.
Colleges and universities design bachelor's degrees to take four years with a full-time schedule, but most students actually take more than four years to finish.
Popular Undergraduate Degrees
Below details the most popular study subjects for associate and bachelor's degrees, according to the most recent NCES data from the 2019-2020 academic year:
Most Popular Degree Programs
- General liberal arts and humanities: 402,669
- Health professions and related programs: 172,207
- Business: 112,120
- Engineering technologies: 49,401
- Business: 387,851
- Health professions and related programs: 257,282
- Social sciences and history: 161,164
- Engineering: 128,332
Liberal arts credits usually transfer easily and cover many of the general education requirements for a bachelor's degree, which is why general liberal arts associate degrees are so popular. Health professions include all types of nursing degrees, which are popular choices at all degree levels.
The NCES hasn't released updated data for certificates since the 2013-2014 school year, and even then, only for public institutions. At that time, the most popular certificates were in licensed practical nursing, mechanical repair, culinary services, and nursing assistant studies.
What Comes After an Undergraduate Degree?
With an undergraduate diploma in hand, you can try to enter the workforce or apply for a further degree. Some people do both, with many students even working full-time while attending school.
For bachelor's graduates, a more common path is to work for a few years before applying to graduate school. This experience can help them decide whether a master's degree is worth it for their career goals, much less an even more demanding doctoral degree.
Undergraduate Degree vs. Graduate Degree
Both undergraduate and graduate degrees have pros and cons, and it can be tough to decide whether to enroll in graduate school. Use this chart to compare some of the costs and outcomes as you think about your educational and career goals. All data comes from the NCES and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Associate (2 years)
Tuition and Fees:
- $3,900 (public)
- $18,000 (private nonprofit)
- $15,800 (for-profit)
Median Annual Salary: $50,076
Bachelor's (4 years)
Tuition and Fees:
- $9,400 (public)
- $37,600 (private nonprofit)
- $18,200 (for-profit)
Median Annual Salary: $69,368
Graduate (2-3 years for master, 7.5 for doctorate)
Tuition and Fees:
- $12,394 (public)
- $28,445 (private nonprofit)
- $14,301 (for-profit)
Median Annual Salary: $81,848
So, Which Is Better, Undergraduate or Graduate?
Undergraduate degrees are sufficient for some fields, but a graduate degree might improve your employment and earnings prospects, and it's required for some careers. Therefore, we can't say definitively that one type of degree is better than another.
Research the education requirements for your chosen career in the BLS's Occupational Outlook Handbook. You can also talk to professors and employees in the field about whether the benefits of a graduate degree tend to outweigh the costs. Benefits can include better pay and less chance of unemployment, while costs typically include time away from friends and family, increased stress, and usually more student loan debt.
FAQs About Undergraduate Degrees
What Is an Undergraduate Student?
An undergraduate student is someone enrolled in a postsecondary certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree program. People in master's and doctoral programs are considered graduate students.
Is an Undergraduate Degree a Diploma?
A diploma is an official document given to graduates of any certificate or degree program, whether undergraduate or graduate. So a diploma isn't a degree, but rather a testament to the fact that you earned a degree.
Is a Bachelor's an Undergraduate Degree?
A bachelor's degree is one type of undergraduate program, along with certificates and associate degrees.
What Is the Difference Between Undergraduate and Postgraduate?
"Undergraduate" refers to any educational program at the bachelor's level or below. "Postgraduate" means anything after the bachelor's level. The word is rarely used to refer to degrees — "graduate degree" is much more common — but you could see it used in this way. More likely, you might hear someone refer to another type of after-college experience, such as a "postgraduate year spent traveling."
Bottom Line
Undergraduate programs can be certificates, associate degrees, or bachelor's degrees. You're not considered a graduate student until you've earned a bachelor's degree and enrolled in a master's or doctoral program.