Machine learning is the core technical discipline inside modern artificial intelligence, and at master’s level the two degree titles largely describe the same curriculum. Federal data reflects that: IPEDS records ML master’s programs under CIP 11.0102, artificial intelligence, with 46 institutions awarding that code at master’s level in 2024 (IPEDS Completions, 2024). Some ML programs are also housed inside computer science or data science codes, so the honest way to shop this degree is by course list rather than by title.
There is no programmatic accreditor in this field, so ask any program about its mathematics prerequisites and what compute students get for training work, and request a written transfer evaluation before you enroll. With those checks in mind, compare online machine learning master’s programs enrolling now:
Colleges Offering This Degree
Every school listed is verified in federal IPEDS data both to award this degree and to offer programs that can be completed entirely by distance education at this level. Whether this exact degree is delivered fully online varies by school, so confirm the format before you apply.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Statistical learning theory - the mathematical core that separates graduate ML from a bootcamp
Supervised and unsupervised learning - methods, model evaluation, and practical failure modes
Deep learning - architectures, training dynamics, and the compute realities
Optimization - the machinery under every training loop
MLOps and data engineering - deployment, monitoring, and pipelines, which is most of the actual work
A capstone or thesis - typically the piece employers actually look at
Machine learning leans on mathematics harder than almost any other computing specialization. A program that admits students without linear algebra and probability is either teaching those first or teaching ML superficially - both are legitimate models, but you need to know which one you are buying.
Who This Realistically Suits
Software engineers and data professionals adding the specialization on top of working fluency - the mainstream use of this credential.
Quantitative graduates from statistics, mathematics, physics or engineering, for whom the theory sequence is familiar territory.
Not, usually, a first move out of a trade. The degree assumes programming fluency and substantial mathematics on day one. Online computer science degree or online data science degree are the realistic first steps, and either leaves this route open later.
Credit transfer is decided by the receiving institution and genuinely varies, so request a written transfer evaluation before you enroll.
What These Careers Pay
The roles the degree feeds are counted by BLS as data scientists at a median $120,230, software developers at $135,980 and computer and information research scientists at $140,300, with data science projected to change by 33.5 percent through 2034 (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Master’s in Machine Learning at a Glance
Metric
Detail
Source
Median annual wage, data scientists
$120,230
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wage range, data scientists
$67,240 (10th pct) - $199,130 (90th pct)
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment, data scientists
262,440
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
33.5%, about 23,400 openings per year
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
Institutions awarding the AI/ML master’s (CIP 11.0102)
46
IPEDS Completions, 2024
Geo coverage
Parent page only - supply is too thin for a state tier
IPEDS Completions, 2024
SOC codes covered
15-2051 data scientists; 15-1252 software developers; 15-1221 computer and information research scientists
BLS OEWS, May 2025
There is no BLS occupation called “machine learning engineer.” The people doing that work are counted in the occupations above, mostly the first two. Any wage figure attached to an ML job title elsewhere is not coming from a federal source.
How the Online Format Works
Online ML master’s programs run on the working professional’s clock: asynchronous lectures, one or two courses a term, and a two-to-three-year path to completion. The material itself needs no campus - what it needs is compute and sustained mathematical effort.
Both land harder online. Compute, because you depend entirely on what the program provisions for training work; the theory sequence, because statistical learning theory without a physical cohort demands real scheduling discipline. The programs that work tend to make both explicit: a stated cloud or hardware allocation per student, and a structured pace through the mathematics rather than an all-electives buffet. If a program is vague about either, that vagueness is information.
Career Paths After the Degree
Applied machine learning engineering is the largest destination, and it is a software job: the model is a component in a production system, and the teams that ship it hire people who can carry both the mathematics and the engineering. That is why the MLOps and data engineering coursework matters as much as the theory sequence.
Research roles are the smaller, more credential-sensitive track, and they generally expect a PhD. The master’s positions you for applied work now with the research door still reachable later.
The infrastructure careers around the field hire from the same pool: computer network architects design the networks distributed training runs on, and computer hardware engineers build the accelerators themselves - both degree-gated careers with measured wage data on this site, and both increasingly touched by machine learning workloads.
Is It Worth It?
The case for mirrors the AI master’s: the strongest growth-and-wage combination on this site, on a credential designed to sit on top of an existing technical base. Machine learning is arguably the more precisely named version of the same degree - it says what you will actually study.
The case against is the same credential churn. These programs are new, there is no programmatic accreditor, and employers assess demonstrated work heavily. A program that leaves you with a portfolio is worth more than one that leaves you with only a transcript.
Is college worth it covers the general tradeoff. Individual outcomes may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a separate degree code for machine learning?
No. Federal IPEDS data records machine learning master's programs under CIP 11.0102, artificial intelligence, alongside AI-titled degrees - 46 institutions awarded that CIP at master's level in 2024 (IPEDS Completions, 2024). Some ML programs are also housed inside computer science or data science codes. The program title varies; the curriculum overlap is large.
What does a machine learning master's pay?
There is no BLS occupation called machine learning engineer. The roles the degree feeds are counted as data scientists at a median of $120,230, software developers at $135,980, and computer and information research scientists at $140,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Machine learning vs artificial intelligence master's - which one?
The curricula overlap heavily; machine learning IS the core technical content of most AI master's programs. Choose by the actual course list, the compute students get, and the capstone - not by which of the two words is in the title.
What are the prerequisites for an online ML master's?
Programming fluency plus linear algebra, probability and statistics, and calculus. Machine learning coursework leans on this mathematics harder than almost any other computing specialization, so programs that skip the prerequisites teach the material superficially.
Can a machine learning master's be completed fully online?
Yes - the subject is entirely computational and online delivery is well established at graduate level. Ask what hardware or cloud resources the program provides for training work, because compute access is the real constraint online.
Do I need a PhD for machine learning work?
For research scientist roles, generally yes. For applied machine learning engineering - the larger job market - a master's plus demonstrated production work is the common profile, and employers probe the portfolio more than the credential. Requirements vary by employer and role.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051), Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions, 2024 - CIP 11.0102
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
