How Many Types of Doctor Degrees Are There in the USA? 2026 Guide

How Many Types of Doctor’s Degrees Are There in the USA in 2026?

Table of Contents

The United States offers a diverse array of doctoral degrees that enable professionals to use the title “Doctor.” While MD and DO degrees dominate discussions of physicians, numerous other respected doctoral pathways exist across healthcare and allied health fields.

As of 2026, approximately 8–12 major professional doctoral degrees are available in healthcare professions. These programs prepare graduates for licensed, patient-centered roles and reflect the expanding scope of specialized care amid ongoing workforce demands.

Healthcare shortages persist nationwide, with projections indicating a need for thousands more providers in primary, mental, and allied fields (AAMC and BLS data, 2025–2026).

What Are the Main Doctor Degrees for Becoming a Physician?

For those aspiring to become fully licensed physicians capable of diagnosing conditions, prescribing medications, and performing surgery, the primary pathways are the MD (Doctor of Medicine) and DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine).

MD programs, the traditional allopathic route, enroll roughly 22,000–23,000 new students annually at accredited institutions (AAMC recent cycles).

DO programs continue rapid expansion, now comprising over 25% of U.S. medical school seats, with nearly 40,000 osteopathic students across 44 colleges and 71 campuses (AACOM 2025–2026 reports). Both degrees confer equivalent practice rights following residency training.

Which Other Healthcare Fields Offer Professional Doctorate Degrees?

Many essential healthcare disciplines maintain their own professional doctoral degrees (distinct from MD/DO), enabling graduates to be addressed as “Doctor” while delivering specialized, evidence-based care.

These include:

DDS or DMD — Doctor of Dental Surgery / Doctor of Dental Medicine (dentists)
DPM — Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (podiatrists, foot and ankle specialists)
OD — Doctor of Optometry (optometrists, eye care)
PharmD — Doctor of Pharmacy (pharmacists)
DPT — Doctor of Physical Therapy (physical therapists)
DC — Doctor of Chiropractic (chiropractors)
DNP — Doctor of Nursing Practice (advanced practice nurses in leadership/clinical roles)
PsyD or PhD in Clinical Psychology — For clinical psychologists (though PhD is research-focused, PsyD is more practice-oriented)

Graduates in these fields undergo rigorous, specialized training tailored to their scope of practice, often including residencies, clinical hours, and board certifications.

What About Pharmacy, Therapy, Chiropractic, Nursing, and Psychology Doctorates?

The PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) has remained the standard entry-level degree for pharmacists since the early 2000s. Recent data indicate approximately 12,000–13,000 first professional PharmD degrees awarded annually from over 140 accredited programs (AACP 2023–2025 trends; projections for 2026 suggest around 8,000–12,000 amid workforce adjustments).

Physical therapy transitioned to the DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) as the required entry-level credential. U.S. programs reported roughly 13,300 graduates in 2024, with high employment rates (near 99%) and strong licensure pass rates (CAPTE aggregate data, 2024–2025).

Chiropractors earn the DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) for musculoskeletal expertise, while advanced practice nurses pursue the DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) — with over 12,300 DNP graduates in recent years from nearly 440 programs, reflecting 21 consecutive years of enrollment growth (AACN 2024–2025 survey).

How Do Clinical Psychology and Other Specialized Doctorates Fit In?

Clinical psychologists commonly hold a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) for clinically oriented training or a PhD in Clinical Psychology emphasizing research. Both pathways support licensure for therapy, assessment, and intervention services.

Additional specialized options include the AuD (Doctor of Audiology) for hearing and balance specialists, alongside emerging advanced degrees in occupational therapy and related areas.

These doctoral programs prioritize direct patient impact, with enrollment and graduate numbers remaining robust in response to evolving healthcare needs.

Which Doctor Degree Path Should You Choose in 2026?

Your ideal path aligns with your professional interests — broad-spectrum medicine via MD/DO (collectively producing ~30,000–32,000 new physicians yearly) or targeted expertise in areas like dentistry (DDS/DMD), optometry (OD, ~25 accredited programs), pharmacy (PharmD), physical therapy (DPT), or advanced nursing (DNP).

All these professions contribute vitally to the U.S. healthcare ecosystem, where shortages in physicians (projected 37,800–124,000 by 2034, AAMC) and allied roles continue to drive demand. Osteopathic medicine now accounts for over 25% of medical students and approaches 11% of practicing physicians (AOA 2025).