AI vs. Machine Learning: Which Degree Should You Pick?

Pick a machine learning degree if you want to train and test models, and a broader AI degree if you want range across vision, language, robotics or AI management. The AI vs machine learning choice is smaller than it looks, because machine learning is one branch of AI.

Of the 12 online machine learning programs we track, only one doctorate has machine learning alone in its name. The rest are AI degrees with a machine learning focus.

What Is the Difference Between AI and Machine Learning?

AI is the field of building computers that do things we link to human thinking: seeing, reading, planning, deciding. Drexel puts it as a branch of computer science focused on creating machines that perform tasks with human-like intelligence.

Machine learning is one way to get there. Instead of writing every rule by hand, you train a model on data and let it find the pattern.

Schools show where it sits. University of Michigan-Dearborn’s AI master’s has four concentrations: Computer Vision, Intelligent Interaction, Knowledge Management and Reasoning, and Machine Learning. Machine learning is one of the four.

University of North Texas offers Machine Learning, Biomedical Engineering and Autonomous Systems. Johns Hopkins lists Assured Autonomy, Decision and Leadership, Deep Learning, Large Language Models and Robotics.

Generative AI adds a wrinkle. Language models are built with machine learning, so a program that teaches them is teaching machine learning even when the title says AI. University of North Texas says graduates leave able to train, validate and fine-tune large language models, and Johns Hopkins has a Large Language Models concentration.

So AI vs machine learning is not a contest between two subjects. It is a question of how wide you want to study.

How Does an AI Degree Differ From a Machine Learning Degree?

The table shows how AI vs machine learning degrees usually differ in the online programs we track. Exceptions exist, and the course list on each program page settles it.

Notice the second row. Few schools sell a degree titled only Machine Learning, so the label you search for and the label on the diploma often differ.

What Do Online Machine Learning Degrees Look Like?

Our machine learning ranking has 12 programs at 11 schools. They fall into three groups.

Machine learning in the program name.

• George Washington University’s master’s in artificial intelligence and machine learning is 30 credits at $1,250 per credit, with live evening classes and five starts a year.
• Drexel’s master’s in artificial intelligence and machine learning is 45 quarter credits at $1,400, a $63,000 total.
• The University of Illinois Chicago’s MEng with an AI and machine learning concentration is 36 credits at $896, with a $32,256 total and as few as 12 months to finish.
• The University of Washington’s master’s is written for engineers, with concentrations such as Modern AI Methods and Data Science for Materials Engineering.
• Western Governors University adds a machine learning specialization to its computer science master’s.

An AI degree with a machine learning track.

• Purdue’s online AI master’s has a machine learning major beside an AI Management and Policy major. It is 30 credits at $950, a $28,500 total.
• West Virginia University’s AI master’s has Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems tracks. It costs $805 per credit, $24,150 for 30 credits.
• The University of North Texas and Michigan-Dearborn each offer a Machine Learning concentration.
• Northeastern’s Applied AI master’s includes a Machine Learning for Cybersecurity concentration. It lists $26,146 before scholarships, and its Connect version lists $71,079 for applicants with any undergraduate degree.

A doctorate. Capitol Technology University’s PhD in Machine Learning is 60 credits at $980, or $58,800, with no campus residency.

Tuition covers the program as the school lists it. Fees and transfer credit vary, so read each page before you budget.

Which Degree Teaches More Machine Learning?

When you compare AI vs machine learning degrees, the name on the diploma is a weak guide. A degree with machine learning in the name is not always the one that teaches the most of it, and an AI master’s can teach as much.

New Jersey Institute of Technology’s AI master’s lists Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, Graph Neural Networks and Trustworthy AI. Penn’s AI master’s lists Machine Learning for Data Science and Principles of Deep Learning.

Compare that with a management-focused AI degree. Georgetown’s AI Management program and Purdue’s AI Management and Policy major teach AI strategy, governance and leadership, with less model building.

So read the course list, not the title. Count how many courses train models and how many cover policy, product or strategy. That ratio tells you which side of the line a program is on.

What Will You Need Before You Apply?

Machine learning is the technical end of AI, so its entry rules lean technical.

• Drexel requires a strong computer science background and points to its Graduate Certificate in Computer Science as a way in.
• George Washington University asks for a bachelor’s in engineering, computer science, information technology, mathematics, physics or a closely related field. GRE scores are optional.
• Purdue’s machine learning major asks for programming experience plus algorithms, calculus, linear algebra and probability.
• Michigan-Dearborn wants a STEM bachelor’s with a 3.0 GPA and earlier programming, math and statistics coursework.
• Northeastern’s standard Applied AI application expects a degree in engineering or computer technology. Its Fast App accepts a bachelor’s in any field once you earn a B or better in two pathway courses.

If your background is thin, bridges exist. Carnegie Mellon’s machine learning certificate offers math and Python waiver exams, and Northeastern’s Connect version adds nine credits of skill-building courses for applicants with any undergraduate degree. Drexel’s computer science certificate does the same job for its master’s.

AI management tracks open the door wider. Georgetown’s accepts a bachelor’s in any field, and our guide to AI degrees without coding covers that group. The AI degree requirements guide covers the rest.

What Does BLS Say About AI and Machine Learning Jobs?

BLS has no occupation called AI engineer or machine learning engineer, so an AI vs machine learning pay comparison means reading the nearest groups. They are different occupations, and the figures are not a head-to-head score.

For machine learning engineer work, the closest group is data scientists (SOC 15-2051). The May 2025 median is $120,230, and pay runs from $67,240 at the 10th percentile to $199,130 at the 90th. About 262,440 people hold those jobs. BLS lists a bachelor’s as typical and projects 35 percent growth from 2025 to 2035.

For research roles, the group is computer and information research scientists (SOC 15-1221). The median is $140,300, running from $82,200 to $230,630, with about 37,200 jobs. BLS lists a master’s as typical and projects 22 percent growth.

Our machine learning engineer page and AI research scientist page go through duties and state pay.

Here is the part worth remembering. BLS sets a master’s as the typical entry point for research scientists and a bachelor’s for data scientists. If you want research work, plan the graduate degree. If you want applied model work, a bachelor’s can open the door.

How Does Machine Learning Compare With Data Science?

Machine learning overlaps heavily with data science, which is why we use BLS’s data scientist group as the nearest match for machine learning engineers.

BLS describes data scientists as people who determine which data is useful, collect and analyze it, create, validate, test and update algorithms and models, and make business recommendations. Machine learning covers the algorithm and model part of that list.

In practice, data science leans toward exploring data and reporting what it shows. Machine learning engineering leans toward getting a model to run inside a product. Employers mix the two, so a posting’s duties tell you more than its title does.

Our data scientist page covers the broader role. If your first love is data and statistics, look at it before you commit to a machine learning degree.

Can You Try Machine Learning With a Certificate First?

Yes, and it is the cheapest way to find out whether you like the work. Several schools offer online graduate certificates in machine learning, and some stack into a master’s.

• The University of Texas at Austin’s certificate in artificial intelligence and machine learning is 12 credits for $5,000. Its two core courses are Machine Learning and Deep Learning, and the credits count toward the school’s online AI master’s. GRE scores are not required.
• Brandeis offers an Applied Machine Learning and Engineering certificate at $14,640 for 12 credits, finished in a year or less.
• Boston University’s Applied AI and Machine Learning certificate is 16 credits for $14,850.
• Carnegie Mellon’s certificate in Machine Learning and Data Science costs $25,452 over 12 months. Math and Python waiver exams can exempt up to 12 of its 36 required units.

Check where the credits go before you enroll. UT Austin and North Texas apply their certificate credits to their own AI master’s, while Brandeis points its credits toward two other master’s programs. Our graduate certificate guide explains how stacking works.

Which Degree Should You Pick?

Settle AI vs machine learning by what you want to do on a Monday morning.

• You want to train and test models. Pick a program with machine learning in the name or a machine learning major, such as Purdue’s, George Washington’s or Illinois Chicago’s. Check the math and programming bar first.
• You want the widest AI base. Pick a general AI master’s with several concentrations, such as Michigan-Dearborn’s or Johns Hopkins’. Our online master’s in AI ranking lists 49.
• You want to build and ship systems. Look at AI engineering programs. The AI engineering ranking has them side by side.
• You want to lead AI work and not code. Pick an AI management track, and expect less model building.
• You are not sure yet. Pick an AI degree with a machine learning track. Purdue and West Virginia each pair a machine learning option with another focus inside one degree.
• You want to do research. Plan for a master’s at least. Capitol’s online PhD is the doctoral option on our list.

Weigh cost last, and weigh it fairly. Among the seven master’s programs on the machine learning list with a published total, the range is $24,150 to $71,079, and machine learning in the title does not predict where a program lands.

If you are also weighing computer science, our AI degree vs computer science degree guide covers that choice.

Do You Need a Machine Learning Degree to Work in Machine Learning?

No. BLS lists a bachelor’s as the typical entry education for data scientists, and it does not require graduate school.

But a degree is how most people get the training. Machine learning takes calculus, linear algebra, probability and programming, and a master’s gives you time to practice them on real models.

Some programs also tie coursework to credentials. Western Governors University’s master’s includes exam vouchers such as the AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate. A certificate can show a skill, though it does not replace a degree in most postings.

Check three job postings for the title you want. Note which degrees they name, then pick the program that covers the courses they list.