本學術研究的主要目的，在於探討臺灣高等教育一直發展以來的特殊情況：研究所教育集中於特定少數國立大學的不尋常現象。本研究發現從不同性質的大學來比較，臺灣研究所教育有集中於公立大學和一般大學的情形。單就綜合大學和科技大學比較，研究分析指出綜合大學在研究所教育發展上遠超過科技大學。但從不同地理區域比較分析，研究卻發現臺灣研究所教育並無集中於特定區域大學的現象，刻板印象中的臺灣研究所教育區域不平衡情形並不存在。此外，本研究亦發現就個別學校而言，博士班教育有集中於特定少數國立大學的現象。單就臺灣博士生最多的二所大學－國立臺灣大學和國立成功大學，九十四學年度兩校博士生人數合計便佔了全體博士生總數的26％。本研究分析結果同時指出臺灣碩士班教育集中化情形雖較博士班教育來得較輕微許多，並不代表集中化現象並不嚴重。九十四學年度臺灣碩士生最多的十所大學校院，雖然只佔整體一百四十五所大學校院不到10％的校數，其碩士生人數合計便佔了全體碩士生總數的36％。本研究同時發現臺灣研究所教育專業領域層面也有集中化現象。九十四學年度，臺灣前十大熱門領域的大學系所，囊括了36.90％的全體博士生和17.99％的全體碩士生。

The main purpose of this academic study is to explore the phenomenon of graduate programs’ centralization in Taiwan. That most of graduate programs are provided by a few national universities is a unique phenomenon of higher education in Taiwan. The research finds that graduate programs are centralized at public colleges when compare with private colleges. Also, the research finds that graduate programs are centralized at general colleges when compare with vocational colleges. When only compare with normal universities and technology universities, the research result points out that the normal universities have a much strong developed graduate program system than technology universities. Therefore, the research finds that graduate programs aren’t centralized at any particular area’s universities. Usually, people believe that graduate programs aren’t equally developed between different areas in Taiwan. The research also explores that doctoral programs are centralized at a few of national universities. In the 2005 school year, only two main universities, National Taiwan University and National Cheng Kung University, have more than one quarter of doctoral students in Taiwan. Although the research result points out that the master programs’ centralization seems not as serious as doctoral programs’ centralization in Taiwan, it doesn’t mean that there is no centralization problem in Taiwan master program. In the 2005 school year, the top ten universities have more than one third of master program’s students in Taiwan, although they only occupy less than 10% of all 145 universities in Taiwan. The study also finds out that the phenomenon of graduate programs’ centralization presents at few particular academic areas in Taiwan. Taiwan top ten academic areas attract more than one third of doctoral students and more than one sixth of master program’s students in the 2005 school year.