What are the degrees in the York Rite?

Historically, the Ancient York Rite consisted strictly of the three Symbolic Degrees—Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason—with the Third Degree originally containing the secrets that were later transferred to the Royal Arch 2. William James Hughan argued that no formal "York Rite" exists in modern practice, though Mackey maintained that the title historically referred to the original three-degree Craft system organized following the 1717 Revival 2.

In American usage, the name is commonly given to a system of nine degrees, which Mackey termed the American Rite, consisting of the three basic Craft degrees supplemented by six additional degrees 2. Among these expansion degrees is the Select Master degree, worked within the Cryptic system 2.

Other attached systems and bodies confer additional degrees related to these rites. The Allied Masonic Degrees consist of six active degrees: St Lawrence the Martyr, Knight of Constantinople, Red Cross of Babylon, Grand Tylers of King Solomon (or Mason Elect of Twenty-seven), Secret Monitor, and Grand High Priest 1. Historically, capitular systems also incorporated various preliminary degrees; for example, the Royal Arch system in Ireland traditionally included Virtual Master, Excellent, Super Excellent, Most Excellent, and the Royal Arch 3, alongside the Mark Mason and Mark Master degrees 3.