Mathematics

Salary data, best schools, and honest ROI assessment

Avg Earnings (4yr)

$54,455

Median Earnings

$70,257

Schools Offering

323

ROI Grade

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

25th: $62,631Median: $70,25775th: $81,845

Best Schools for Mathematics by Earnings

#	School	ROI	4yr Earnings	Net Price	Major Debt	Grade
1	Duke University NC · Private	96	$297,029	$29,612	$13,000	A
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private	99	$174,951	$20,111	$10,003	A
3	University of Chicago IL · Private	98	$172,826	$14,860	$12,000	A
4	Dartmouth College NH · Private	95	$168,580	$29,519	$11,617	A
5	Vanderbilt University TN · Private	97	$141,171	$15,846	$10,000	A
6	Johns Hopkins University MD · Private	96	$134,785	$18,809	$10,859	A
7	Cornell University NY · Private	96	$134,455	$28,690	$14,146	A
8	Williams College MA · Private	96	$134,304	$17,716	$13,807	B+
9	Georgetown University DC · Private	93	$127,760	$40,815	$17,500	A
10	Northeastern University MA · Private	91	$125,084	$30,915	$21,750	B+
11	Amherst College MA · Private	90	$124,324	$23,367	$14,745	A
12	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA · Public	97	$122,099	$12,116	N/A	-
13	Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private	96	$117,252	$21,590	N/A	-
14	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology IN · Private	89	$112,187	$42,513	$25,000	B+
15	Southern Methodist University TX · Private	79	$111,773	$40,892	$21,000	B+
16	Boston College MA · Private	92	$111,072	$41,704	$18,025	A
17	Villanova University PA · Private	89	$109,851	$43,756	$25,454	B+
18	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public	95	$109,146	$13,138	$21,589	B+
19	Northwestern University IL · Private	94	$107,072	$29,167	$12,418	A
20	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private	93	$105,768	$36,228	$24,250	B+
21	Bentley University MA · Private	94	$101,971	$37,930	$19,334	B+
22	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public	94	$101,599	$11,655	$14,500	B+
23	University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public	91	$101,438	$17,354	$20,500	B+
24	Muhlenberg College PA · Private	74	$100,869	$28,905	$25,394	B+
25	University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public	94	$100,127	$14,091	$15,501	B+
26	University of Washington-Bothell Campus WA · Public	91	$100,127	$12,319	$15,501	B+
27	University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public	94	$99,689	$15,678	$19,500	A
28	University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public	96	$99,269	$12,548	$14,920	B
29	Drexel University PA · Private	82	$98,709	$38,509	$30,899	B
30	Washington University in St Louis MO · Private	96	$98,497	$21,786	$18,700	A
31	College of the Holy Cross MA · Private	85	$96,927	$38,782	$27,000	B
32	New Jersey Institute of Technology NJ · Public	92	$94,840	$16,504	$26,190	B
33	University of Rochester NY · Private	85	$94,178	$29,278	$22,500	C+
34	Fordham University NY · Private	79	$93,224	$44,338	$26,949	B
35	University of Florida FL · Public	92	$93,022	$6,541	$16,675	B
36	North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public	87	$92,594	$17,303	$21,256	C+
37	University of Notre Dame IN · Private	97	$92,118	$26,780	$19,000	B+
38	Macalester College MN · Private	64	$91,979	$32,149	$22,483	B
39	New York University NY · Private	84	$91,832	$37,050	$19,500	B+
40	The College of New Jersey NJ · Public	83	$91,736	$27,646	$26,000	C+
41	Temple University PA · Public	64	$91,330	$28,198	$22,500	B
42	University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public	95	$91,236	$21,565	$19,500	B+
43	University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public	80	$90,635	$25,346	$20,960	C+
44	Providence College RI · Private	76	$90,503	$48,523	$27,000	C+
45	DePaul University IL · Private	68	$89,908	$30,902	$26,154	C+
46	Baylor University TX · Private	63	$89,618	$41,104	$25,000	C
47	Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public	84	$89,112	$16,264	$22,000	B
48	University of Maryland-Baltimore County MD · Public	84	$88,967	$16,467	$16,875	B+
49	St Lawrence University NY · Private	69	$88,586	$28,651	$25,000	B
50	The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public	90	$88,434	$19,857	$20,500	B+

School-by-school analysis: Mathematics

Editorial breakdowns of how mathematics graduates fare at the top-earning programs in our dataset.

Duke University

NC · Private · $297,029 4yr earnings · $13,000 median debt

Mathematics (83 graduates) earns $121,088 at year one and $297,029 at year four -- the highest four-year figure in this cohort for mathematics. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.107 (ROI grade A) with median debt of $13,000. The extraordinary year-four figure ($297k) reflects a Duke math graduate cohort that skews heavily toward quantitative finance: hedge funds, proprietary trading desks, and financial engineering roles where four-year compensation including equity and bonuses reaches that level. This is not a typical math-major outcome; it is specific to Duke's Wall Street pipeline.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MA · Private · $174,951 4yr earnings · $10,003 median debt

Mathematics (139 graduates) earns $109,288 at year one and $174,951 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.092 (ROI grade A) and median debt of $10,003. MIT math is unusual among undergraduate mathematics programs: graduates enter quantitative finance, software engineering, and graduate programs in mathematics, economics, and computer science at very high rates. The year-one figure of $109k reflects the finance and tech pipelines that MIT math feeds directly; the four-year figure of $174k shows the trajectory. For a pure mathematics degree, these earnings are exceptional and specific to MIT's placement environment.

University of Chicago

IL · Private · $172,826 4yr earnings · $12,000 median debt

Mathematics (181 graduates) earns $100,421 at year one and $172,826 at year four. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.119 (ROI grade A) with median debt of $12,000. The year-one figure of $100k reflects the quantitative finance and technology pipeline that UChicago mathematics feeds directly -- the proximity to Chicago's financial markets (CME Group, trading firms, options desks) creates a specific local pipeline in addition to national recruiting. The year-four figure of $172k is competitive with MIT math ($174k). For a mathematics degree, these numbers are exceptional and reflect UChicago's specific labor market position.

Dartmouth College

NH · Private · $168,580 4yr earnings · $11,617 median debt

Mathematics (64 graduates) earns $108,255 at year one and $168,580 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.107 (ROI grade A) and median debt of $11,617 -- the lowest debt in Dartmouth's program set. The year-one figure of $108k reflects strong placement into quantitative finance and technology. Dartmouth math graduates have a clear pipeline into hedge funds, proprietary trading, and quantitative research roles at financial firms, which accounts for the strong year-one earnings. The four-year figure of $168k is in the same range as MIT math ($174k), which is notable for a school with a very different engineering and research profile.

Vanderbilt University

TN · Private · $141,171 4yr earnings · $10,000 median debt

Mathematics earns 157 graduates, $103,812 year-one, $141,171 at year four, A-grade ROI (debt-to-earnings 0.096) -- the lowest debt-to-earnings ratio in the program set. Median debt of $10,000 against $103k year-one is exceptional. Vanderbilt math graduates enter quantitative finance, data science, and graduate programs at top institutions. The year-one figure reflects strong placement into analyst roles and software engineering for quantitative undergraduates.

Fair Value

Is Mathematics Worth It?

Worth It - With the Right School

Mathematics offers moderate financial returns. Average earnings of $54,455 four years after graduation are close to the national median for all bachelor's degree holders. The financial case works at affordable schools but gets shakier as tuition rises. Choose your school carefully.

323 schools offer this major, giving you reasonable options. Compare net prices and graduate earnings at your specific target schools - the range between the best and worst ROI within this field is substantial.

The top school for this major by earnings is Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, where graduates earn $122,099 four years out. But averages hide a wide range - where you attend and what you do with the degree matter as much as the major itself.

Best ROI Schools for Mathematics All Majors ROI Calculator Compare Schools

Related Majors

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Earnings data represents median earnings 4 years after graduation for graduates of bachelor's programs, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Individual outcomes vary significantly based on career path, location, and other factors.