Mathematics Degree

253 schools compared · Average earnings $50,797/yr

Students study abstract mathematical structures including algebra, analysis, topology, number theory, and logic, developing rigorous proof-writing and problem-solving skills. Graduates typically pursue careers in finance, data science, software engineering, actuarial science, cryptography, and teaching, or continue to graduate programs in mathematics and related fields. Mathematics graduates are among the most versatile and well-compensated bachelor's degree holders due to their exceptional quantitative reasoning skills.

What Mathematics Graduates Do

With a mathematics degree, you’re prepared for a wide spectrum of careers. In the booming field of data science, you'll spend your days writing Python code to tame messy datasets, building predictive models to solve business problems, and creating visualizations to explain your findings to non-technical leaders. A more traditional path is secondary school teaching, where your time is spent planning lessons, managing a classroom, and finding creative ways to make algebra click for students. While teaching offers many openings, data science and statistics roles are expanding much more rapidly.

Progression often means moving from executing analysis to designing strategy, perhaps growing from a junior analyst into a senior data scientist or a natural sciences manager. Be aware that AI is fundamentally reshaping these quantitative fields. It now automates the routine modeling that junior staff once handled, meaning fewer people will be hired to do more work. Your value will shift from performing calculations to architecting analytical systems, critically evaluating AI-generated output, and making high-stakes judgment calls. Success will require you to direct AI, not just compute.

Schools Offering
253
Avg Grad Earnings
$50,797/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
57/100
AI Automation Risk
Very High
63% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Mathematics graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 104,900 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K$215K
8,500 +3.7% 50%
Mathematicians
$121,680
$86K$153K
100 -0.7% 100%
Data scientists
$112,590
$83K$156K
23,400 +33.5% 64%
Statisticians
$103,300
$79K$138K
2,000 +8.5% 66%
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
$79,350
$61K$106K
4,400 +2.3% 54%
Mathematical science occupations, all other
$71,490
$52K$102K
300 +4.0% 87%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
$64,580
$58K$83K
66,200 -1.6% 33%
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K $215K
8,500 openings/yr +3.7% growth 50% AI risk
Mathematicians
$121,680
$86K $153K
100 openings/yr -0.7% growth 100% AI risk
Data scientists
$112,590
$83K $156K
23,400 openings/yr +33.5% growth 64% AI risk
Statisticians
$103,300
$79K $138K
2,000 openings/yr +8.5% growth 66% AI risk
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
$79,350
$61K $106K
4,400 openings/yr +2.3% growth 54% AI risk
Mathematical science occupations, all other
$71,490
$52K $102K
300 openings/yr +4.0% growth 87% AI risk
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
$64,580
$58K $83K
66,200 openings/yr -1.6% growth 33% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Mathematics

Top 20 of 253 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD
78
72–79
$79,129/yr 21.1x
2 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
76
71–77
$67,744/yr 21.4x
3 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
75
70–77
$80,676/yr 14.6x
4 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
73
68–75
$53,402/yr 27.3x
5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
72
67–73
$109,288/yr 8.4x
6 University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA
72
67–74
$60,784/yr 14.9x
7 The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
72
66–73
$60,011/yr 17.6x
8 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI
72
67–74
$56,284/yr 20.9x
9 University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE
71
66–72
$58,995/yr 21.1x
10 Towson University
Towson, MD
70
64–71
$56,443/yr 16.7x
11 Duke University
Durham, NC
69
65–70
$121,088/yr 4.0x
12 Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
69
64–70
$103,812/yr 4.5x
13 University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
69
64–70
$100,421/yr 4.5x
14 Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
69
64–71
$90,213/yr 5.2x
15 Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
69
63–71
$87,251/yr 5.2x
16 New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ
69
64–70
$65,725/yr 11.0x
17 University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
69
64–71
$60,612/yr 16.0x
18 Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
69
64–71
$59,277/yr 15.6x
19 James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
69
64–70
$58,810/yr 14.3x
20 University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
69
64–71
$57,310/yr 17.1x

Highest Earning Mathematics Programs

Schools where Mathematics graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
Duke University $121,088/yr 69
Tufts University $110,512/yr 56
Massachusetts Institute of Technology $109,288/yr 72
Dartmouth College $108,255/yr 56
Vanderbilt University $103,812/yr 69
University of Chicago $100,421/yr 69
Bowdoin College $90,213/yr 69
Georgetown University $88,081/yr 68
Cornell University $87,251/yr 69
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology $85,977/yr 68

Best ROI for Mathematics

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Mathematics.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
University of Florida 32.8x $46,036/yr 69
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27.3x $53,402/yr 73
Florida State University 27.0x $49,919/yr 67
University of North Georgia 26.7x $45,533/yr 62
Florida Atlantic University 26.7x $41,866/yr 58
CUNY Hunter College 26.3x $48,918/yr 69
CUNY Brooklyn College 24.7x $29,957/yr 49
San Francisco State University 24.6x $44,257/yr 66
Georgia Southern University 24.4x $35,511/yr 51
CUNY Queens College 23.6x $31,747/yr 50
Want to compare two Mathematics programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Mathematics offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Mathematics graduates earn?
Across 253 schools, Mathematics graduates earn an average of $50,797 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $22,953 to $121,088 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Mathematics?
Mathematics is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 63% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Mathematics program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Maryland-College Park ranks #1 for Mathematics with a score of 78/100 and graduate earnings of $79,129/yr.
What's the outlook for a Mathematics degree?
On average, Mathematics graduates earn 11.6x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →