Mathematics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 27.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 2,171 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 33 | 189 | $60,812 | $81,646 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 311 | 4,428 | $36,826 | $59,929 | $16,500 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,236 | 17,367 | $52,843 | $69,562 | $19,916 207 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 358 | 2,264 | $61,473 | $72,654 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 169 | 1,182 | $69,519 | $89,656 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 57 | 88 | $73,582 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walla Walla University WA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $68,264 | $90,978 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemoore College CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $30,500 | $54,006 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $141,075 | $174,951 | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $130,467 | $297,029 | $13,875 |
| Carnegie Mellon University PA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $121,078 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $120,462 | $141,171 | $15,000 |
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 41 graduates measured | $114,798 | $134,455 | $11,235 |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $114,637 | $107,072 | $21,946 |
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $94,730 | $125,084 | $22,064 |
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $93,979 | $168,580 | $12,500 |
| Williams College MA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $87,131 | $134,304 | $10,258 |
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $85,648 | $101,971 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · 19 graduates measured | $84,996 | $89,112 | $18,875 |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $84,101 | $134,785 | Data unavailable |
| Carleton College MN · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $82,760 | Data unavailable | $19,916 |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 48 graduates measured | $82,076 | $111,773 | $19,500 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private, nonprofit · 49 graduates measured | $81,465 | $105,768 | $19,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana State University MT · Public · 19 graduates measured | $80,018 | $62,651 | Data unavailable |
| Emporia State University KS · Public · 40 graduates measured | $77,057 | $70,133 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $75,316 | $95,395 | Data unavailable |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $72,956 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of West Florida FL · Public · 34 graduates measured | $69,133 | $70,298 | Data unavailable |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $65,946 | $82,412 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $65,557 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Northern Colorado CO · Public · 21 graduates measured | $61,110 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Northern Iowa IA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $57,573 | $62,739 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $56,308 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Indiana State University IN · Public · 20 graduates measured | $56,168 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $54,018 | $53,834 | Data unavailable |
| Illinois State University IL · Public · 21 graduates measured | $53,242 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $85,981 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Mathematics
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mathematicians | $126,710 | +0.6% | Master's degree |
| Statisticians | $105,650 | +11.0% | Master's degree |
| Data scientists | $120,230 | +34.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mathematical science occupations, all other | $81,490 | +7.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary | $79,940 | +1.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (6)
- 27.0101 Mathematics, General
- 27.0102 Algebra and Number Theory
- 27.0103 Analysis and Functional Analysis
- 27.0104 Geometry/Geometric Analysis
- 27.0105 Topology and Foundations
- 27.0199 Mathematics, Other