Applied Mathematics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 27.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 687 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 | 21 | 25 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 3 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 320 | 4,560 | $66,131 | $91,532 | $20,500 39 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 214 | 5,944 | $90,569 | $116,060 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 80 | 349 | $97,384 | $123,729 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | $143,147 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 44 | 122 | Data unavailable | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $145,554 | $170,689 | Data unavailable |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 45 graduates measured | $135,449 | $157,822 | $8,125 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $107,908 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Stevens Institute of Technology NJ · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $105,295 | $156,419 | $23,250 |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 124 graduates measured | $85,411 | $118,414 | $13,444 |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 54 graduates measured | $83,785 | $101,094 | $19,500 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public · 54 graduates measured | $83,020 | $117,990 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 50 graduates measured | $81,296 | $119,839 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 17 graduates measured | $79,383 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bryant University RI · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $77,181 | $86,595 | $25,125 |
| University at Albany NY · Public · 27 graduates measured | $77,095 | $103,659 | $17,389 |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 155 graduates measured | $76,190 | $103,887 | $14,673 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 51 graduates measured | $76,163 | $120,495 | $13,000 |
| Colorado School of Mines CO · Public · 20 graduates measured | $72,339 | $98,190 | $20,974 |
| University of Utah UT · Public · 21 graduates measured | $71,279 | 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.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 138 graduates measured | $150,282 | $216,406 | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 68 graduates measured | $133,914 | $144,429 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $122,563 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte NC · Public · 21 graduates measured | $112,462 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Stevens Institute of Technology NJ · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $108,432 | $134,886 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $105,776 | $149,209 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley PA · Public · 57 graduates measured | $102,245 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 57 graduates measured | $102,245 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 57 graduates measured | $102,245 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut CT · Public · 34 graduates measured | $101,431 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus CT · Public · 34 graduates measured | $101,431 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut-Avery Point CT · Public · 34 graduates measured | $101,431 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut-Stamford CT · Public · 34 graduates measured | $101,431 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus CT · Public · 34 graduates measured | $101,431 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Colorado School of Mines CO · Public · 22 graduates measured | $100,730 | 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.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 70 graduates measured | $143,935 | 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 Applied Mathematics
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial and investment analysts | $102,740 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial risk specialists | $117,330 | +7.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial specialists, all other | $81,100 | +4.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Actuaries | $130,000 | +9.2% | 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 |
| Biological scientists, all other | $98,920 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Economists | $124,720 | +4.7% | Master's degree |
| Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary | $79,940 | +1.7% | Doctoral or professional 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)
- 27.0301 Applied Mathematics, General
- 27.0303 Computational Mathematics
- 27.0304 Computational and Applied Mathematics
- 27.0305 Financial Mathematics
- 27.0306 Mathematical Biology
- 27.0399 Applied Mathematics, Other