Applied Mathematics: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 39 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Applied Mathematics pays
Career outlook for Applied Mathematics graduates
The job market for the occupations Applied Mathematics graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial and investment analysts | 368,500 | +5.7% | $101,350 | Bachelor's degree |
| Data scientists | 245,900 | +33.5% | $112,590 | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial specialists, all other | 137,100 | +3.1% | $80,190 | Bachelor's degree |
| Natural sciences managers | 104,300 | +3.7% | $161,180 | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | 63,700 | +1.2% | $93,330 | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial risk specialists | 60,500 | +6.5% | $106,000 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Applied Mathematics vs similar majors
How Applied Mathematics stacks up against the closest fields in Mathematics & Statistics on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Applied Mathematics Mathematics & Statistics · this major | Statistics | Mathematics and Statistics, Other | Mathematics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 92 A | 92 A | 86 A | 80 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $99,566 | $105,595 | $81,819 | $73,888 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $63,193 | $71,553 | $58,273 | $51,083 |
| ROI vs cost | +587% | +658% | +363% | +264% |
| Typical debt | $20,253 | $21,823 | $20,464 | $20,154 |
| Colleges offering it | 39 | 42 | 6 | 291 |
Applied Mathematics earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Applied Mathematics
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Associate's | $76,739 | — | +4,103% | Strong return |
| 2 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Associate's | $178,318 | — | +3,396% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $144,689 | $14,500 | +2,992% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | Associate's | $117,954 | $14,135 | +2,463% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Associate's | $116,297 | — | +2,430% | Strong return |
| 6 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ | Master's | $114,741 | — | +2,230% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Certificate | $161,706 | — | +2,225% | Strong return |
| 8 | Brown University Providence, RI | Associate's | $135,511 | $10,000 | +1,576% | Strong return |
| 9 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Associate's | $109,292 | $17,000 | +1,574% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $95,647 | $14,400 | +1,569% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Associate's | $95,412 | $13,000 | +1,373% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Certificate | $138,586 | $39,238 | +1,224% | Strong return |
| 13 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI | Associate's | $67,720 | — | +1,217% | Strong return |
| 14 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, SC | Associate's | $72,995 | — | +1,102% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Bradford, PA | Associate's | $90,036 | $21,500 | +1,069% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of California-Merced Merced, CA | Associate's | $79,461 | $15,500 | +1,064% | Strong return |
| 17 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Associate's | $79,708 | $15,249 | +1,038% | Strong return |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI | Associate's | $93,222 | $20,520 | +1,036% | Strong return |
| 19 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | Certificate | $102,189 | $27,285 | +1,006% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Greensburg, PA | Associate's | $90,036 | $21,500 | +930% | Strong return |
| 21 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY | Associate's | $89,923 | $19,000 | +910% | Strong return |
| 22 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX | Associate's | $92,684 | $16,032 | +884% | Strong return |
| 23 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ | Associate's | $80,371 | $17,268 | +876% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO | Associate's | $94,459 | — | +876% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of Idaho Moscow, ID | Associate's | $72,823 | — | +838% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.