Statistics: 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 42 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Statistics pays
Career outlook for Statistics graduates
The job market for the occupations Statistics 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data scientists | 245,900 | +33.5% | $112,590 | Bachelor's degree |
| Natural sciences managers | 104,300 | +3.7% | $161,180 | Bachelor's degree |
| Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary | 58,900 | +2.3% | $79,350 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Actuaries | 33,600 | +21.8% | $125,770 | Bachelor's degree |
| Statisticians | 32,200 | +8.5% | $103,300 | Master's degree |
| Survey researchers | 8,800 | -5.2% | $63,380 | Master'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.
Statistics vs similar majors
How Statistics 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.
| Statistics Mathematics & Statistics · this major | Applied Mathematics | 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) | $105,595 | $99,566 | $81,819 | $73,888 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $71,553 | $63,193 | $58,273 | $51,083 |
| ROI vs cost | +658% | +587% | +363% | +264% |
| Typical debt | $21,823 | $20,253 | $20,464 | $20,154 |
| Colleges offering it | 42 | 39 | 6 | 291 |
Statistics 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 Statistics
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 Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Certificate | $109,814 | — | +5,242% | Strong return |
| 2 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Associate's | $229,811 | — | +4,747% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Associate's | $147,558 | — | +3,351% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $145,658 | $15,400 | +2,990% | Strong return |
| 5 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | Certificate | $97,085 | $18,600 | +2,782% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Associate's | $92,382 | $13,191 | +2,549% | Strong return |
| 7 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | Associate's | $107,867 | $10,312 | +1,702% | Strong return |
| 8 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Associate's | $107,082 | $14,917 | +1,678% | Strong return |
| 9 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Associate's | $105,494 | $23,150 | +1,643% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Associate's | $110,783 | $17,167 | +1,610% | Strong return |
| 11 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA | Certificate | $123,982 | $25,847 | +1,591% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Associate's | $104,911 | $19,000 | +1,581% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Certificate | $171,616 | $48,437 | +1,542% | Strong return |
| 14 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $94,154 | $15,811 | +1,493% | Strong return |
| 15 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | Associate's | $155,025 | $21,000 | +1,438% | Strong return |
| 16 | Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN | Associate's | $97,489 | $19,250 | +1,349% | Strong return |
| 17 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | Associate's | $97,279 | $17,939 | +1,211% | Strong return |
| 18 | University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA | Associate's | $108,373 | $16,295 | +1,192% | Strong return |
| 19 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA | Certificate | $119,338 | — | +1,135% | Strong return |
| 20 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | Associate's | $82,522 | $22,350 | +1,121% | Strong return |
| 21 | Duke University Durham, NC | Associate's | $121,776 | $13,500 | +1,097% | Strong return |
| 22 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, PA | Certificate | $133,369 | — | +1,030% | Strong return |
| 23 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | Associate's | $83,951 | $19,677 | +1,012% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | Associate's | $76,845 | $19,500 | +1,004% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL | Associate's | $70,904 | $11,792 | +983% | 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.