Mathematics: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Q: Which universities have the largest Mathematics programs?

Currently 1,305 accredited institutions offer Mathematics degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Wisconsin-Madison (362 graduates), The University of Texas, Austin (294 graduates), and University of Michigan (U‑M), Ann Arbor (254 graduates).

Q: Is enrollment in Mathematics growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 20,538 in 2010 to a peak of 30,642 in 2020, before declining slightly to 25,163 in 2023-24. This represents a 23% increase overall from 2010.

Q: What career paths are available with a Mathematics degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Natural Sciences Managers, Mathematicians, and Data Scientists. Related occupations employ approximately 1,492,350 professionals nationwide.

Program Overview

Mathematics is a foundational discipline dedicated to the exploration of patterns, structures, and relationships through rigorous logical reasoning and abstract representation. This program equips students with advanced analytical skills and a deep understanding of quantitative and spatial concepts, preparing them for diverse careers in research, technology, finance, education, and beyond.

Algebra: The study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating them, forming the backbone of problem-solving across scientific and engineering fields.
Calculus: A branch focused on rates of change and accumulation, essential for modeling dynamic systems in physics, economics, and engineering.
Functional Analysis: An advanced area examining spaces of functions and their linear operators, critical in quantum mechanics and partial differential equations.
Geometry: The investigation of shapes, sizes, and properties of space, ranging from classical Euclidean forms to modern non-Euclidean and differential geometries.
Number Theory: A pure mathematical field exploring the properties and relationships of integers, with applications in cryptography and computer science.
Logic: The formal study of valid reasoning and inference, providing the framework for mathematical proof and computational theory.
Topology: The examination of properties preserved under continuous deformations, offering insights into the structure of spaces in advanced mathematics and theoretical physics.

Mathematics Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

25,163

Total Graduates (2023-2024)

1,305

Universities & Colleges

Career Pathways

Career & Salary Outlook Schools Offering This Program Related Programs

Mathematics Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Mathematics degrees, including Natural Sciences Managers, Mathematicians and Data Scientists. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 1,492,350 professionals.

National Average Salaries

Occupation	Median Salary	Salary Range	Total Employment	Hourly Rate
Natural Sciences Managers 11-9121	$161,180	$79,830 - $239,200	100,870	$77.49
Mathematicians 15-2021	$121,680	$63,430 - $187,660	2,220	$58.50
Data Scientists 15-2051	$112,590	$63,650 - $194,410	233,440	$54.13
Statisticians 15-2041	$103,300	$60,390 - $170,700	29,800	$49.66
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1022	$79,350	$48,150 - $161,020	48,820	N/A
Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other 15-2099	$71,490	$40,330 - $154,140	4,660	$34.37
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 25-2031	$64,580	$47,330 - $104,670	1,072,540	N/A

Salary Comparison

Data Source: Salary and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2024 estimates, based on 7 related occupations. Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics.

*Salary Range Explanation: The salary range represents the 10th to 90th percentile, meaning 80% of workers in this occupation earn within this range. This excludes the lowest 10% and highest 10% of earners to provide a more realistic picture of typical compensation.

Important Disclaimer: Salary data represents national averages and varies by location, experience, employer, and market conditions. These statistics are estimates for general guidance and do not guarantee specific employment outcomes for graduates.

Mathematics Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $70,058 in Louisiana to $145,281 in California—a 107% difference. The highest-paying states include California, District of Columbia, and Massachusetts. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 1,492,350 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Mathematics by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 100 institutions offering Mathematics programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Mathematics is found at University of Wisconsin-Madison (362 graduates), The University of Texas, Austin (294 graduates), University of Michigan (U‑M), Ann Arbor (254 graduates), Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) (249 graduates), and University of Maryland (UMCP), College Park (242 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 11,164 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name	Award Levels	Graduates	Admissions	Location	Control	Website
University of Wisconsin-Madison	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R) Other Award	362	SAT: 1360-1510 ACT: 28-32	Madison, Wisconsin	Public	wisc.edu
The University of Texas	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	294	SAT: 1230-1490 ACT: 27-33	Austin, Texas	Public	utexas.edu
University of Michigan (U‑M)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	254	SAT: 1350-1530 ACT: 31-34	Ann Arbor, Michigan	Public	umich.edu
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)	Bachelor's	249	N/A	Manchester, New Hampshire	Private	snhu.edu
University of Maryland (UMCP)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	242	SAT: 1370-1520 ACT: 32-35	College Park, Maryland	Public	umd.edu
University of California (UCI)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	226	N/A	Irvine, California	Public	uci.edu
University of Chicago (UChicago)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	223	SAT: 1510-1570 ACT: 34-35	Chicago, Illinois	Private	uchicago.edu
University of Massachusetts	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	220	SAT: 1300-1480 ACT: 29-33	Amherst, Massachusetts	Public	umass.edu
New York University (NYU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	214	SAT: 1480-1570 ACT: 33-35	New York, New York	Private	nyu.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Bachelor's Doctorate (R)	199	SAT: 1510-1580 ACT: 34-36	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Private	web.mit.edu
University of Washington (UW)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	199	N/A	Seattle, Washington	Public	washington.edu
University of Minnesota (UMN)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	185	SAT: 1310-1480 ACT: 27-31	Minneapolis, Minnesota	Public	twin-cities.umn.edu
Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC)	Associate's	180	N/A	Woodland Hills, California	Public	lapc.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	179	SAT: 1270-1510 ACT: 29-34	Champaign, Illinois	Public	illinois.edu
Johns Hopkins University (JHU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	164	SAT: 1530-1580 ACT: 34-35	Baltimore, Maryland	Private	jhu.edu
Ohio State University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	164	SAT: 1330-1480 ACT: 29-32	Columbus, Ohio	Public	osu.edu
Vanderbilt University (VU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	156	SAT: 1510-1560 ACT: 34-35	Nashville, Tennessee	Private	vanderbilt.edu
University of California (UCR)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	154	N/A	Riverside, California	Public	ucr.edu
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	153	SAT: 1370-1530 ACT: 30-34	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	Public	unc.edu
Pennsylvania State University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	147	SAT: 1220-1400 ACT: 27-32	University Park, Pennsylvania	Public	psu.edu
University of California (UCLA)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	143	N/A	Los Angeles, California	Public	ucla.edu
Stony Brook University (SBU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	133	SAT: 1320-1490 ACT: 28-33	Stony Brook, New York	Public	stonybrook.edu
Cornell University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	132	SAT: 1480-1560 ACT: 33-35	Ithaca, New York	Private	cornell.edu
University of California (UCB)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	129	N/A	Berkeley, California	Public	berkeley.edu
University of California (UCSD)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	129	N/A	La Jolla, California	Public	ucsd.edu
University of Florida (UF)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	129	SAT: 1300-1480 ACT: 28-33	Gainesville, Florida	Public	ufl.edu
Rutgers University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	125	SAT: 1270-1480 ACT: 28-33	New Brunswick, New Jersey	Public	newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
Binghamton University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	125	SAT: 1320-1490 ACT: 29-34	Vestal, New York	Public	binghamton.edu
University of California (UCSB)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	124	N/A	Santa Barbara, California	Public	ucsb.edu
University at Buffalo (UB)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	121	SAT: 1210-1380 ACT: 27-32	Buffalo, New York	Public	buffalo.edu
San Jacinto Community College	Associate's	120	N/A	Pasadena, Texas	Public	sanjac.edu
Pasadena City College (PCC)	Associate's	119	N/A	Pasadena, California	Public	pasadena.edu
Columbia University in the City of New York	Bachelor's Master's Post-Master's Doctorate (R)	118	SAT: 1490-1570 ACT: 34-35	New York, New York	Private	columbia.edu
California State Polytechnic University (CPP)	Bachelor's Master's	116	N/A	Pomona, California	Public	cpp.edu
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	116	SAT: 1330-1530 ACT: 28-34	Atlanta, Georgia	Public	gatech.edu
Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	108	N/A	Tempe, Arizona	Public	asu.edu
The University of Alabama (UA)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	106	SAT: 1170-1400 ACT: 24-31	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Public	ua.edu
Harvard University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	106	SAT: 1500-1580 ACT: 34-36	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Private	harvard.edu
Boston University (BU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	103	SAT: 1400-1520 ACT: 32-34	Boston, Massachusetts	Private	bu.edu
Northeastern University (NU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	103	SAT: 1460-1550 ACT: 33-35	Boston, Massachusetts	Private	northeastern.edu
De Anza College	Associate's	101	N/A	Cupertino, California	Public	deanza.edu
El Camino Community College District (ECC)	Associate's	96	N/A	Torrance, California	Public	elcamino.edu
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	96	SAT: 1240-1420 ACT: 27-32	Blacksburg, Virginia	Public	vt.edu
California State University (CSUSB)	Bachelor's Master's	94	N/A	San Bernardino, California	Public	csusb.edu
Santa Barbara City College (SBCC)	Associate's	94	N/A	Santa Barbara, California	Public	sbcc.edu
Irvine Valley College (IVC)	Associate's	93	N/A	Irvine, California	Public	ivc.edu
Texas A & M University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	93	SAT: 1140-1380 ACT: 25-31	College Station, Texas	Public	tamu.edu
College of the Canyons	Associate's	92	N/A	Santa Clarita, California	Public	canyons.edu
Purdue University (PU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	91	SAT: 1190-1460 ACT: 27-34	West Lafayette, Indiana	Public	purdue.edu
Allan Hancock College	Associate's	90	N/A	Santa Maria, California	Public	hancockcollege.edu
University of Colorado Boulder (CU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	90	SAT: 1230-1420 ACT: 28-33	Boulder, Colorado	Public	colorado.edu
University of Virginia (UVA)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	90	SAT: 1410-1530 ACT: 32-34	Charlottesville, Virginia	Public	virginia.edu
California State University (CSULB)	Bachelor's Master's	89	N/A	Long Beach, California	Public	csulb.edu
Duke University	Bachelor's Doctorate (R)	88	SAT: 1510-1570 ACT: 34-35	Durham, North Carolina	Private	duke.edu
The University of Texas	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's Doctorate (R)	88	SAT: 1170-1410 ACT: 25-32	Richardson, Texas	Public	utdallas.edu
Florida State University (FSU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	87	SAT: 1240-1390 ACT: 27-31	Tallahassee, Florida	Public	fsu.edu
University of Arizona	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	85	SAT: 1160-1420 ACT: 21-30	Tucson, Arizona	Public	arizona.edu
Michigan State University (MSU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	85	SAT: 1150-1350 ACT: 26-31	East Lansing, Michigan	Public	msu.edu
University of Houston (UH)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	84	SAT: 1150-1330 ACT: 23-28	Houston, Texas	Public	uh.edu
Illinois State University (ISU)	Bachelor's Master's	83	SAT: 1010-1230 ACT: 22-27	Normal, Illinois	Public	illinoisstate.edu
University of Utah (U of U)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	83	SAT: 1180-1398 ACT: 22-29	Salt Lake City, Utah	Public	utah.edu
Ohlone College	Associate's Other Award	82	N/A	Fremont, California	Public	ohlone.edu
Amherst College	Bachelor's	81	SAT: 1360-1550 ACT: 31-35	Amherst, Massachusetts	Private	amherst.edu
Clemson University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	81	SAT: 1230-1390 ACT: 28-32	Clemson, South Carolina	Public	clemson.edu
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)	Bachelor's Master's	80	N/A	San Luis Obispo, California	Public	calpoly.edu
Mt San Antonio College (Mt. SAC)	Associate's	80	N/A	Walnut, California	Public	mtsac.edu
Texas Tech University (TTU)	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's Doctorate (R)	79	SAT: 1090-1270 ACT: 22-28	Lubbock, Texas	Public	ttu.edu
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU)	Bachelor's Master's Post-Master's Doctorate (R)	78	SAT: 1150-1330 ACT: 24-29	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Public	lsu.edu
University of Nebraska (UNL)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	78	SAT: 1090-1330 ACT: 22-28	Lincoln, Nebraska	Public	unl.edu
Palomar College	Associate's	77	N/A	San Marcos, California	Public	www2.palomar.edu
California State University (CSUF)	Bachelor's Master's	76	N/A	Fullerton, California	Public	fullerton.edu
University of California (UCD)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	76	N/A	Davis, California	Public	ucdavis.edu
St Olaf College	Bachelor's	76	SAT: 1260-1470 ACT: 28-32	Northfield, Minnesota	Private	wp.stolaf.edu
Yale University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	74	SAT: 1500-1580 ACT: 33-35	New Haven, Connecticut	Private	yale.edu
Oregon State University (OSU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	74	N/A	Corvallis, Oregon	Public	oregonstate.edu
University of Rochester	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	73	SAT: 1400-1540 ACT: 31-34	Rochester, New York	Private	rochester.edu
Stanford University	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	73	SAT: 1510-1580 ACT: 34-35	Stanford, California	Private	stanford.edu
California State University	Bachelor's Master's	72	N/A	Sacramento, California	Public	csus.edu
Tufts University	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's Doctorate (R)	71	SAT: 1460-1550 ACT: 33-35	Medford, Massachusetts	Private	tufts.edu
University of California (UCSC)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	68	N/A	Santa Cruz, California	Public	ucsc.edu
Moorpark College	Associate's	68	N/A	Moorpark, California	Public	moorparkcollege.edu
Boston College (BC)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	67	SAT: 1430-1540 ACT: 33-34	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts	Private	bc.edu
Dartmouth College	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	67	SAT: 1500-1570 ACT: 33-35	Hanover, New Hampshire	Private	dartmouth.edu
Portland State University (PSU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	66	N/A	Portland, Oregon	Public	pdx.edu
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)	Bachelor's Master's	66	SAT: 910-1110 ACT: 16-22	Edinburg, Texas	Public	utrgv.edu
Grossmont College	Associate's	63	N/A	El Cajon, California	Public	grossmont.edu
Indiana University (IUB)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	62	SAT: 1170-1400 ACT: 27-32	Bloomington, Indiana	Public	indiana.edu
Indiana University (IUE)	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's Other Award	62	SAT: 1010-1220 ACT: 20-25	Richmond, Indiana	Public	iue.edu
University of Kentucky (UK)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	62	SAT: 1080-1290 ACT: 21-28	Lexington, Kentucky	Public	uky.edu
Williams College	Bachelor's	62	SAT: 1470-1560 ACT: 33-35	Williamstown, Massachusetts	Private	williams.edu
North Carolina State University (NC State)	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's Doctorate (R)	62	SAT: 1300-1460 ACT: 28-32	Raleigh, North Carolina	Public	ncsu.edu
University of Pennsylvania (Penn)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	62	SAT: 1500-1570 ACT: 34-35	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Private	upenn.edu
The University of Tennessee	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	62	SAT: 1190-1340 ACT: 25-31	Knoxville, Tennessee	Public	utk.edu
Colorado State University (CSU)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	61	N/A	Fort Collins, Colorado	Public	colostate.edu
Northwestern University	Bachelor's Doctorate (R)	61	SAT: 1490-1560 ACT: 33-35	Evanston, Illinois	Private	northwestern.edu
Iowa State University (ISU)	Bachelor's Master's Post-Master's Doctorate (R)	61	SAT: 1110-1350 ACT: 21-28	Ames, Iowa	Public	iastate.edu
California State University (CSUN)	Bachelor's Master's	60	N/A	Northridge, California	Public	csun.edu
Mt San Jacinto Community College District (MSJC)	Associate's	60	N/A	San Jacinto, California	Public	msjc.edu
Grand Valley State University (GVSU)	Bachelor's	60	SAT: 940-1190 ACT: 21-28	Allendale, Michigan	Public	gvsu.edu
CUNY Queens College	Bachelor's Master's	60	SAT: 1100-1320	Queens, New York	Public	qc.cuny.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Mathematics programs

How much can I earn with a Mathematics degree?

Salaries for Mathematics graduates vary by role and location. Natural Sciences Managers earn a median of $161,180 annually, while Mathematicians earn around $121,680. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $145,281 compared to $70,058 in Louisiana. Approximately 1,492,350 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Mathematics programs?

Currently 1,305 accredited institutions offer Mathematics degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Wisconsin-Madison (362 graduates), The University of Texas, Austin (294 graduates), and University of Michigan (U‑M), Ann Arbor (254 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Mathematics growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 20,538 in 2010 to a peak of 30,642 in 2020, before declining slightly to 25,163 in 2023-24. This represents a 23% increase overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Mathematics degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Natural Sciences Managers, Mathematicians, and Data Scientists. Related occupations employ approximately 1,492,350 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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