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Applied Mathematics & Statistics

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Applied Mathematics & Statistics is for those who love rigorous mathematics but want to wield it against messy, real-world problems rather than prove abstract theorems in a vacuum. The applied-math side leans on differential equations, linear algebra, numerical analysis, mathematical modeling, and optimization; the statistics side adds probability theory, regression analysis, Bayesian inference, and experimental design. You'll spend your time translating complex systems—fluid dynamics, financial markets, epidemics, elections—into elegant equations, and an inordinate amount of time writing R and Python scripts to fit models, chase p-values, and vehemently explain that correlation does not equal causation.

What you'll do after college

Graduates become quantitative analysts (quants), operations researchers, actuaries, biostatisticians, and data scientists. You might be modeling aerodynamic flow for an aerospace firm, optimizing supply-chain logistics, building algorithmic trading models for a hedge fund, proving a new pharmaceutical drug actually works, or forecasting an election. It's highly lucrative and demand is exceptionally stable—though you'll still have to explain to pure math majors that you haven't "sold out," and to everyone else that the numbers aren't lying.

Famous graduates

  • Jim Simons — Founder of Renaissance Technologies and pioneering quant; B.S. in Mathematics from MIT, Ph.D. in Mathematics from UC Berkeley
  • Katherine Johnson — NASA mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics were critical to the first US crewed spaceflights; B.S. in Mathematics and French from West Virginia State University
  • Claude Shannon — Father of information theory; B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from University of Michigan
  • George Dantzig — Inventor of the simplex algorithm for linear programming; B.A. in Mathematics and Physics from University of Maryland
  • Nate Silver — Founder of FiveThirtyEight and renowned statistician/psephologist; B.A. in Economics from University of Chicago
  • Edward Tufte — Pioneer of data visualization; B.S. and M.S. in Statistics from Stanford University
  • Florence Nightingale — Founder of modern nursing and pioneer in statistical graphics for public health; educated in mathematics by her father

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$83,322
1,362
100–76%
$95,706
3,214
76–42%
$111,049
3,211
42–12%
$159,746
1,350
12–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$81,152
981
400–1240
$99,658
2,308
1250–1410
$123,358
2,310
1410–1520
$159,183
973
1520–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category

$70,155p10 $117,024p90 STEM, Business & Military Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University 20–30% 10–20% 0–10% Stevens Institute of Technology · $147,908 Florida Institute of Technology · $83,168 Bryant University · $90,392 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $120,825 Rochester Institute of Technology · $83,740 Kettering University · $100,877 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $94,740 Virginia Military Institute · $73,325 Florida Polytechnic University · $89,315 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $73,428 Clarkson University · $89,217 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $68,733 Michigan Technological University · $86,622 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $111,650 Oregon Institute of Technology · $73,127 Bucknell University · $110,106 Mount Holyoke College · $92,946 Connecticut College · $102,960 Scripps College · $105,363 St. Lawrence University · $94,673 Whitman College · $92,224 Hampden-Sydney College · $80,614 Florida Southern College · $77,628 Union College · $91,267 Southwestern University · $94,659 Oakwood University · $78,106 Lake Forest College · $90,836 Wabash College · $91,499 Champlain College · $90,706 Carroll College · $80,149 Dordt University · $86,959 Endicott College · $90,823 Wesleyan College · $67,423 Chatham University · $81,801 Elizabethtown College · $81,567 Monmouth College · $77,078 Augustana College (IL) · $79,848 Graceland University - Lamoni · $75,382 Piedmont University · $71,214 Millsaps College · $82,684 North Central College · $79,519 Huntingdon College · $69,831 Saint Mary's College of California · $89,055 Keuka College · $72,420 Whitworth University · $82,583 Augustana University · $82,956 Gustavus Adolphus College · $98,534 Taylor University · $89,800 New College of Florida · $76,033 Hamline University · $82,419 Luther College · $87,748 Manchester University · $72,095 Lycoming College · $71,371 Catawba College · $77,349 Wittenberg University · $77,114 Saint Mary's College (IN) · $93,391 Mary Baldwin University · $69,012 Randolph-Macon College · $76,067 Simmons University · $84,814 McDaniel College · $84,944 Pacific Lutheran University · $66,698 Keene State College · $78,248 Saint Michael's College · $87,374 Simpson College · $82,211 Franklin College · $78,831 Viterbo University · $82,810 University of Georgia · $100,704 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $116,634 William & Mary · $117,563 San Diego State University · $69,364 University of California, Santa Barbara · $83,154 North Carolina State University · $100,131 University of South Florida · $77,264 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $98,770 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $108,783 University of Washington · $100,069 University of Central Florida · $88,773 Purdue University · $99,599 University of Maryland, Baltimore County · $97,255 Cal State Long Beach · $72,073 University of California, Davis · $99,491 Coppin State University · $66,710 Auburn University · $87,429 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College · $96,550 Stony Brook University · $87,503 Ohio State University · $113,237 Texas A&M University - College Station · $104,993 CUNY Brooklyn College · $70,875 Northern Illinois University · $82,349 University of Connecticut · $98,941 Virginia Tech · $89,938 University of South Carolina · $104,787 CUNY City College · $69,761 University of Pittsburgh · $87,904 University of New Mexico · $74,787 Truman State University · $96,348 Jackson State University · $69,750 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $82,797 University of North Carolina Wilmington · $89,485 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $77,347 Eastern Michigan University · $72,869 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $90,506 University of North Florida · $79,363 James Madison University · $105,238 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $81,284 SUNY Oneonta · $75,720 University of Colorado Boulder · $91,742 University of Delaware · $96,884 College of Charleston · $79,284 Wright State University · $78,102 Wichita State University · $75,988 University of California, Santa Cruz · $88,104 Farmingdale State College · $46,874 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford · $89,443 University of Vermont · $89,332 Oklahoma State University · $79,887 Miami University - Ohio · $92,172 SUNY College at Geneseo · $84,677 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse · $88,710 Cal State East Bay · $108,465 University of Idaho · $75,236 University of Houston · $69,254 University of Illinois Chicago · $87,036 Indiana University · $96,256 University of Minnesota - Morris · $68,652 University of Missouri - Kansas City · $94,055 Rutgers University - Newark · $88,469 University of Missouri · $88,960 Winona State University · $81,617 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $75,699 Eastern Kentucky University · $66,394 University of New Hampshire · $87,899 Saginaw Valley State University · $69,628 Coastal Carolina University · $61,206 University of Iowa · $113,288 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $73,838 San Jose State University · $78,471 University at Buffalo · $85,039 Indiana University - East · $74,525 University of Central Oklahoma · $75,049 Bowling Green State University · $81,754 California State University, Monterey Bay · $70,786 Eastern Washington University · $72,753 Kent State University at Kent · $78,554 Shepherd University · $67,700 Sonoma State University · $64,633 University of Utah · $108,691 Ferris State University · $67,910 Western Michigan University · $80,834 Michigan State University · $86,867 Stephen F. Austin State University · $59,502 Wayne State University · $78,093 Boise State University · $86,326 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $81,811 University of South Carolina - Aiken · $75,264 SUNY Buffalo State University · $59,170 Central Washington University · $75,106 Saint Cloud State University · $75,819 Southern Oregon University · $63,762 University of Akron · $81,028 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $84,542 Western Connecticut State University · $78,099 Metropolitan State University · $86,376 Eastern Connecticut State University · $64,360 Indiana University - South Bend · $70,217 University of California, Riverside · $66,208 Washington State University · $75,472 Temple University · $86,291 George Mason University · $96,507 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $63,793 Iowa State University · $75,477 University of Houston - Downtown · $74,725 University of Cincinnati · $91,991 Arizona State University · $73,382 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $81,312 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $80,875 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $78,550 Montclair State University · $67,426 Oakland University · $84,695 Central Michigan University · $82,276 SUNY at Fredonia · $67,141 Southwest Minnesota State University · $67,766 University of Texas at San Antonio · $76,869 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $103,536 Texas State University · $76,221 North Dakota State University · $104,494 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $92,768 Utah State University · $86,736 Grand Valley State University · $77,878 San Francisco State University · $76,667 University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg · $90,170 University of Northern Iowa · $85,588 University of Kentucky · $77,553 Western Washington University · $66,361 Pennsylvania Western University · $68,133 Kansas State University · $89,137 University of Wyoming · $77,751 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $70,635 University of California, Merced · $84,860 University of Southern Indiana · $67,748 Marshall University · $55,284 Idaho State University · $77,108 Arkansas Tech University · $64,882 Montana State University · $74,811 Utah Valley University · $91,694 Weber State University · $93,796 Southern Methodist University · $110,908 Loyola Marymount University · $96,020 Liberty University · $82,769 Azusa Pacific University · $71,878 Baylor University · $93,783 Brescia University · $73,026 Asbury University · $84,389 William Penn University · $78,597 Fordham University · $112,844 Southeastern University · $68,974 Anderson University · $78,343 Evangel University · $70,750 University of Mobile · $70,155 Merrimack College · $83,643 University of Evansville · $76,401 American University · $107,837 St. John Fisher University · $77,980 Stonehill College · $90,367 Rockhurst University · $78,902 Brigham Young University · $121,322 California Baptist University · $75,599 Ohio Northern University · $86,465 Seton Hall University · $91,705 Loyola University Maryland · $98,690 Saint Leo University · $71,094 Concordia College at Moorhead · $89,203 Le Moyne College · $81,815 Emmanuel College · $70,527 Ouachita Baptist University · $90,554 Seton Hill University · $70,595 Saint Louis University · $83,580 University of Tulsa · $106,370 Loyola University Chicago · $98,847 Baldwin Wallace University · $76,509 Louisiana Christian University · $72,400 University of Sioux Falls · $75,355 Fresno Pacific University · $75,977 Marquette University · $101,049 McKendree University · $74,832 Trevecca Nazarene University · $70,623 Saint Vincent College · $76,871 Gonzaga University · $93,814 Canisius University · $76,926 University of Portland · $77,848 University of Saint Mary · $72,922 Siena College · $87,487 Neumann University · $76,131 Saint Xavier University · $71,280 St. John's University - New York · $88,860 Duquesne University · $88,457 Greensboro College · $63,023 Valparaiso University · $76,799 Seattle Pacific University · $79,905 Belmont University · $84,454 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $94,282 University of Lynchburg · $70,377 Grand View University · $71,100 Case Western Reserve University · $115,528 Clark University · $97,649 University of Rochester · $104,687 Brandeis University · $109,516 George Washington University · $96,273 Syracuse University · $112,174 Illinois Institute of Technology · $96,504 Marist University · $89,125 Lindenwood University · $83,547 University of New Haven · $74,357 Elon University · $101,387 Adelphi University · $78,294 Hofstra University · $79,918 Daemen University · $74,182 University of the Pacific · $96,276 Stetson University · $70,422 New York Institute of Technology · $90,484 Lasell University · $74,935 Butler University · $101,334 University of Bridgeport · $74,242 Webster University · $77,997 Roger Williams University · $90,211 Robert Morris University · $90,926 Stevenson University · $79,239 University of New England · $75,756 Lesley University · $71,077 Lehigh University · $113,580 University of Florida · $110,711 Florida State University · $81,469 CUNY Hunter College · $80,083 University of California, San Diego · $95,804 University of California, Irvine · $84,642 Villanova University · $117,024 Hillsdale College · $107,991 Carleton College · $116,532 Smith College · $96,736 Berea College · $76,503 Trinity University · $95,756 Pitzer College · $82,551 Colorado School of Mines · $113,274 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $95,698 Emory University · $89,072 Tufts University · $124,185 Carnegie Mellon University · $174,393 University of Southern California · $94,251 Washington University in St Louis · $143,163 University of Miami · $98,719 Wake Forest University · $101,443 University of California, Berkeley · $124,135 University of Virginia · $116,937 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $111,932 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · $121,808 Barnard College · $129,631 Middlebury College · $128,261 Haverford College · $128,068 Hamilton College · $117,891 Colgate University · $134,644 Denison University · $100,830 United States Military Academy · $99,806 Harvey Mudd College · $160,799 Yale University · $178,525 Caltech · $160,500 Harvard University · $194,893 University of Chicago · $146,197 MIT · $177,688 Columbia University · $134,365 University of Pennsylvania · $199,734 Duke University · $124,256 Dartmouth · $162,818 Johns Hopkins University · $145,946 Brown University · $159,061 Northwestern University · $161,818 Rice University · $136,536 Cornell University · $117,868 New York University · $130,303 UCLA · $104,466 University of Notre Dame · $153,233 Amherst College · $156,751 Colby College · $127,866 Williams College · $167,949 STEM, Business & Military: mean $92,471 Liberal Arts: mean $83,564 Public University: mean $82,363 Religious University: mean $83,179 Private University: mean $88,694 20–30%: mean $97,890 10–20%: mean $121,051 0–10%: mean $152,039 All colleges: p10 $70,155 All colleges: p90 $117,024
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Applied Mathematics & Statistics 386 9,137 61% / 39% 21% $95,712 95%
Statistics 150 3,085 59% / 41% 19% $92,803 95%
Applied Mathematics 176 2,507 61% / 39% 24% $87,556 95%
Financial Mathematics 35 622 70% / 30% 14% $86,536 93%
Mathematics and Statistics 47 465 55% / 45% 35% $95,842 96%
Statistical Science 3 446 64% / 36% 26% $98,094 96%
Computational and Applied Mathematics 32 384 63% / 37% 15% $87,675 97%
Systems Science and Theory 10 211 56% / 44% 3% $92,071 97%
Logic, Information, & Computation 1 150 68% / 32% 22% $203,161 98%
Applied Mathematical Sciences 3 136 67% / 33% 6% $103,082 92%
Computational Mathematics 12 117 54% / 46% 10% $100,759 92%
Financial Mathematics and Statistics 1 108 57% / 43% 38% $91,946 98%
Mathematics of Computation 1 103 68% / 32% 31% $103,266 88%
Applied Statistics 9 92 60% / 40% 16% $94,379
Applied and Computational Mathematical Sciences 1 79 52% / 48% 66% $105,661 96%
Biostatistics 8 62 42% / 58% 16% $93,054 98%
Statistics & Data Science 1 62 60% / 40% 11% $179,981
Statistics and Data Science 2 60 65% / 35% 18% $138,688 94%
Quantitative Finance 1 54 76% / 24% 0% $147,908 98%
Mathematics-Statistics 2 41 63% / 37% 17% $138,632 93%
Applied Mathematics & Statistics 1 41 68% / 32% 0% $82,769
Biometry and Statistics 1 32 44% / 56% 9% $125,954 96%
Data Science & Statistics 1 29 66% / 34% 17% $92,172 91%
Mathematics with Computer Science (Course 18-C) 1 29 69% / 31% 7% $178,458 91%
Applied Mathematics and Statistics 2 23 83% / 17% 39% $114,218 94%
Applied Statistics and Actuarial Science 1 23 65% / 35% 4% $85,719
Financial Mathematics (Course 18) 1 20 35% / 65% 0% $176,571
Computational Finance and Risk Management 1 19 58% / 42% 47% $105,661 96%
Mathematical Statistics and Probability 2 16 62% / 38% 12% $88,900
Mathematical Biology 4 14 36% / 64% 7% $82,603 94%
Computational Finance 1 14 57% / 43% 57% $173,171
Applied and Computational Mathematics 1 13 62% / 38% 0% $160,500
Computational Mathematical Sciences 1 12 67% / 33% 8% $73,866 88%
Economics and Statistics 1 12 75% / 25% 17% $177,363 94%
Mathematical Analytics and Operations Research 1 10 50% / 50% 20% $93,235 91%
Engineering Mathematics and Statistics 1 9 56% / 44% 11% $115,606
Systems Science 2 8 0% / 100% 0% $91,554
Quantitative Biology 1 8 25% / 75% 25% $87,614
Statistics and Actuarial Science 1 8 62% / 38% 0% $85,588
Mathematics (Applied) 1 7 29% / 71% 0% $73,866 88%
Research Methods 2 5 80% / 20% 40% $77,088 93%
Statistics and Machine Learning 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $177,363 94%
Biometric Systems Engineering 1 0 $79,808
Mathematical Statistics 1 0 $70,496