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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

$82,505
1,286
100–73%
$97,147
3,149
73–38%
$108,379
2,758
38–9%
$153,706
1,388
9–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$79,582
918
400–1260
$93,483
2,158
1260–1400
$111,621
2,128
1410–1530
$179,780
913
1530–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$71,306p10 $111,833p90 Work College Military STEM Non-Research Female-only Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Liberal Arts 1–20 Public University 1–25 Private University 21–40 Private University 1–20 Berea College · $77,725 United States Military Academy · $87,592 Virginia Military Institute · $73,245 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $89,136 Florida Polytechnic University · $89,184 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $84,026 Kettering University · $98,358 Wentworth Institute of Technology · $119,120 Barnard College · $117,581 Smith College · $100,413 Scripps College · $92,990 Mount Holyoke College · $93,630 Simmons University · $84,903 Denison University · $93,097 Trinity University · $95,437 Pitzer College · $88,266 Connecticut College · $96,037 Bucknell University · $96,468 Whitman College · $86,080 St. Lawrence University · $88,179 Florida Southern College · $79,885 Hampden-Sydney College · $80,406 Oakwood University · $65,875 Southwestern University · $88,488 Wabash College · $83,172 Lake Forest College · $80,584 Catawba College · $70,537 Cornell College · $73,509 Carroll College · $82,770 Chatham University · $79,919 Elizabethtown College · $82,875 North Central College · $79,029 Augustana College (IL) · $78,233 Huntingdon College · $69,189 Saint Mary's College of California · $96,642 Keuka College · $75,676 Whitworth University · $83,074 Wittenberg University · $76,419 Gustavus Adolphus College · $91,028 Taylor University · $79,101 Luther College · $78,457 Manchester University · $74,297 Viterbo University · $78,387 Nebraska Wesleyan University · $73,790 Saint Mary's College (IN) · $86,243 Mary Baldwin University · $72,878 Saint Michael's College · $76,824 Pacific Lutheran University · $83,038 Simpson College · $79,521 Franklin College · $76,948 CUNY Hunter College · $83,744 Cal State Long Beach · $82,796 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $97,279 Eastern New Mexico University · $67,010 University of South Florida · $72,428 San Diego State University · $75,297 University of California, Santa Barbara · $110,278 University of Washington · $115,782 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College · $104,144 CUNY City College · $76,739 University of North Carolina Wilmington · $77,052 University of California, Davis · $103,741 University of Maryland, Baltimore County · $95,337 Stony Brook University · $89,923 San Jose State University · $108,018 CUNY Brooklyn College · $77,419 Northern Illinois University · $78,805 University of Connecticut · $87,343 Pennsylvania State University · $102,466 University of South Carolina · $100,837 Northwestern Oklahoma State University · $64,163 University of Pittsburgh · $89,032 University of New Mexico · $75,707 Truman State University · $82,655 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $79,807 Wayne State University · $76,796 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $83,050 University of Houston · $84,768 Central Michigan University · $82,502 Eastern Michigan University · $77,224 Oklahoma State University · $82,386 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $82,258 SUNY Oneonta · $79,790 Texas State University · $73,629 University at Buffalo · $84,154 University of Colorado Boulder · $91,225 George Mason University · $86,998 Indiana University - South Bend · $70,557 Marshall University · $47,285 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $65,415 Montclair State University · $76,323 Oakland University · $75,824 Ohio University · $76,334 Oregon Institute of Technology · $84,649 Temple University · $89,052 University of Delaware · $88,205 University of Houston - Downtown · $73,033 University of Northern Iowa · $72,819 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $71,899 Wright State University · $76,401 Eastern Connecticut State University · $73,654 Farmingdale State College · $49,380 University of California, Santa Cruz · $99,547 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford · $90,036 University of Vermont · $84,045 Miami University - Ohio · $88,580 SUNY College at Geneseo · $78,765 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse · $81,382 Cal State East Bay · $123,982 Michigan Technological University · $86,105 University of Idaho · $73,194 Washington State University · $70,386 Boise State University · $73,829 Indiana University · $90,206 University of Minnesota - Morris · $77,703 University of Missouri - Kansas City · $82,658 Valdosta State University · $68,774 Rutgers University - Newark · $92,622 SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $84,273 University of Missouri · $74,516 University of North Florida · $75,494 Winona State University · $79,044 Eastern Kentucky University · $67,892 Saginaw Valley State University · $76,443 University of New Hampshire · $87,640 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $70,704 Coastal Carolina University · $58,948 Southeast Missouri State University · $41,906 University of Illinois Chicago · $67,213 Grand Valley State University · $78,011 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $74,022 State University of New York at Oswego · $76,464 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $83,264 Western Washington University · $69,693 University of Central Oklahoma · $75,995 California State University, Monterey Bay · $81,173 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $84,352 Eastern Washington University · $81,075 Kent State University at Kent · $73,618 Shepherd University · $72,852 Sonoma State University · $77,181 University of Utah · $89,797 Michigan State University · $93,546 Stephen F. Austin State University · $58,594 University of Iowa · $101,821 Western Michigan University · $79,047 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $70,118 University of South Carolina - Aiken · $72,995 Arkansas Tech University · $67,345 Central Washington University · $82,549 Ferris State University · $67,720 Iowa State University · $71,129 Metropolitan State University · $80,635 Montana Technological University · $86,260 Northern Kentucky University · $70,870 SUNY Buffalo State University · $70,345 Saint Cloud State University · $77,366 Southern Oregon University · $73,887 University of Akron · $71,022 University of Arizona · $86,023 University of Cincinnati · $80,733 West Virginia University · $78,484 Wichita State University · $70,188 James Madison University · $100,444 University of California, Riverside · $76,922 Arizona State University · $78,530 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $79,381 University of Kentucky · $71,306 SUNY at Fredonia · $72,991 University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg · $90,036 University of Texas at San Antonio · $76,044 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $93,222 North Dakota State University · $80,379 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $87,538 Plymouth State University · $82,620 San Francisco State University · $93,421 Utah State University · $84,537 Pennsylvania Western University · $71,856 Idaho State University · $74,563 Kansas State University · $78,793 University of Wyoming · $77,818 University of California, Merced · $79,461 Montana State University · $79,211 Utah Valley University · $83,318 Weber State University · $85,233 University of Notre Dame · $129,551 Brigham Young University · $107,254 Villanova University · $110,112 Southeastern University · $69,518 Stonehill College · $91,091 Fordham University · $110,327 Loyola Marymount University · $95,938 Saint Louis University · $80,877 Southern Methodist University · $111,301 Azusa Pacific University · $87,838 Baylor University · $86,264 Brescia University · $66,752 Asbury University · $76,848 William Penn University · $73,535 Anderson University · $74,557 Evangel University · $70,596 University of Evansville · $81,264 University of Scranton · $83,528 American University · $96,901 Rockhurst University · $82,501 Ohio Northern University · $83,529 Seton Hall University · $94,617 Reinhardt University · $85,849 St. John Fisher University · $82,841 Concordia College at Moorhead · $77,718 Oakland City University · $68,226 Emmanuel College · $81,054 Ouachita Baptist University · $74,283 Seton Hill University · $74,030 Shenandoah University · $79,752 Loyola University Chicago · $87,770 Mercer University · $83,505 University of Tulsa · $92,191 Baldwin Wallace University · $72,818 Louisiana Christian University · $77,356 Fresno Pacific University · $79,668 Marquette University · $93,605 Geneva College · $75,566 Gonzaga University · $88,041 Lakeland University · $74,556 University of Mount Union · $75,307 Canisius University · $78,145 University of Portland · $76,350 University of Saint Mary · $72,341 Siena College · $84,011 Bloomfield College · $77,210 Duquesne University · $85,687 Loyola University Maryland · $91,283 University of Findlay · $83,712 Saint Xavier University · $74,052 St. John's University - New York · $83,978 Misericordia University · $77,641 Seattle Pacific University · $93,888 Valparaiso University · $81,123 Belmont University · $84,898 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $75,619 University of Lynchburg · $74,987 Grand View University · $70,968 Florida Institute of Technology · $87,832 Rochester Institute of Technology · $88,669 Syracuse University · $97,936 Clark University · $88,404 Marist University · $106,987 Stetson University · $76,666 Webster University · $78,269 Bryant University · $94,973 Champlain College · $83,492 Endicott College · $91,425 Elon University · $84,800 Illinois Institute of Technology · $84,593 Bradley University · $81,840 Lesley University · $76,101 Robert Morris University · $86,593 Roger Williams University · $85,307 University of New England · $88,290 University of New Haven · $80,263 University of Bridgeport · $85,382 Lipscomb University · $82,775 Clarkson University · $83,364 Lindenwood University · $75,180 Adelphi University · $84,861 University of the Pacific · $101,804 New York Institute of Technology · $91,034 Butler University · $88,882 Harrisburg University of Science and Technology · $69,983 Stevenson University · $83,279 Thomas College · $71,176 Williams College · $141,095 Carleton College · $111,876 Amherst College · $140,888 Haverford College · $114,136 Colby College · $119,446 Hamilton College · $110,595 Grinnell College · $95,459 Colgate University · $105,684 Hillsdale College · $91,691 University of California, Berkeley · $143,541 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $105,494 University of Virginia · $108,373 University of Florida · $92,382 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · $114,821 William & Mary · $107,935 University of Georgia · $83,951 Purdue University · $93,106 Colorado School of Mines · $89,416 UCLA · $94,929 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $94,817 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $80,391 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $98,079 Texas A&M University - College Station · $95,560 Florida State University · $82,522 Auburn University · $82,066 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $82,023 University of Central Florida · $74,845 Virginia Tech · $74,128 University of California, San Diego · $84,066 Ohio State University · $108,419 North Carolina State University · $79,329 Emory University · $87,941 Washington University in St Louis · $121,429 Case Western Reserve University · $98,950 New York University · $140,126 University of Southern California · $94,658 Boston University · $97,481 University of Miami · $99,305 Wake Forest University · $111,678 Lehigh University · $113,567 Stevens Institute of Technology · $153,291 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $111,833 University of Rochester · $101,486 George Washington University · $98,566 Brandeis University · $99,786 MIT · $181,736 Harvard University · $191,931 Caltech · $176,629 Johns Hopkins University · $145,659 Stanford University · $159,891 Brown University · $135,587 Duke University · $121,776 University of Chicago · $147,558 University of Pennsylvania · $278,146 Carnegie Mellon University · $152,108 Rice University · $126,997 Yale University · $157,294 Northwestern University · $129,592 Cornell University · $135,427 Dartmouth · $148,024 Columbia University · $143,667 Tufts University · $135,696 Work College: mean $77,725 Military: mean $83,324 STEM Non-Research: mean $97,672 Female-only: mean $97,903 Liberal Arts: mean $81,631 Public University: mean $80,334 Religious University: mean $83,702 Private University: mean $85,523 Liberal Arts 1–20: mean $114,541 Public University 1–25: mean $94,100 Private University 21–40: mean $109,293 Private University 1–20: mean $156,925 All colleges: p10 $71,306 All colleges: p90 $111,833
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Applied Mathematics & Statistics 363 8,581 62% / 38% 23% $96,259 96%
Statistics 141 2,954 60% / 40% 22% $90,492 96%
Applied Mathematics 165 2,401 62% / 38% 24% $87,197 95%
Financial Mathematics 33 524 72% / 28% 13% $84,619 94%
Mathematics and Statistics 45 488 60% / 40% 33% $90,604 97%
Statistical Science 3 387 63% / 37% 25% $110,317 94%
Computational and Applied Mathematics 27 327 63% / 37% 21% $88,222 94%
Applied Mathematical Sciences 3 166 66% / 34% 14% $91,503 98%
Systems Science and Theory 8 158 57% / 43% 1% $77,548 94%
Logic, Information, & Computation 1 145 70% / 30% 14% $298,016 100%
Computational Mathematics 13 134 59% / 41% 26% $96,524 91%
Mathematics of Computation 1 95 69% / 31% 37% $95,647 92%
Financial Mathematics and Statistics 1 82 55% / 45% 45% $109,292 88%
Applied Statistics 8 73 64% / 36% 19% $93,454
Applied and Computational Mathematical Sciences 1 69 43% / 57% 65% $116,297 96%
Biostatistics 8 60 38% / 62% 7% $91,100 97%
Quantitative Finance 1 57 81% / 19% 0% $153,291 100%
Mathematics-Statistics 2 49 59% / 41% 14% $136,673 92%
Statistics and Data Science 2 49 63% / 37% 20% $137,195 94%
Mathematical and Computational Science 1 33 61% / 39% 15% $159,891
Data Science & Statistics 1 31 68% / 32% 32% $88,580 100%
Computational Finance and Risk Management 1 29 79% / 21% 66% $116,297 96%
Statistics & Data Science 1 26 81% / 19% 12% $157,118
Mathematical Statistics and Probability 3 25 60% / 40% 24% $95,944
Biometry and Statistics 1 25 52% / 48% 36% $152,425 100%
Engineering Mathematics and Statistics 1 21 67% / 33% 5% $127,413
Applied Statistics and Actuarial Science 1 20 55% / 45% 0% $89,340
Financial Mathematics (Course 18) 1 19 58% / 42% 5% $180,550
Mathematics with Computer Science (Course 18-C) 1 19 68% / 32% 11% $182,922 82%
Applied Mathematics and Statistics 2 17 47% / 53% 41% $113,723 94%
Computational Mathematical Sciences 1 16 69% / 31% 19% $80,371 100%
Computational Finance 1 11 64% / 36% 64% $150,241
Applied and Computational Mathematics 1 10 50% / 50% 0% $176,629
Mathematics (Applied) 1 10 20% / 80% 0% $80,371 100%
Mathematical Analytics and Operations Research 1 9 100% / 0% 22% $95,412 97%
Biometric Systems Engineering 1 8 62% / 38% 12% $78,484
Mathematical Biology 2 7 0% / 100% 0% $87,402 98%
Quantitative Biology 1 7 43% / 57% 43% $91,034
Statistics and Actuarial Science 1 7 29% / 71% 0% $72,819
Research Methods 2 5 100% / 0% 0% $69,684 100%
Economics and Statistics 1 4 50% / 50% 25% $155,025 96%
Systems Science 2 3 33% / 67% 0% $83,390
Statistics and Machine Learning 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $155,025 96%