---
title: Is a Mathematics degree worth the debt?
cip: 2701
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Mathematics degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **281** colleges (281 of 281 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $43,164 ($44,523 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $19,936 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.46× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $38,941–$48,947 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $43,164 | $19,936 | 0.46× | 281 | 281/281 |
| Master's | $52,377 | $24,958 | 0.42× | 11 | 11/11 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA) | $82,796 | $9,751 |
| University of Chicago (IL) | $81,753 | $12,000 |
| Cornell University (NY) | $77,827 | $13,500 |
| Vanderbilt University (TN) | $76,609 | $9,644 |
| Dartmouth College (NH) | $76,013 | $11,617 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York (NY) | $72,988 | — |
| Johns Hopkins University (MD) | $70,019 | $10,859 |
| Northeastern University (MA) | $69,773 | $21,750 |
| Drexel University (PA) | $69,658 | $30,899 |
| Northwestern University (IL) | $68,815 | $12,418 |
| Southern Methodist University (TX) | $68,463 | $20,000 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) | $67,066 | $23,250 |
| Georgetown University (DC) | $66,793 | $17,500 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (MI) | $66,504 | $20,675 |
| Michigan Technological University (MI) | $66,292 | $17,500 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/mathematics.jsonld` · `/education/fields/mathematics.json`