Top Applied Mathematics Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 48 Applied Mathematics programs in the United States by the median earnings of Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. Harvard University leads the list at $170,689, followed by Brown University at $157,822 and Stevens Institute of Technology at $156,419.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $77,259, with a range from $170,689 to $33,993. For 12 of the 48 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 69% of the list, or 33 of the 48 schools, alongside 15 private nonprofits. CUNY City College posts the lowest average net price at $3,776, while University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University · Cambridge, MA | $170,689 | $19,066 | $8,697 | 3.7% |
| Harvard University reports $170,689 in median earnings for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Brown University · Providence, RI | $157,822 | $25,184 | -$420* | 5.4% |
| Brown University ranks 2nd on this list, with a median of $10,000 in federal loans among Applied Mathematics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Stevens Institute of Technology · Hoboken, NJ | $156,419 | $41,346 | $27,221 | 47.6% |
| Stevens Institute of Technology, a private nonprofit university in Hoboken, admits 48% of applicants and posts median earnings of $156,419 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $148,740 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University carries an average net price of $1,764 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $148,740 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $120,495 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 5th on this list and reports $120,495 in median earnings for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC | $119,839 | $11,655 | $2,004 | 15.3% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows a median of $14,135 in federal loans among Applied Mathematics completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $119,839 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $118,414 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| Median earnings of $118,414 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing accompany University of California-Berkeley's 4th rank on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $109,360 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| An admission rate of 33% and median earnings of $109,360 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing are reported by University of California-Santa Barbara. | |||||
| 9 | Marist University · Poughkeepsie, NY | $109,170 | $41,544 | $26,083 | 56.5% |
| Marist University ranks 9th on this list, with an average net price of $41,544 and median earnings of $109,170 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $104,454 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
| University of Connecticut reports a median of $23,495 in federal loans among Applied Mathematics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $104,454 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $103,887 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| Posting median earnings of $103,887 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, University of California-Los Angeles ranks 22nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 12 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $101,094 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California admits 10% of applicants and shows median earnings of $101,094 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO | $98,190 | $28,690 | $16,849 | 60.7% |
| Colorado School of Mines reports median earnings of $98,190 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $21,500 among Applied Mathematics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 14 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $97,071 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| With an admission rate of 4%, Stanford University ranks 14th on this list and posts median earnings of $97,071 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Pittsburgh, PA | $95,719 | $30,434 | $14,709 | 58.1% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus ranks 485th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $95,719 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $92,803 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
| An average net price of $17,490 coincides with median earnings of $92,803 for Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing at University of Wisconsin-Stout. | |||||
| 17 | Bryant University · Smithfield, RI | $86,595 | $41,219 | $32,698 | 65.5% |
| Bryant University ranks 17th on this list, with median earnings of $86,595 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $26,000 among Applied Mathematics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $85,792 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station reports median earnings of $85,792 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 98 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 19 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $85,233 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $85,233 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $84,653 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York admits 4% of applicants and reports median earnings of $84,653 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $83,741 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
| Auburn University ranks 21st on this list, with median earnings of $83,741 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $19,000 among Applied Mathematics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 22 | Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY | $82,200 | $18,784 | $12,943 | 49.0% |
| Stony Brook University reports median earnings of $82,200 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 399 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 23 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $82,156 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| University of California-Merced carries an average net price of $11,983 and median earnings of $82,156 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | University of Portland · Portland, OR | $77,908 | $28,210 | $20,070 | 89.2% |
| Ranking 646th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of Portland shows median earnings of $77,908 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Robert Morris University · Moon Township, PA | $76,610 | $23,003 | $19,548 | 89.9% |
| Robert Morris University reports median earnings of $76,610 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $24,250 among Applied Mathematics completers who borrowed. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The median captures federally aided graduates who were working and not enrolled after completing the program. For 12 of the 48 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked Harvard University and second-ranked Brown University is $12,867, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $136,696.
Related rankings
- Mathematics Colleges
- Mathematics Colleges for Social Mobility