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# Top Applied Mathematics Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

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](/school/harvard-university/majors/) leads the list at $170,689, followed by [Brown University](/school/brown-university/majors/) at $157,822 and [Stevens Institute of Technology](/school/stevens-institute-of-technology/majors/) 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 nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 48 schools in list order

| 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](/school/harvard-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $170,689](/school/harvard-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/brown-university/majors/) [admits 5% of applicants](/school/brown-university/admissions/) and its Applied Mathematics graduates earn a median of $157,822 four years after completing. |
| 3 | Stevens Institute of Technology · Hoboken, NJ | $156,419 | $41,346 | $27,221 | 47.6% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left [Stevens Institute of Technology](/school/stevens-institute-of-technology/majors/) with a [median of $27,000](/school/stevens-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) in federal loans, while its Applied Mathematics completers earn $156,419 four years after graduating. |
| 4 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $148,740 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
|  | [Northwestern University](/school/northwestern-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $1,764](/school/northwestern-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and its Applied Mathematics graduates earn a median of $148,740 four years after completing. |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $120,495 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | A public university in Columbus, [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 5th on this list with [median earnings of $120,495](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/majors/) posts an [admission rate of 15%](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/admissions/) and its Applied Mathematics graduates earn a median of $119,839 four years after completing. |
| 7 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $118,414 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
|  | With [median earnings of $118,414](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/outcomes/) for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) ranks 4th 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% |
|  | [University of California-Santa Barbara](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/) reports an [average net price of $16,109](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/cost/) and its Applied Mathematics graduates earn a median of $109,360 four years after completing. |
| 9 | Marist University · Poughkeepsie, NY | $109,170 | $41,544 | $26,083 | 56.5% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left [Marist University](/school/marist-university/majors/) with a [median of $25,000](/school/marist-university/outcomes/) in federal loans, while its Applied Mathematics completers earn $109,170 four years after graduating. |
| 10 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $104,454 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
|  | [University of Connecticut](/school/university-of-connecticut/majors/) [admits 52% of applicants](/school/university-of-connecticut/admissions/) and its Applied Mathematics graduates earn a median of $104,454 four years after completing. |
| 11 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $103,887 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | An [average net price of $5,579](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $103,887 for Applied Mathematics graduates of [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) four years after completing. |
| 12 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $101,094 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, [University of Southern California](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/) ranks 12th on this list with [median earnings of $101,094](/school/university-of-southern-california/outcomes/) 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](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/) reports [median earnings of $98,190](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/outcomes/) for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 61%. |
| 14 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $97,071 | $13,807 | \-$2,536\* | 3.6% |
|  | [Stanford University](/school/stanford-university/majors/) [admits 4% of applicants](/school/stanford-university/admissions/) and posts an average net price of $13,807. |
| 15 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Pittsburgh, PA | $95,719 | $30,434 | $14,709 | 58.1% |
|  | [University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus](/school/university-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-campus/majors/) ranks 15th on this list and shows an [average net price of $14,709](/school/university-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-campus/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $92,803 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 88%](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/admissions/), [University of Wisconsin-Stout](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/majors/) shows median earnings of $92,803 for its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing. |
| 17 | Bryant University · Smithfield, RI | $86,595 | $41,219 | $32,698 | 65.5% |
|  | Bryant University sits 17th on this page, and its Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing earn a median of $86,595. |
| 18 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $85,792 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) reports [median earnings of $85,792](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/) holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Applied Mathematics graduates earn a [median of $85,233](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 20 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $84,653 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
|  | An [average net price of $4,570](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 coincides with an admission rate of 4% at [Columbia University in the City of New York](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/). |
| 21 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $83,741 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
|  | [Auburn University](/school/auburn-university/majors/) ranks 21st on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $21,000](/school/auburn-university/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 22 | Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY | $82,200 | $18,784 | $12,943 | 49.0% |
|  | [Stony Brook University](/school/stony-brook-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $82,200](/school/stony-brook-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-california-merced/majors/) [admits 91% of applicants](/school/university-of-california-merced/admissions/) and reports 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% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Portland left with a median of $21,370 in federal loans, and the school's average net price is $28,210. |
| 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 an average net price of $23,003. |

\* 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.

Continue by region[Best Applied Mathematics Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-applied-mathematics-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Applied Mathematics Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-applied-mathematics-programs-in-the-northeast/)[Best Applied Mathematics Programs in the South](/rankings/best-applied-mathematics-programs-in-the-south/)[Best Applied Mathematics Programs in the West](/rankings/best-applied-mathematics-programs-in-the-west/)

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Applied Mathematics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The median captures federally aided graduates who were working and not enrolled four years 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