Best Mathematics Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 374 Mathematics programs in the United States by the median earnings of Mathematics graduates four years after completing. Duke University leads the list with median earnings of $297,029 four years after completing.
Across the 368 schools with a published figure, earnings range from $297,029 to $17,846, with a median of $65,288.
Public institutions make up 70% of the list, with 263 schools compared to 111 private nonprofits. CUNY Hunter College reports the lowest average net price at $2,984.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University · Durham, NC | $297,029 | $29,612 | $735 | 5.7% |
| Duke University reports $297,029 in median earnings of Mathematics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $735 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA | $174,951 | $20,111 | -$2,533* | 4.6% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology admits 5% of applicants and its Mathematics completers who borrowed left with a median of $9,751 in federal loans. | |||||
| 3 | University of Chicago · Chicago, IL | $172,826 | $14,860 | -$1,264* | 4.5% |
| University of Chicago ranks 38th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $172,826 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH | $168,580 | $29,519 | $41 | 5.4% |
| Dartmouth College reports an average net price of $41 for families earning under $30,000 alongside median earnings of $168,580 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | No published median | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University ranks 5th on this list and shows a school-wide median federal debt of $21,750 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 6 | Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN | $141,171 | $15,846 | $3,414 | 5.9% |
| Vanderbilt University reports median earnings of $141,171 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $3,414 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD | $134,785 | $18,809 | $428 | 6.4% |
| Johns Hopkins University admits 6% of applicants and its Mathematics completers who borrowed left with a median of $10,859 in federal loans. | |||||
| 8 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $134,455 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Cornell University ranks 47th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $134,455 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Williams College · Williamstown, MA | $134,304 | $17,716 | -$2,610* | 8.3% |
| Williams College reports an average net price of $17,716 and median earnings of $134,304 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | New York University · New York, NY | No published median | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| New York University ranks 10th on this list and shows a school-wide median federal debt of $20,500 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 11 | Georgetown University · Washington, DC | $127,760 | $40,815 | $5,064 | 12.9% |
| Georgetown University reports median earnings of $127,760 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $5,064 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $125,084 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| Northeastern University admits 5% of applicants and its Mathematics completers who borrowed left with a median of $21,750 in federal loans. | |||||
| 13 | Swarthmore College · Swarthmore, PA | $125,015 | $23,149 | $7,690 | 7.5% |
| Swarthmore College reports median earnings of $125,015 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $7,690 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 14 | Amherst College · Amherst, MA | $124,324 | $23,367 | $1,086 | 9.0% |
| Amherst College admits 9% of applicants and its Mathematics completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $13,900. | |||||
| 15 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | No published median | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| University of Notre Dame ranks 119th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $26,780. | |||||
| 16 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $122,099 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus left with a median of $21,672 in federal loans, and the school's Mathematics program posts median earnings of $122,099 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Fordham University · Bronx, NY | No published median | $44,338 | $32,474 | 59.3% |
| Fordham University has an admission rate of 59% and an average net price of $32,474 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 18 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $117,252 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York reports median earnings of $117,252 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $4,570 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 19 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · Terre Haute, IN | $112,187 | $42,513 | $36,843 | 76.9% |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology admits 77% of applicants and its Mathematics completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $25,000. | |||||
| 20 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $111,773 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
| Southern Methodist University ranks 324th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $111,773 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Boston College · Chestnut Hill, MA | $111,072 | $41,704 | $4,284 | 16.4% |
| Boston College carries an average net price of $4,284 for families earning under $30,000 and its Mathematics completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $18,000. | |||||
| 22 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $109,851 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
| Villanova University reports median earnings of $109,851 for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 27%. | |||||
| 23 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $109,146 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $1,043 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 24 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $107,072 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University admits 8% of applicants and its Mathematics completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $12,418. | |||||
| 25 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY | $105,768 | $36,228 | $24,078 | 63.5% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reports $105,768 in median earnings for its Mathematics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $36,228. | |||||
* 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 Mathematics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 92 of the 374 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 range and median below cover the 368 schools with a published figure. Duke University leads at $297,029, a gap of $122,078 ahead of Massachusetts Institute of Technology at $174,951.
Job market context in the United States
Mathematics graduates in the United States enter occupations such as Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education and Data Scientists. The median annual wage across those occupations is $86,385, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $69,032. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 98,100 openings a year, or about 477 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 5.2% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the broader occupational wage figures described here.
Related rankings
- Mathematics Colleges
- Mathematics Colleges for Social Mobility