MAJORS · 89 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is an applied mathematics degree worth it?
Part of Mathematics and Statistics — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$644,007. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$644,007
across 61 bachelor’s programs · 2,688 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$568K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$329K ⟷ +$905K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
2.8%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
29
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$506K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$117K
Questions
- Is an applied mathematics degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 61 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Applied Mathematics is +$644,007 and the median is +$567,719. 2.8% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$328,715 and +$904,526.
- How long until an applied mathematics degree pays off?
- Among Applied Mathematics programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 29 (FREOPP 2021). 2.8% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for an applied mathematics major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Applied Mathematics graduates span +$328,715 to +$904,526 — a +$576K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Applied Mathematics: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/applied-mathematics