MAJORS · 14 OF 19 BY ROI

Is a mathematics and statistics degree worth it?

On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$593,764. But the spread is the real story.

MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED

+$593,764

across 576 bachelor’s programs · 26,245 graduates

MEDIAN GRADUATE

+$517K

MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN

+$329K ⟷ +$761K

NEVER BREAK EVEN

3.2%

MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE

30

ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES

+$440K

IF YOU DROP OUT

−$118K

The biggest fields inside Mathematics and Statistics

  1. Mathematics. 20,779 grads +$568K
  2. Applied Mathematics. 2,688 grads +$644K
  3. Statistics. 2,295 grads +$723K
  4. Mathematics and Statistics, Other. 483 grads +$799K

Mean lifetime ROI per field, cohort-weighted. A category average hides this spread — and the per-school spread inside each field is wider still.

Questions

Is a mathematics and statistics degree worth it?
On average yes — across 576 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Mathematics and Statistics is +$593,764 and the median is +$517,327. 3.2% of graduates in this category 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 +$760,506.
How long until a mathematics and statistics degree pays off?
Among Mathematics and Statistics programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 30 (FREOPP 2021). 3.2% of graduates in the category are in programs that never break even at all.
Does the school matter for a mathematics and statistics major?
Enormously. The middle 50% of Mathematics and Statistics graduates span +$328,715 to +$760,506 — a +$432K 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 category average.

↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 19 categories with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Mathematics and Statistics: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/mathematics-and-statistics