Mathematics and Computer Science Degree
Students study an integrated curriculum of mathematics and computer science, including algorithms, discrete mathematics, software development, and mathematical modeling. Graduates typically pursue careers in software engineering, data science, quantitative finance, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence research. This powerful combination produces graduates with both theoretical depth and practical programming skills that are exceptionally valued in the tech industry.
What Mathematics and Computer Science Graduates Do
Your dual expertise in math and code opens doors to some of the economy's most dynamic fields. As a software developer, your day involves more than just coding; you'll collaborate with teams to design features, debug complex problems, and translate user needs into functional products. Alternatively, as a data scientist, you'll spend your time cleaning messy data, building predictive models to answer critical business questions, and presenting your findings to leadership. Many start as junior developers focused on specific coding tasks, but the career path quickly leads to senior roles architecting entire systems or management positions overseeing technology strategy and teams.
Fields like data science and software development are growing exceptionally fast. However, you must understand how AI is reshaping them. With very high AI exposure, the work is fundamentally changing. AI now handles much of the routine coding and initial data analysis once done by junior staff, making entry-level jobs more competitive. Your future value won't be in simply executing tasks, but in designing the complex systems AI works within, critically evaluating its output, and making the crucial judgment calls that algorithms cannot.
Common Career Paths
Where Mathematics and Computer Science graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 242,300 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and information systems managers | 55,600 | +15.2% | 53% | |
| Natural sciences managers | 8,500 | +3.7% | 50% | |
| Software developers | 115,200 | +15.8% | 87% | |
| Mathematicians | 100 | -0.7% | 100% | |
| Data scientists | 23,400 | +33.5% | 64% | |
| Computer occupations, all other | 31,300 | +8.2% | 57% | |
| Computer science teachers, postsecondary | 3,500 | +5.3% | 51% | |
| Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary | 4,400 | +2.3% | 54% | |
| Mathematical science occupations, all other | 300 | +4.0% | 87% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Mathematics and Computer Science
9 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH |
80 75–82 |
$68,137/yr | 17.5x |
| 2 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL |
73 67–74 |
$109,843/yr | 16.2x |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA |
71 64–72 |
$89,651/yr | 13.7x |
| 4 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL |
70 67–71 |
$44,143/yr | 14.9x |
| 5 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA |
66 60–67 |
$86,109/yr | 8.7x |
| 6 | Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA |
64 60–65 |
$166,573/yr | 5.3x |
| 7 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA |
63 59–65 |
$126,153/yr | 4.2x |
| 8 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA |
61 55–63 |
$91,851/yr | 2.9x |
| 9 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA |
59 53–60 |
$53,179/yr | 8.6x |
Highest Earning Mathematics and Computer Science Programs
Schools where Mathematics and Computer Science graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey Mudd College | $166,573/yr | 64 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $126,153/yr | 63 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $109,843/yr | 73 |
| Santa Clara University | $91,851/yr | 61 |
| University of California-San Diego | $89,651/yr | 71 |
| Temple University | $86,109/yr | 66 |
| University of Akron Main Campus | $68,137/yr | 80 |
| George Mason University | $53,179/yr | 59 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | $44,143/yr | 70 |
Best ROI for Mathematics and Computer Science
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Mathematics and Computer Science.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Akron Main Campus | 17.5x | $68,137/yr | 80 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 16.2x | $109,843/yr | 73 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | 14.9x | $44,143/yr | 70 |
| University of California-San Diego | 13.7x | $89,651/yr | 71 |
| Temple University | 8.7x | $86,109/yr | 66 |
| George Mason University | 8.6x | $53,179/yr | 59 |
| Harvey Mudd College | 5.3x | $166,573/yr | 64 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4.2x | $126,153/yr | 63 |
| Santa Clara University | 2.9x | $91,851/yr | 61 |
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