Mathematics and Computer Science Degree

9 schools compared · Average earnings $92,849/yr

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.

Schools Offering
9
Avg Grad Earnings
$92,849/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
67/100
AI Automation Risk
Very High
62% task exposure

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
$171,200
$134K$216K
55,600 +15.2% 53%
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K$215K
8,500 +3.7% 50%
Software developers
$133,080
$103K$169K
115,200 +15.8% 87%
Mathematicians
$121,680
$86K$153K
100 -0.7% 100%
Data scientists
$112,590
$83K$156K
23,400 +33.5% 64%
Computer occupations, all other
$108,970
$76K$148K
31,300 +8.2% 57%
Computer science teachers, postsecondary
$96,690
$65K$132K
3,500 +5.3% 51%
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
$79,350
$61K$106K
4,400 +2.3% 54%
Mathematical science occupations, all other
$71,490
$52K$102K
300 +4.0% 87%
Computer and information systems managers
$171,200
$134K $216K
55,600 openings/yr +15.2% growth 53% AI risk
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K $215K
8,500 openings/yr +3.7% growth 50% AI risk
Software developers
$133,080
$103K $169K
115,200 openings/yr +15.8% growth 87% AI risk
Mathematicians
$121,680
$86K $153K
100 openings/yr -0.7% growth 100% AI risk
Data scientists
$112,590
$83K $156K
23,400 openings/yr +33.5% growth 64% AI risk
Computer occupations, all other
$108,970
$76K $148K
31,300 openings/yr +8.2% growth 57% AI risk
Computer science teachers, postsecondary
$96,690
$65K $132K
3,500 openings/yr +5.3% growth 51% AI risk
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
$79,350
$61K $106K
4,400 openings/yr +2.3% growth 54% AI risk
Mathematical science occupations, all other
$71,490
$52K $102K
300 openings/yr +4.0% growth 87% AI risk

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
Want to compare two Mathematics and Computer Science programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Mathematics and Computer Science graduates earn?
Across 9 schools, Mathematics and Computer Science graduates earn an average of $92,849 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $44,143 to $166,573 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Mathematics and Computer Science?
Mathematics and Computer Science is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 62% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Mathematics and Computer Science program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Akron Main Campus ranks #1 for Mathematics and Computer Science with a score of 80/100 and graduate earnings of $68,137/yr.
What's the outlook for a Mathematics and Computer Science degree?
On average, Mathematics and Computer Science graduates earn 10.2x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →