Mathematics at Azusa Pacific University

A bachelor's in Mathematics from Azusa Pacific comes with estimated first-year earnings of $38,449—about $10,000 below the national median for math programs and matching the California state median. While the estimated $21,750 in debt sits near national norms and produces a manageable 0.57 debt-to-earnings ratio, the earnings gap is harder to dismiss. Top California programs like Cal Poly SLO and UC San Diego place math graduates in the low $50,000s, suggesting that employer demand and career trajectories can vary significantly depending on where you earn your degree.

Math is typically one of the more marketable majors, yet these peer-program estimates suggest APU graduates may find themselves competing at a disadvantage in California's competitive STEM job market. Whether that's due to regional recruiting patterns, alumni networks, or differences in quantitative rigor is unclear from the data, but the $10,000+ difference from schools like UC Berkeley and UCSB matters when you're making loan payments. The debt load itself won't crush you, but you'll feel the burden more acutely with below-average earnings.

If your student is set on APU for campus culture or faith-based education, understand you're likely trading some earning potential compared to public California alternatives. The investment isn't unreasonable, but it's not optimized for financial return in what should be a strong-earning field.