Est. Earnings (1yr)
$52,597
Est. from IL median (7 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$17,084
Est. from IL median (4 programs)

Analysis

A $52,597 estimated first-year salary based on comparable Illinois mathematics programs puts Bradley's outcomes right at the state median, suggesting fairly typical performance for the region. When paired with an estimated $17,084 in debt—considerably lower than both the state and national medians for math degrees—the financial picture looks balanced. That 0.32 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates would theoretically owe about a third of their first-year salary, a manageable starting point.

The estimates here mask what could be significant variation. Illinois math programs span from elite institutions like University of Chicago ($100K+) down to state schools hovering around this $52K mark. Bradley's 77% admission rate and middle-tier test scores suggest it belongs in that latter group, making the estimated outcomes plausible. Still, with data suppressed due to small graduate samples, there's no certainty these figures reflect Bradley's actual performance—they could be meaningfully better or worse.

The key question is whether $52K justifies the investment when you're working from estimates rather than track records. The lower debt helps, but parents should recognize they're making this decision with limited visibility into what Bradley mathematics graduates specifically achieve. If your child has acceptances from schools with reported outcomes in the $52-55K range, those offer more certainty about what you're actually buying.

Where Bradley University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all mathematics bachelors's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Illinois

Mathematics bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Illinois (48 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Bradley UniversityPeoria$39,680$52,597*—$17,084*—
University of ChicagoChicago$66,939$100,421*$107,611$12,000*0.12
Northwestern UniversityEvanston$65,997$79,530*$85,521$12,418*0.16
DePaul UniversityChicago$44,460$55,586*$75,420$26,154*0.47
Illinois State UniversityNormal$16,021$52,597*$56,681$20,309*0.39
McKendree UniversityLebanon$34,070$51,157*$51,631$21,750*0.43
National Median—$48,772*—$21,500*0.44
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with mathematics graduates

Natural Sciences Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Research Coordinators

Plan, direct, or coordinate clinical research projects. Direct the activities of workers engaged in clinical research projects to ensure compliance with protocols and overall clinical objectives. May evaluate and analyze clinical data.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Water Resource Specialists

Design or implement programs and strategies related to water resource issues such as supply, quality, and regulatory compliance issues.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Data Scientists

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Intelligence Analysts

Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports. Devise methods for identifying data patterns and trends in available information sources.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Mathematicians

Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields. Solve problems in various fields using mathematical methods.

$104,350/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Statisticians

Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.

$104,350/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Biostatisticians

Develop and apply biostatistical theory and methods to the study of life sciences.

$104,350/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses pertaining to mathematical concepts, statistics, and actuarial science and to the application of original and standardized mathematical techniques in solving specific problems and situations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.

$64,580/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other

All mathematical scientists not listed separately.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Bradley University, approximately 29% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 7 similar programs in IL. Actual outcomes may vary.