Mathematics at Idaho State University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 is manageable territory for a mathematics bachelor's degree, though the catch here is significant: both the $48,772 salary and $21,498 debt figure come from national medians across similar programs, not from tracking Idaho State's actual graduates. With seven mathematics programs across Idaho but none publishing their outcomes data, you're essentially betting on whether ISU's graduates perform like the typical math major nationwide.

Mathematics degrees generally offer solid career flexibility—quantitative skills translate across industries from data analysis to finance to teaching. The estimated first-year earnings suggest a reasonable starting point, and math majors often see strong salary growth as they move into specialized roles. Similar programs nationally show a fairly tight earnings distribution, with the 75th percentile at $54,711, suggesting most programs deliver comparable value. The estimated debt load falls right at the national median, which is encouraging for a regional public university.

The practical question is whether Idaho State's program can deliver outcomes matching these national benchmarks. Without actual graduate data, you're relying on the university's math department preparing students competitively—feasible for a quantitative field with fairly standardized curricula, but impossible to verify. If your child is considering this program, compare the curriculum and faculty credentials against Idaho's other mathematics programs, particularly Boise State or the University of Idaho, to gauge whether ISU can match what peer institutions typically produce.