Mathematics at Kennesaw State University

Is $44,424 enough to justify a math degree when comparable Georgia programs suggest you'll graduate with $22,750 in debt? The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.51 looks manageable on paper—you'd owe roughly half your first-year salary. But scratch beneath the surface and the picture gets more complicated. Similar mathematics programs in Georgia show first-year earnings clustering around this $44,000 mark, which puts Kennesaw State squarely in the middle of the pack but noticeably behind what University of Georgia graduates typically earn. The real story emerges by year four, when reported earnings jump to $60,706—a 37% increase that suggests math degrees open doors that take a few years to walk through.

The challenge for parents is that both the debt and initial earnings figures are estimates drawn from peer programs across Georgia, not actual outcomes from Kennesaw State's mathematics graduates specifically. What we know for certain is that by the fourth year, this program produces solid mid-career earnings. The question is whether the early years—when you're servicing that $23,000 in loans on a $44,000 salary—will feel financially tight. For students planning to pursue teaching or enter fields with structured salary progressions, that four-year leap matters. For those needing immediate earning power, programs like UGA's might justify the tougher admission standards.