Location: Los Angeles, CA•In-State Tuition: $58,974•Admission Rate: 40%
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$56,789
Est. from CA median (8 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$25,421
Est. from national median (8 programs)

Analysis

California's applied mathematics programs show a wide range of outcomes, from UC Berkeley's $71,814 down to UC Davis's $53,940. Based on comparable programs across the state, LMU likely falls in the middle of this pack at around $56,789 in first-year earnings—adequate for a quantitative field, but trailing the flagship publics and USC by $5,000 to $15,000. For a selective private university (40% admission rate), this suggests you're paying premium tuition for outcomes that mirror the state median rather than the top tier.

The estimated debt load of $25,421 exceeds both California's typical burden for this degree ($15,133) and the national median ($21,393). That creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45—manageable in absolute terms for a STEM field, but higher than what families at peer programs are shouldering. The gap matters when you're already looking at lower starting salaries than the national median of $60,930.

The core question is whether LMU's smaller class sizes and LA location justify both higher debt and lower starting pay compared to the UC system. Applied mathematics programs typically lead to stable career paths in data science, finance, and tech, so the fundamentals are sound. But with limited actual data from this specific program, you're placing faith in a school whose estimated outcomes suggest neither the earnings upside of elite programs nor the cost efficiency of public alternatives.

Where Loyola Marymount University Stands

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

Loyola Marymount University (estimated ±10%)Other applied mathematics programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in California

Applied Mathematics bachelors's programs at peer institutions in California (22 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles$58,974$56,789*—$25,421*—
University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley$14,850$71,814*$120,626$14,598*0.20
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles$68,237$71,622*$72,484$12,251*0.17
University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles$13,747$61,188*$81,414$14,400*0.24
University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara$14,965$59,638*$86,227$17,000*0.29
University of California-DavisDavis$15,247$53,940*$76,162$14,750*0.27
National Median—$60,930*—$21,393*0.35
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with applied 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

Actuaries

Analyze statistical data, such as mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates and construct probability tables to forecast risk and liability for payment of future benefits. May ascertain insurance rates required and cash reserves necessary to ensure payment of future benefits.

$125,770/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Economists

Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods.

$115,440/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Environmental Economists

Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.

$115,440/yrJobs growth:Master'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
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 Loyola Marymount University, approximately 13% 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 8 similar programs in CA. Actual outcomes may vary.