Applied Mathematics at Lycoming College

A degree that typically carries $25,000 in debt while launching graduates toward nearly $60,000 in first-year earnings represents a reasonable financial foundation, though the estimated nature of these figures—drawn from peer institutions across Pennsylvania—means Lycoming's actual outcomes could vary considerably. Based on similar applied mathematics programs in the state, the debt burden would amount to roughly five months of gross income, a manageable starting point that suggests the degree should pay for itself within a few years if earnings follow the expected trajectory.

What's harder to gauge is how Lycoming's specific program stacks up against Pennsylvania's larger universities that report actual outcomes. The University of Pittsburgh system and Robert Morris University—which do have sufficient graduate samples to publish data—show first-year earnings clustering in the same $58,000-$62,000 range that informs these estimates. This suggests the Pennsylvania benchmark is reasonable, though as a smaller liberal arts college, Lycoming may produce different results depending on its industry connections and the career paths its graduates pursue.

The practical question is whether you're comfortable committing to this program knowing its track record with mathematics graduates is too limited for the government to report. If your child thrives in smaller classroom settings and values the liberal arts environment, the estimated financial picture doesn't raise red flags. But you'll need to dig into Lycoming's actual placement record—where recent graduates landed jobs, what they're earning, and which employers recruit from campus—to make an informed decision beyond these state-level projections.