Applied Mathematics at Northwestern University

Northwestern's Applied Mathematics program produces first-year earnings of $94,684—extraordinarily high for any bachelor's degree and more than 50% above the national median for this field. While the debt figure of $25,421 is estimated from peer institutions (the graduate cohort was too small to report publicly), that estimate suggests a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.27, meaning graduates would need less than four months of gross pay to cover their educational debt.

The earnings performance is remarkable: these graduates rank in the 95th percentile nationally among Applied Mathematics programs. Though they're at the 60th percentile within Illinois, that's because the state's small pool of Applied Math programs (just eight total) all cluster at the high end—Illinois doesn't have low-earning programs dragging down the median. The national comparison is more telling: Northwestern graduates earn $34,000 more than the typical Applied Math graduate nationwide.

The caveat is that debt estimate. With an admission rate of 7% and average SAT of 1526, Northwestern draws exceptional students who would likely succeed anywhere. Whether they graduate with $15,000 or $35,000 in debt makes a meaningful difference to monthly payments, even with these earnings. But the earning power is undeniable, and even if actual debt runs higher than estimated, this program positions graduates for rapid financial stability in quantitative fields that value elite credentials.