Applied Mathematics at Purdue University-Main Campus

At $21,000 in estimated debt against $60,930 in first-year earnings, this program appears to track closely with national patterns for applied mathematics degrees. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34 suggests graduates from comparable programs typically earn enough to manage their loans comfortably—roughly three dollars earned for every dollar borrowed. Since both figures come from national medians rather than Purdue's own outcomes, they represent what peer programs across the country generally produce for applied math majors.

The $60,930 earnings figure sits right at the national median, which makes sense but doesn't tell you much about Purdue specifically. Applied mathematics programs nationally range from about $61,000 to over $71,000 at the 75th percentile, suggesting there's meaningful variation in outcomes. Purdue's reputation in STEM and its relatively selective admissions (50% acceptance rate, 1342 average SAT) might position it toward the higher end of that range, but without school-specific data, you're making an educated guess rather than relying on proven results.

The limited graduate sample that triggered these estimates could reflect the program's size or career paths that don't show up in wage data immediately. For a field with strong job prospects generally, the lack of reported outcomes makes it harder to distinguish whether Purdue delivers on its STEM reputation for this particular major. The estimated numbers suggest a reasonable investment, but you'd want to verify through alumni networks or career services what this specific program actually delivers.