Mathematics and Statistics at Saint Mary's College of California

The estimated $21,250 in debt for this mathematics program sits comfortably below the typical burden, suggesting Saint Mary's keeps costs manageable even for students in a relatively small program. Peer institutions offering similar Bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Statistics nationally report median first-year earnings of $59,063—the same figure used here as an estimate—which translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36. That's a reasonable starting point for a quantitative field.

What makes this harder to assess is the lack of actual outcomes data for Saint Mary's graduates specifically, or even for other California programs to use as reference points. The national benchmarks show significant earning variation in this field, with top programs producing graduates earning over $84,000 in their first year. Whether Saint Mary's mathematics graduates land closer to the median or reach those higher figures depends on factors the estimates can't capture: the rigor of the coursework, connections to Bay Area employers, and whether students pursue technical roles or teaching positions.

For parents evaluating this program, the debt load appears sensible, but recognize you're investing based on what similar programs produce elsewhere rather than this school's track record. If your student plans to pursue data science, actuarial work, or software engineering roles in the Bay Area, those career paths could push earnings well above the median estimate. Otherwise, you're banking on outcomes that may or may not materialize as predicted.