Statistics at Smith College

Smith College's statistics program produces first-year earnings of $69,250—a strong outcome nationally but notably below the Massachusetts median of $105,183 for this field. This gap matters in a state where tech and finance sectors drive higher compensation for quantitative talent, particularly in the Boston metro area.

The estimated debt of $16,875, based on similar programs at peer liberal arts colleges, translates to a manageable 0.24 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's significantly better than the $20,150 national median for statistics degrees, and means graduates would need about three months of gross salary to cover their loans—a comfortable position for a quantitative field with strong employment prospects. However, without actual debt data for this specific program, families should verify financial aid packages carefully, especially given Smith's selective admissions and the fact that only 18% of students receive Pell grants.

The real question is whether Smith's liberal arts approach to statistics positions graduates differently than larger research universities in Massachusetts. The $69,250 starting salary suggests Smith graduates may be pursuing different career paths than their peers at institutions with direct pipelines to Boston's financial and tech sectors. For families prioritizing the liberal arts college experience, the debt picture looks solid—but those focused purely on maximizing early earnings in data science or analytics might find better returns at programs more deeply embedded in Massachusetts' quantitative hiring networks.