Mathematics at Stillman College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48 suggests manageable borrowing—roughly half a year's salary—though the complete picture here requires acknowledging significant uncertainty. The estimated first-year earnings of $45,494 align closely with Alabama's state median for mathematics degrees, but these figures come from just four reporting programs statewide, not from Stillman's actual graduate outcomes. The $21,750 in estimated debt (based on national data for similar institutions) sits slightly above Alabama's typical $20,000 for math programs.

What complicates the assessment is the wide range among Alabama schools with reported data. Athens State graduates earn $57,584 in their first year—nearly $12,000 more than these estimates suggest for Stillman—while Troy graduates start at $31,339. Mathematics degrees can lead to teaching, data analysis, or graduate study, and outcomes depend heavily on which path students pursue and what additional credentials or specializations they add.

For a family borrowing near $22,000, the key question is whether Stillman specifically prepares students to land toward the higher end of that Alabama range. With 68% of students receiving Pell grants, the college serves many who need affordable pathways to career advancement. But without actual earnings data for Stillman graduates, you're essentially betting on comparable performance to the state average—a reasonable baseline assumption, but one worth testing through conversations with current students, alumni, and the mathematics department about job placement specifics.