Mathematics at University of California-Riverside

UC Riverside's mathematics program shows a troubling start that improves dramatically but never catches up to where graduates need to be. At $27,227 one year out, earnings sit in just the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of math programs produce better initial outcomes. Even after four years of impressive 89% growth, graduates reach only $51,363, which barely edges above the national first-year median for math majors.

The state comparison offers little comfort. While UCR ranks in the 25th percentile among California math programs, that still means three-quarters of in-state alternatives deliver stronger results. The gap is stark: UC San Diego and Cal Poly SLO math graduates earn $52,000+ right out of the gate—what takes UCR graduates four years to approach. The $18,500 debt load is manageable relative to that first-year salary, but the real cost is opportunity: four years of below-market earnings that graduates never fully recover.

For a family weighing UC Riverside against other UC options or Cal State Polytechnics, the math doesn't add up. Unless graduate school is the clear next step (where pedigree matters more than undergraduate earnings), this program asks students to accept years of financial struggle in exchange for a UC credential that doesn't translate to proportional career outcomes in mathematics.