Applied Mathematics at University of Pittsburgh-Bradford

At $58,358 starting and $78,897 four years out, Pitt-Bradford's applied math graduates see something you don't always get at a regional campus: strong earnings momentum that puts them ahead of 60% of Pennsylvania programs in the field. That 35% salary jump over four years suggests graduates are landing positions with real advancement potential, even though they start slightly below the national average.

The $22,571 in debt is essentially at both state and national medians, creating a manageable 0.39 ratio to first-year earnings—you'd pay off about 40 cents in debt for every dollar earned that first year. For a school serving nearly half its students on Pell grants, that's meaningful accessibility. The moderate sample size means some year-to-year variation is possible, but the pattern of advancement is clear enough to draw conclusions.

Here's what matters for an anxious parent: your child gets affordable access to a legitimate STEM degree that gains value over time rather than plateauing. They're not starting at the top of the national range, but they're moving up steadily while avoiding the debt traps that plague some regional programs. If they're considering Pitt-Bradford for its smaller campus environment or in-state tuition, the applied math program won't hold them back—it's performing in the middle-to-upper tier of Pennsylvania options and creating a solid financial foundation.