Mathematics at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pitt's mathematics program starts slowly but transforms into a solid financial outcome—though the initial year requires patience. Fresh graduates earn just $37,937, landing in the bottom quarter nationally and statewide. That's roughly $11,000 below what typical math majors earn in Pennsylvania. For a flagship state university with selective admissions (average SAT of 1371), these early numbers are genuinely disappointing.

The positive turn comes in the growth trajectory. By year four, median earnings jump to $63,511—a 67% increase that pushes graduates closer to competitive territory. The debt picture provides some cushioning too: at $27,000, graduates borrow near the state average but well below the national median, keeping that first-year debt burden manageable at 0.71 times earnings. Still, even with strong growth, year-four earnings lag behind what Temple grads ($59,167) achieve, and fall far short of what mathematics majors at Villanova ($75,481) or Drexel ($70,313) command.

For families paying in-state tuition, this is a defensible choice if your child needs time to find their footing after graduation—perhaps pursuing graduate school or transitioning into a higher-paying sector. Out-of-state families should look critically at whether the premium tuition justifies results that trail peer institutions. The moderate sample size suggests these numbers are reasonably stable, not statistical noise.