Mathematics at Western Connecticut State University

A $53,000 starting salary—based on what comparable Connecticut math programs produce—positions this degree slightly above the national median for mathematics bachelor's degrees, though it trails Trinity College's reported outcomes by nearly $10,000. The estimated $23,750 in debt translates to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45, meaning monthly loan payments would consume roughly 5% of gross income under standard repayment terms.

What complicates the picture here is that both the earnings and debt figures come from statewide medians rather than tracked outcomes for Western Connecticut State's own graduates. The school's 35% Pell grant enrollment suggests it serves more economically vulnerable students than Trinity, yet we can't verify whether its math graduates achieve similar employment outcomes to UConn's various campuses, which all report the same $53,284 median. Math degrees generally lead to stable career paths in education, finance, and technology, but the lack of program-specific data means you're making decisions partially in the dark.

The estimated numbers suggest a financially reasonable investment if they hold true. But given that we're working from peer program data rather than this institution's actual track record, you'd want to dig into Western Connecticut State's math department directly—talk to faculty about graduate outcomes, ask for employment placement rates, and understand whether their curriculum opens doors to the higher-paying quantitative roles that would justify any debt load.