by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 49 U.S. colleges awarded 853 degrees and certificates in Computational & Applied Mathematics. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 47% of graduates. College Factual ranks 16 schools in its 2027 Best Computational & Applied Mathematics Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $69,764 one year after completing, rising to $103,881 after four years.
A major in Computational & Applied Mathematics involves the study of Computational And Applied Mathematics. A Program That Focuses On The Application Of A Broad Range Of Mathematical And Computational Methods To Modeling, Analysis, Algorithm Development, And Simulation For The Solution Of Complex Scientific And Engineering Problems. Includes Instruction In Numerical Analysis, Discrete Mathematics, Operations Research, Optimization, Differential Equations, Statistics, Scientific Computation, And Applications To Specific Scientific And Industrial Topics.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, computational & applied mathematics is a widely-pursued major, with 853 degrees awarded annually. 49 colleges award computational & applied mathematics degrees, an average of 17 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 176.
By level, the 853 awards include 26 associate degrees, 389 bachelor’s degrees, 400 master’s degrees and 38 doctorates.
Women earned 41% of computational & applied mathematics degrees and certificates in the latest year (351 of 853). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (278) and Asian (100), and international students earned 333.
College Factual ranks 16 schools in its 2027 Best Computational & Applied Mathematics Schools ranking, including 12 for bachelor’s degrees and 10 for master’s degrees. It also ranks computational & applied mathematics schools within 10 states. In all, 49 colleges offer computational & applied mathematics programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Computational & Applied Mathematics Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common computational & applied mathematics credential is the master’s degree: 400 of the 853 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to computational & applied mathematics call most for Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking and Active Listening, and for knowledge of Mathematics, Computers and Electronics and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension and Oral Expression.
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How long a computational & applied mathematics degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 26 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 389 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 400 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 38 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to computational & applied mathematics, at 53.5%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 53.5% |
| Master’s degree | 24.6% |
| Doctoral degree | 6.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 3.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.8% |
| Some college courses | 2.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.2% |
| First professional degree | 1.0% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
13 occupations are related to Computational & Applied Mathematics, with an average median salary of $105,969; the strongest outlook belongs to Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary, at 14.0% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Data Analyst, Research Scientist, Research Analyst and Clinical Data Coordinator.
The occupation related to computational & applied mathematics with the most projected jobs is Business Intelligence Analysts, at 585,851.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Business Intelligence Analysts | 585,851 | 1.3% |
| Clinical Research Coordinators | 542,888 | 10.4% |
| Data Scientists | 507,848 | 8.1% |
| Bioinformatics Technicians | 434,408 | -2.4% |
| Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | 358,631 | -0.2% |
| Statisticians | 307,132 | 6.6% |
| Clinical Data Managers | 300,656 | -0.9% |
| Actuaries | 216,689 | -3.6% |
Computational & Applied Mathematics graduates earn a median $69,764 one year after completing their program, $103,881 after four years and $100,060 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $69,764 |
| 4 years | $103,881 |
| 5 years | $100,060 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to computational & applied mathematics is Water Resource Specialists, with a median salary of $179,716.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Water Resource Specialists | $179,716 |
| Business Intelligence Analysts | $143,840 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $132,227 |
| Statisticians | $130,349 |
| Bioinformatics Technicians | $121,896 |
| Biostatisticians | $121,594 |
| Clinical Research Coordinators | $110,931 |
| Data Scientists | $106,295 |
Computational & Applied Mathematics has 5 similar majors in the Mathematics & Statistics field, which together award 10,759 degrees a year; the largest are Financial Mathematics (5,730), Applied Mathematics, General (4,370) and Computational Mathematics (421). Browse all Mathematics & Statistics majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Financial Mathematics | 5,730 |
| Applied Mathematics, General | 4,370 |
| Computational Mathematics | 421 |
| Applied Mathematics, Other | 223 |
| Mathematical Biology | 15 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
