Mathematics graduates from Duke University are the highest earners in the United States, with a median annual income of nearly $300,000, according to recent federal data.
The figures, derived from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard website, show that graduates who earned their degrees in 2018 or 2019 and majored in mathematics at Duke reported a median income of $297,029.
Following closely behind, computer science graduates from Carnegie Mellon University secured the second-highest earnings with a median income of $268,121. Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering majors from the same university ranked third, earning $250,168. Computer and science majors from the University of Pennsylvania placed fourth with $241,380 in median earnings.
According to interviews with Duke professors and students, math majors often possess interests that extend beyond purely mathematical concepts. "I don't know a single math major who was only doing math," said Faisal Alsaadi, a 2019 Duke graduate who double-majored in math and economics and now works in Saudi Arabian start-ups.
Ezra Miller, a Duke professor, noted that the field attracts individuals interested in more than just lucrative careers. "It does also attract people who are interested in beauty and truth," Miller said, adding that his students often apply mathematical thinking to diverse fields. He cited an example where undergraduates used mathematical models to optimize soccer team performance.
However, Duke math professor Greg Herschlag suggested that income is not the sole metric for evaluating graduate success. "I would rather universities and departments be judged not simply by how well their graduates do for themselves, but by how much value they create for others: how much they contribute to society, who benefits from that labor and whether that work is improving people's lives," he stated.