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Mathematics Education

Types of Degrees Mathematics Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Mathematics Education may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	15
Bachelor’s Degree	1,154
Master’s Degree	1,785
Doctor’s Degree	39

What Mathematics Education Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Mathematics Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Mathematics Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Mathematics Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Mathematics Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Mathematics Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Mathematics Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mathematics Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mathematics Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Science Education Professor
• Educational Instructor
• Primary Education Professor
• Education Instructor
• Mathematics Education Professor
• Education Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Mathematics Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	47.0%
Bachelor’s degree	33.3%
Master’s degree	7.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.0%
Less than a high school diploma	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mathematics Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.5% of Mathematics Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,109	70.5%
Men	884	29.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Mathematics Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,148	71.8%
Asian	127	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	286	9.6%
Black or African American	131	4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Two or More Races	82	2.7%
Race Unknown	140	4.7%
International Students	56	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mathematics Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Mathematics Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Mathematics Education Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Mathematics Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	1
Bachelor’s	10	10
Master’s	29	18
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Mathematics Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Mathematics Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	13.13
Agricultural Teacher Education	13.1301
Art Teacher Education	13.1302
Biology Teacher Education	13.1322
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education	13.1303
Chemistry Teacher Education	13.1323
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education	13.1339
Computer Teacher Education	13.1321
Drama and Dance Teacher Education	13.1324
Driver and Safety Teacher Education	13.1304
Earth Science Teacher Education	13.1337
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	13.1305

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.