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Computational Mathematics

Types of Degrees Computational Mathematics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Computational Mathematics have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	364
Master’s Degree	10
Doctor’s Degree	23

What Computational Mathematics Majors Need to Know

Programs in Computational Mathematics build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Computational Mathematics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Computational Mathematics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Computational Mathematics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Computational Mathematics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Computational Mathematics graduates include:

• Data Analyst
• Research Scientist
• Research Analyst
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Strategic Business and Technology Intelligence Consultant
• Business Technology Consultant
• Business Systems Analyst
• Information Specialist
• Business Process Analyst
• Business Consultant
• EDI Analyst (Electronic Data Interchange Analyst)
• Reporting Analyst

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	59.2%
Master’s degree	20.4%
Doctoral degree	4.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.8%
Post-doctoral training	2.9%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.6%
Some college courses	2.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%
First professional degree	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Computational Mathematics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 65.5% of Computational Mathematics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	137	34.5%
Men	260	65.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	114	28.7%
Asian	90	22.7%
Hispanic or Latino	27	6.8%
Black or African American	10	2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	17	4.3%
Race Unknown	12	3.0%
International Students	126	31.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Computational Mathematics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Computational Mathematics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$69,764
4 years	$85,594
5 years	$100,060

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $100,060 — roughly 43% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Computational Mathematics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Computational Mathematics graduates earn a median of $85,594 four years after completion — roughly 125% 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
Applied Mathematics	27.03
Applied Mathematics, General	27.0301
Applied Mathematics, Other	27.0399
Computational and Applied Mathematics	27.0304
Financial Mathematics	27.0305
Mathematical Biology	27.0306
Mathematics and Statistics, Other	27.9999
Mathematics, General	27.0101
Mathematics and Statistics	27.0503
Algebra and Number Theory	27.0102

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.